Fairfield County Truck Accident Lawyer
Accidents on the highway happen fairly frequently. Those involving large trucks tend to make headlines, as they often involve many injuries and damage. Many drivers suffer catastrophic injuries, and some do not survive. If you were involved in a truck accident around Fairfield County, call our legal team for help getting fair compensation.
How a truck accident occurs may inform your lawyer how to handle your case best. For example, you might have been injured in a head-on collision, rollover accident, or jackknife accident, among others. Knowing this information may help us learn who is responsible for your accident and what kind of evidence we need to prove your claims. We may be able to use photos and videos from the crash, witness testimony, and records from the trucking company to support your case. We also need evidence that establishes your damages. Financial losses, non-economic injuries, and possibly punitive damages might be on the line, and we need evidence to prove them.
For a free case review to start building your case, contact Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers by calling (803) 451-4000 and talk to our personal injury attorneys.
Types of Truck Accidents That Commonly Occur in Fairfield County
Truck collisions are among the most dangerous kinds of highway accidents possible. Not only are trucks enormous and heavy vehicles, but they can travel at high speeds, making them extremely dangerous on the road. How an accident occurs may shed light on who is responsible and why. Our truck accident lawyers can communicate with investigators to get the details of how your accident happened.
Head-On Collisions
A head-on collision with a large truck may be the most frightening kind of collision a person might experience. Trucks are very heavy and might not be able to stop if they need to. Perhaps you lost control of your vehicle for some reason and crossed the highway median into oncoming traffic, where a truck struck you head-on. Alternatively, maybe the truck was the one that crossed a median or was in the wrong lane. Either way, there is a good chance such a crash will lead to disaster.
Rollover Accidents
Trucks are not only very heavy, but they are very tall. When truckers and trucking companies load cargo into a truck’s trailer, they must do so carefully. If heavy cargo is unbalanced or unsecured inside the trailer, it could shift in transit and cause the trailer to sway or even roll over on the highway. Not only might unfortunate drivers alongside the trailer be crushed, but numerous other drivers might be injured in the crash.
Jackknife Accidents
A jackknife accident tends to happen when the truck and trailer are no longer in sync. Ideally, the truck and trailer should be traveling at the same rate of speed while they are connected to a trailer hitch or coupling device. If a trucker is speeding and has to slam the brakes or otherwise slows down very quickly, the trailer might not slow down at the same rate as the truck. If this happens, the trailer might be moving faster than the truck, and it could swerve out to the side, causing the whole truck to careen across multiple lanes of traffic.
Damages Available in Fairfield Truck Accident Cases
Your damages in a truck accident case are likely going to be significant. Severe injuries, long-term medical complications, totaled vehicles, and numerous other damages are common in truck crashes. Your attorney can help you make sure that no damages are left unaccounted for when filing your case in court.
Economic Damages
Your economic losses might be quite high after a truck collision. Your medical bills might also constitute a significant amount of money. Serious medical complications usually mean plaintiffs will likely incur future medical costs. We can estimate the value of future medical treatments and add them to your damages. We should also account for the cost of repairing your damaged vehicle and any personal items that were inside. Your injuries might make it impossible to return to work for a while, and you can claim your lost income. Additionally, if you are unable to ever return to work, you may claim lost future earnings, which might be quite substantial.
Non-Economic Damages
Your non-economic injuries are somewhat harder to describe because they are often highly subjective and unrelated to financial costs. Even so, juries have been known to award significant non-economic damages in cases where plaintiffs show that they suffered greatly because of the defendant’s negligence. Your physical pain, emotional and psychological distress and trauma, reduced quality of life, disfigurements, scarring, and more deserve fair compensation.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are awarded as a punishment for defendants whose behavior is determined to be especially shocking or outrageous. These damages tend to be rare, but they are often worth considerable compensation. According to S.C. Code Ann. punitive damages may only be awarded if we prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s actions constitute wanton, reckless, or willful conduct. This is far above and beyond ordinary negligence, making punitive damages hard to prove.
If punitive damages are available, they may be limited. According to § 15-32-530(A), punitive damages may not be worth more than three times the value of compensatory damages (i.e., economic and non-economic damages) or $500,000, whichever is more. However, the statutory limitation may be lifted under specific circumstances. For example, according to subsection (C) of the law, there may be no cap on punitive damages if the defendant is found to have acted with the intent to cause harm to the plaintiff and did, in fact, cause harm. If you plan on claiming punitive damages, discuss the situation with your lawyer so that you can maximize a potential damages award.
Contact Our Fairfield County Truck Accident Lawyers Now
For a free case review to start building your case, contact Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers by calling (803) 451-4000 and talk to our personal injury attorneys.
