South Carolina Highway 72 is one of the primary routes for many large trucks and commercial vehicles to carry goods through Abbeville and Greenwood Counties. When a truck driver or trucking company fails to act responsibly to ensure the safety of other motorists and a tragic accident results, the personal injury attorneys at Hite & Stone have the experience and determination to see that justice is served. If you are injured in a South Carolina trucking accident, our legal team will take on the trucker and trucking company to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Why You Need a Truck Accident Attorney
The drivers of commercial vehicles are held to a higher legal standard than other drivers. This is because commercial trucks tend to be much larger and heavier than most passenger vehicles, making them far more dangerous should an accident occur. As a result, any accident that is caused by the negligence of a professional truck driver is handled with more scrutiny than other automobile accidents.
Trucking companies often employ teams of attorneys just to defend against liability charges when their trucks or their drivers cause crashes. If you were seriously injured or a loved one was killed in a commercial truck crash, you will need a legal team on your side to fight for the compensation you deserve. Our experienced attorneys know how to stop the trucking company from destroying valuable evidence and determine a monetary value for your losses when you are involved in a crash with any of the following types of commercial vehicles:
- Cement trucks
- Delivery trucks
- Eighteen-wheelers
- Freight trucks
- Tanker trucks
Do not trust trucking company attorneys or insurance adjusters to offer you a fair settlement. Call Hite & Stone as soon as possible after your accident so that we may begin building your case.
Causes of South Carolina Truck Crashes
Just like drivers of passenger cars, truck drivers must follow traffic laws, drive with caution and consideration, and maintain their vehicles to certain safety standards. However, when a trucker fails to comply with these basic rules, the damage he can cause is much greater than a smaller vehicle inflicts. Large vehicles require a greater distance to stop, are much harder to maneuver and control, and far outweigh most of the other vehicles on the road, making them much more dangerous than regular cars.
Common causes of deadly truck crashes include the following:
- Driver distraction. Truckers may be distracted by cell phones, GPS devices, driving partners, and even watching television while driving. Distracted driving is dangerous for any driver, but even more so when the driver is behind the wheel of a 40-ton truck.
- Driver impairment. Drivers who are on cold or flu medications, painkillers, sleep aids, and other over-the-counter or prescription drugs often experience the same cognitive impairments as drunk drivers. If the driver who caused your crash was taking medications, he should be held accountable.
- Driver fatigue. Truckers drive long distances and often ignore hours-of-service regulations. Pushing it to get a delivery to its destination on time results in drivers who are overtired and likely to doze off behind the wheel, causing catastrophic crashes.
- Mechanical failure. Faulty brakes, worn tires, rusty trailer couplings, and other mechanical problems can lead to truck accidents. It is the responsibility of the driver and the owner of the truck to repair mechanical issues and maintain a safe vehicle.
Evidence of these negligent actions may be found in the truck’s electronic data recorder, also known as a black box, and your attorney will be able to ensure that the data is preserved as evidence of the driver’s liability.
