If you have been injured in an accident involving a semi-trailer or other commercial truck, you should talk with an experienced Myrtle Beach truck accident attorney to understand your legal options. You may have a right to seek compensation to cover your medical bills and other expenses if your injuries were caused by someone else.
The attorneys and staff at Joye Law Firm understand the disruption and financial stress that a serious injury can cause. Our clients are good people going through a difficult ordeal caused by another’s negligence. You may feel anxious and concerned about your situation, but unable to deal with insurance adjusters and accident claims.
Let our compassionate attorneys lift that burden off your shoulders. Our goal is to make a positive difference in the life of each client we help. If you contact our Myrtle Beach law office, an attorney will review the details of your truck crash and offer guidance about whether you have a valid truck injury lawsuit. If we represent you, we will handle your claim on a contingency fee basis. You will not pay any out-of-pocket costs.
Keep in mind that there is no charge to talk with one of our lawyers about your truck accident. Doing so will help you make well-informed decisions with your future in mind. You will only pay a legal fee if we obtain compensation for you.
How Our Myrtle Beach Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help
Here are the types of legal services our experienced Myrtle Beach injury attorneys typically provide to clients who have been injured in truck accidents caused by other motorists.
Our attorneys will:
- Investigate the truck crash and identify all the at-fault parties
- Make sure you are receiving all the necessary medical attention
- Help you get referrals to medical specialists if needed
- Estimate your present and future medical bills and other expenses
- Find all the insurance policies that may cover the accident
- Submit a demand letter to the insurance company
- Negotiate aggressively with insurer(s) for a just settlement
- File a personal injury lawsuit, if needed
- Seek justice for you in court if a settlement cannot be reached
- Keep you informed and stand beside you every step of the way
Our attorneys at Joye Law Firm are friendly and approachable. Our law firm puts an emphasis on being accessible to clients. If you have a question, your attorney will make every effort to return your call within 24 hours.
We believe in treating people as we would want to be treated ourselves if we were seeking professional services.
Can I Recover Compensation for My Truck Crash?
Truck accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. Due to the inherent danger associated with operating these vehicles, they are highly regulated by both state and federal law, but accidents continue to happen. In order to recover compensation, you need to be able to show that your accident was the result of someone else’s negligence.
Some examples of negligence that could potentially lead to a truck accident include the following:
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Failure to yield
- Improperly secured cargo
- Hours of Service violations
- Distracted driving
- Improper lane usage
- Ignoring poor weather conditions
- Failure to signal
- Failure to observe stoplights or stop signs
Whether or not your accident was the result of negligence depends on a variety of factors, and it is extremely difficult for a person without legal training to make that determination. Consequently, anyone who has been involved in a truck accident should have the facts of their case thoroughly reviewed by a skilled lawyer as soon as possible.
That makes it important to have a knowledgeable truck accident lawyer start work on your case right away.
What Causes Semi-Truck Accidents?
Myrtle Beach and the Horry County area have heavy traffic congestion, especially along Highway 17, which links the towns of the Grand Strand. Horry County, which includes Myrtle Beach, is among South Carolina’s most dangerous counties for serious and fatal crashes.
Many commercial truck drivers speed or drive too fast for traffic conditions because they are trying to make delivery deadlines.
Tractor-trailers need more distance to stop. If traffic comes to a standstill on Highway 17, a truck driver who is not paying attention to road conditions or following too closely may fail to hit the brakes in time to avoid a rear-end collision. The truck driver may be liable for the injuries of others in the crash.
Some commercial truck drivers are fatigued from many hours behind the wheel and do not react quickly to sudden changes in road conditions. A lack of skid marks at the scene of an accident may be evidence that an exhausted truck driver was asleep when the accident occurred. Our attorneys may analyze a truck driver’s log books to determine if the trucker violated the maximum number of hours allowed behind the wheel without rest.
Trucking companies may be liable for an accident if a big rig is not adequately maintained and a maintenance issue causes a truck to crash. A truck tire blowout can cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. When we handle a tractor-trailer accident claim, our attorneys move quickly to preserve and analyze truck maintenance records. These types of records, which trucking companies only have to keep for a certain period of time, can provide critical evidence of a trucking company’s disregard for the safety of its fleet of trucks.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Collision?
One of the main differences between a truck accident and a “regular” car accident is the number of parties that could potentially be held liable. Of course, a truck accident still involves the truck driver and at least one other driver, but there are certain considerations that exist when a commercial vehicle is involved in a crash.
For example, in many cases, a truck driver’s employer could be held liable for the conduct of the driver. In addition, if a problem with the way that cargo was secured resulted in an accident, the company responsible for loading the cargo into the truck could potentially be responsible for any injuries or damage that may have occurred.
Sometimes, truck accidents are caused by problems with the vehicles themselves. When this happens, victims may be able to pursue a legal claim against the vehicle manufacturer, the manufacturer of the vehicle part that failed, or even the company responsible for the maintenance of the vehicle. The most effective way to determine whether any of these situations apply to your case is to discuss your accident in detail with a skilled truck accident lawyer as soon as you can.
How Much Money is Available from a Truck Accident Claim?
Truck drivers and commercial motor carriers are required by state and federal law to carry higher amounts of liability insurance than owners of passenger cars. Higher amounts of insurance are needed because a semi-trailer crash is more likely to cause serious or fatal injuries due to the size and weight difference between large trucks and smaller vehicles. The occupants of the smaller vehicle typically sustain the brunt of the injuries.
The value of each tractor-trailer injury claim depends on the specific facts of the accident, the extent of the injuries, and the insurance policies available to provide compensation.
Our attorneys focus on identifying all the applicable insurance policies that may provide compensation for your injuries. If we are successful in finding multiple insurance policies, it can increase the amount of compensation you receive.
You should walk away from any attorney who guarantees that your claim is worth a certain amount or that the attorney will obtain a certain amount for you. At Joye Law Firm, we will work relentlessly to pursue the maximum compensation that you are entitled to receive under South Carolina law. We are understandably proud of our record of results for clients.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Being Involved in a Truck Accident?
Many people who are involved in a truck accident wonder whether they need to retain an attorney in order to recover compensation. While there is no rule that requires South Carolina truck accident victims to retain legal counsel, it is a good idea to do so. Trucking companies are well-aware of the fact that they are in a high-risk business and are ready to aggressively defend against legal claims at the drop of a hat.
In fact, you can be fairly certain that any insurer of a trucking company has a legal team of skilled insurance defense attorneys ready to go to court. For this reason, it is absolutely critical for anyone injured in a truck accident to retain a lawyer who has experience taking on trucking companies.
Some of the ways that a lawyer can help you recover include the following:
- Your Lawyer Will Investigate Your Claim – Not every truck accident case is clear-cut, and in some cases, it may be necessary for victims to present evidence establishing that a truck driver or another party was negligent. Your lawyer will thoroughly investigate the way in which your truck accident occurred and uncover any evidence of negligence if it exists.
- Your Attorney Will Negotiate with the Insurance Company – Most truck accident cases are settled well before either party sees the inside of the courthouse. Generally, liability is conceded, which means that the only issue that needs to be resolved is how much the insurance company will pay to the victim. This settlement amount is meant to approximate the amount of money the victim would receive if the case went to trial. Arriving at this amount requires an in-depth knowledge of the way that personal injury law compensates victims for their injuries, so having an attorney negotiate on your behalf is an essential part of making sure that any settlement offer you accept is fair.
- Your Lawyer Will File a Lawsuit on Your Behalf if it Becomes Necessary – While most cases are settled, it may become necessary to file a lawsuit in order to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. If this occurs in your case, your lawyer will file a lawsuit in the appropriate forum on your behalf and represent you in any legal proceedings that may occur.
Call a Myrtle Beach Semi-Truck Accident Attorney at Joye Law Firm
You may be unsure how to proceed if you have been seriously injured in a truck accident. You may be grateful just to be alive. You can take an important step forward by having a knowledgeable Myrtle Beach semi-truck accident attorney discuss your legal options.
Our attorneys will listen to your concerns and answer your questions free of change. Having that information about your legal options permits you to make well-informed decisions about your path forward.
Having an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side can reduce the anxiety you feel after a serious accident. We want to help you put your truck accident injuries behind you and move forward with your life. Call Joye Law Firm today.
