Tractor Trailer Accident Claim in Richland County
Columbia and Richland County are located at the crossroads of Interstates 20, 26, 126 and 77. The highways serve as a major freight route between upstate manufacturers and the low country ports. Thousands of tractor trailers and other large commercial trucks pass through Columbia each month to deliver freight to the Midlands and throughout South Carolina.
Heavy traffic congestion and inadequate roadway capacity along the interstates has created choke points where numerous collisions occur. For example, the I-20 and 1-26 interchange is nicknamed Malfunction Junction because of the frequency of accidents that occur there.
When a commercial driver is speeding, tailgating or not paying adequate attention to the road, a serious truck accident may result. For example, a truck driver who is driving too fast for traffic conditions on Interstate 20 or 26 may be unable to stop in time to avoid a crash if traffic comes to a sudden stop. Large trucks often cause rear-end collisions because of the distance they need to stop when travelling at highway speeds. People in passenger vehicles often sustain more serious injuries in crashes involving semi-trailers because of the size and weight of large trucks.
If you are involved in a semi-truck accident in Columbia or anywhere in the Midlands, you should call 911 to report the accident and then wait for a law enforcement agent to arrive. If you or anyone else at the accident scene needs emergency medical attention, you should ask the emergency dispatcher to send an ambulance. Having a police report of the accident is important to pursuing a claim for compensation for injuries.
How a Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help
If you have been injured in a tractor-trailer accident, the trucking company will have lawyers looking out for the interests of the motor carrier and the commercial driver. You need to have a respected and knowledgeable Columbia, SC injury law firm advocating for you. Otherwise, you will be at a disadvantage in dealing with the trucker’s insurer and being treated fairly.
Our Columbia injury lawyers at Joye Law Firm are experienced at holding trucking companies accountable and negotiating with their insurers after serious and fatal truck crashes.
Accidents involving a large truck or other commercial vehicle are more complex to resolve than collisions involving passenger automobiles. You should keep that in mind. Commercial trucking companies and truck drivers are required to carry higher amounts of liability insurance than automobile owners because of the harm a big rig can cause in a crash. The higher insurance limits mean the financial stakes are raised.
Establishing fault in a truck accident may be complicated. Our attorneys investigate the truck accident to identify all the potentially liable parties. In a crash involving an 18-wheeler, a number of different parties may potentially share legal liability including the truck driver, trucking company, trailer owner, cargo shipper or manufacturer of defective truck parts such as truck brakes, depending on the facts of the accident.
Our attorneys will move quickly to preserve evidence and truck maintenance records that may show negligence on the part of the truck driver or trucking company.
We will then identify all the insurance policies that are available to provide compensation.
We will calculate the extent of your losses including current and future medical bills, lost income from missed work, pain and suffering and other losses. We will submit a demand letter to the insurers and seek compensation that reflects the extent of your injuries.
We will negotiate aggressively for maximum compensation and be prepared to go to court if the insurer is unwilling to agree to a fair settlement.
