Columbia Truck Accident Law Firm | Lawyer
When Truck Accidents Happen, We’re Here Help
A Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer at the Strom Law Firm are familiar with litigating South Carolina personal injury cases. Our lawyers can often help truck accident victims recover substantial compensation for their truck accident damages. Anyone injured in an accident should discuss their options with one of our experienced Columbia Truck Accident Lawyers.
South Carolina is dependent on the trucking industry. Nearly 80 percent of all South Carolina communities depend on trucks to move their goods. Yet, while these trucks may help deliver everyday goods, they can cause serious accidents on the road. Columbia, in particular, is a major thoroughfare for commercial trucks of all sizes. Three interstates crisscross with highways as trucks make their way from Savannah, Georgia, to Charlotte, North Carolina. From I-77 to I-20, big rigs and semi-trucks hauling goods over the road at all hours of the day and night can cause catastrophic accidents, resulting in life-threatening injuries. Whether it’s a crash involving large trucks or a collision from bad weather, the damages can be costly.
Truck drivers and victims can sustain tremendous losses when preventable trucking accidents result in serious injury. Columbia truck accident survivors often incur significant medical expenses and lost income from being unable to work. In addition, victims may experience substantial physical and emotional pain and suffering from truck accident injuries. Fortunately, South Carolina laws and regulations allow truck accident victims to recover significant compensation for these and other damages.
The aftermath can be overwhelming if you’ve been involved in a truck accident in Columbia, South Carolina. The Strom Law Firm stands ready to provide you with dedicated legal support, focusing on personal injury law to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
A Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help with Your Case
Why Choose a Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer?
When you suffer a serious injury in a truck accident in Columbia, you may not know where to turn for help. In the blink of an eye, your life and future have changed and you may find yourself facing a lifetime of disability, pain, and suffering from the truck accident injury. When this occurs, you need an experienced truck accident attorney with specific truck accident litigation experience who can fight for you and the compensation you deserve. This is when a truck accident lawyer can help. A truck accident attorney should know how to investigate liability, preserve evidence, and deal with the deadlines these cases involve.
Trucking companies often have large legal teams dedicated to reducing their liabilities and damages. They may attempt a quick settlement that is just a fraction of what you truly need. We want to protect your future and your rights in SC. With the Strom Law Firm involved, we will focus on the insurance company, so you can focus your energies on recovery and receive personal attention on your case. Our experienced truck accident lawyers are prepared to push for full and fair compensation.
Our Columbia truck accident lawyers are here to help at the Strom Law Firm. Our office is at 6923 N. Trenholm Road in Columbia, South Carolina, near Arcadia Lakes. We offer free initial consultations and reviews for truck accident victims. To make things even easier, our truck accident lawyer can meet you at your home, hospital room, or virtually during this time. Schedule your free consultation with a Columbia truck accident lawyer at Strom Law Firm today by calling (803) 252-4800 to speak with a columbia truck accident attorney, and if your claim cannot be resolved fairly, our experienced truck accident attorney has the trial experience to take the case forward.
Causes of Trucking Accidents in Columbia, South Carolina
The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) reports that, in 2018, there were 106,821 collisions involving commercial trucking vehicles in South Carolina. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations govern trucking operations. Almost 4,500 of those were fatal collisions. Because of these vehicles’ size and weight, crashes involving large commercial vehicles are often tied to violations of federal and state regulations, and that can have serious and devastating consequences, including wrongful death from a large truck accident.
All of us have traveled the highways and roads throughout the Columbia area and are aware of the increasingly heavy traffic, particularly on major interstates like I-26, I-20, and even I-95. Eighteen-wheelers, big rigs, construction vehicles, farm vehicles, and other multi-axle and commercial vehicles often rush to stay on schedule and beat deadlines. They are heavy. Trucks are fast, and they are weighted down by the load. When a large truck collides with a smaller vehicle, destruction and serious injuries can occur to the drivers and other passengers.
Truck Driver
Truck drivers sometimes operate these large vehicles negligently or carelessly. No-zone accidents occur when a truck driver’s blind spots are not properly monitored around a commercial vehicle. Sometimes, they drive for long hours on the road, leading to physical and mental exhaustion. Other times, truckers have used medications and drugs to help them stay awake while driving.
Regular causes of truck crashes in Columbia and across Richland County include:
- Exhaustion
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
- Distractions while driving, including negligence by distracted truck drivers
- Reckless driving
- Inexperience
- Driving under the Influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI)
- Improper turning procedures
- Failure to maintain lanes
- Drivers carrying too much load
- Failure to maintain the vehicle
Trucking Defects
Some accidents are caused by defective truck parts rather than a negligent driver. These can include problems with brakes, tires, lights, and other faulty or improper maintenance. Faulty pre-trip inspections could be to blame. Sometimes, these defects could give rise to a product liability claim against the manufacturer, distributor, or maintenance facility that performed repairs on the truck. Contacting an experienced Columbia truck accident lawyer to review the situation and determine the best course to follow can help you secure the compensation you deserve for your damages.
Trucking Company Negligence
Trucking companies have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their fleet. This means performing proper truck maintenance and ensuring that all drivers adhere to SC state and federal trucking regulations. When trucking companies cut corners in maintenance or push their drivers to drive long hours, they can cause serious trucking accidents.
If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a truck accident, you need to have someone working on the case immediately. The Columbia Car accident lawyers at the Strom Law Firm can ensure your personal injury claim is initiated, preserved, and filed in a timely manner to ensure you receive the legal compensation you deserve.
Common Types of Columbia Truck Accidents
As with any vehicle collision, trucking accidents in Columbia, SC, can vary in severity. They can range from fender benders to catastrophic accidents with fatalities or permanent disabilities.
At Strom Law Firm, our truck accident attorneys have represented survivors who suffered injuries in a variety of trucking accidents, including:
- Rear-end collisions
- Overturns as a result of taking a turn too sharply
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Illegal turns
- Hydroplaning
- Multiple car pile-ups
- Chemical spills on the roadways
- Underride accidents
- Jackknife truck accidents
Occasionally, late-night or early-morning accidents can be caused when a tractor-trailer truck is either not equipped with or does not use its high beams and fails to see a hazard in the roadway. If the trailer’s haul is not loaded and secured appropriately, it can become dislodged from the trailer and careen into other cars on the road. Drivers on the other end of such a situation can find themselves in a serious, maybe even deadly situation on SC roads.
Our Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer Helps Injured Survivors Like You
What are the different types of commercial trucks?
Commercial trucks are used to transport goods, passengers, or other freight. Such trucks include:
- Tractor-trailers
- Dump trucks
- Heavy Haulers
- Flatbeds
- Tanker trucks
- Garbage trucks
- Auto haulers
- and more.
When and where do most fatal commercial truck accidents occur?
In 2019, most truck accident fatalities occurred during the daytime (about 64%). Additionally, truck accident fatalities were most likely to occur in rural areas (about 57%) and on non-interstate roads (about 75%).
How long does it take to receive compensation for a Columbia truck accident lawsuit?
Before you can receive compensation for a truck accident claim, you may need to wait for the full investigation into that claim to take place. Often, your attorney may need to review substantial evidence to determine exactly who caused your accident. The trucking company and its insurance company may also want to review evidence of the accident before deciding who bears liability for your injuries.
You should also expect several other things that may take time as you move forward with your truck accident claim.
How much do you need to recover from your injuries?
Some injuries, including spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injury, may leave victims with a long road to recovery. Your doctors may need you to walk down at least part of that road before they can predict your eventual recovery with any degree of accuracy.
Receiving an accurate report from your doctors is often critical to understanding the full scope of your legal claim. By waiting, you may be able to give a more precise assessment of your actual medical bills and how your injuries will impact your life after the accident.
How much do you need to negotiate before my Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer reaches an agreement with the insurance company?
Sometimes, you can reach a quick agreement with the insurance company.
More often, however, the insurance company will come back with a lower settlement offer than you think is fair in your case. You may need to go through several rounds of negotiation before reaching an agreement that you feel reflects the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Your legal claim may take longer if you must go to court to reach an agreement. An injury attorney knows how to navigate such truck accident cases and can help you get fair compensation.
What type of evidence will my Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer review and utilize in my truck accident case?
There is a variety of evidence your Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer may want to review when preparing your truck accident case. Your attorney may review evidence related to fault and damages, including but not limited to:
- The accident report
- Photos from the crash
- Eyewitness accounts
- Medical bills
- Data from the truck’s electronic data recorder
- The driver’s logbooks
- Toxicology reports
- Maintenance and inspection reports
- The driver’s background check
- Expert reports and opinions
Will I have to go to court to settle my Columbia truck accident claim?
Sometimes, you may have to go to court to settle your case. Working with a Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer can help you prepare for that possibility and ensure you have quality legal representation that will keep your best interests in mind throughout the process.
What happens if the Columbia truck driver’s insurance company makes me a settlement offer?
Often, insurance companies issue settlement offers soon after the accident. Usually, insurers design the settlement offer to sound very tempting. They may offer just enough to make you feel as though you will get what you deserve from your claim, or it might try to convince you that you cannot possibly get more for your claim, even with severe and permanent injuries.
You do not have to accept a settlement offer on the spot. Instead, take the time to consider it carefully. Talk to a Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer at Strom Law Firm to learn how much compensation you may need for the injuries you suffered in your trucking accident. Our Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer can help you decide based on your needs, not on what the trucking company has to say about the accident.
Do I really need a Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer to help handle a truck accident claim in Columbia?
You may have handled car accident claims independently, following a routine auto accident with no injuries. On the other hand, a truck accident claim may proceed very differently, especially if you suffered serious injuries in the accident.
A Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer can help you resolve that claim and increase your odds of getting the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
As you work closely with an attorney throughout your truck accident claim, that attorney will provide advice and information at every step. You will have a better idea of how much legal compensation you deserve for your case, how to communicate with the insurance company, and how to avoid making any statements that could minimize the compensation you receive for your injuries.
A Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer can also provide a more comprehensive investigation into what caused your truck accident and represent you if you need to go to court. Ultimately, many people find that working with an attorney significantly increases the compensation they can receive after their accidents.
How much will your Columbia truck accident lawyer cost me?
You may have significant medical bills to deal with in addition to lost wages due to your inability to work. Many worry about the cost of hiring an attorney following a truck accident.
How will you pay for that Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer ?
Our Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer understands that many victims do not have the funds to hire an attorney. Fortunately, we make that easy for our clients.
When you connect with our Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer, we start with a free consultation. That legal consultation will give you a chance to discuss how your accident occurred, what injuries you suffered, and how much compensation you might deserve for those injuries and the other losses associated with your accident.
Our Columbia truck accident attorneys will take cases and clients on a contingency fee basis. If we accept your case on a contingent fee basis, you will not have to worry about coming up with payment for your attorney fees. Instead, you will pay for those services only as a percentage of any settlement or award you receive. If we don’t secure money for you, you owe us nothing.
What is the difference between a Columbia commercial truck accident and an accident with a passenger vehicle?
Following a truck accident, you must consider these differences:
- Big trucks often cause more severe injuries in accidents. Big trucks weigh significantly more than smaller passenger vehicles. They take longer to slow and longer to stop. They also need more space to maneuver before completing turns to avoid collisions. As a result, truck accidents often cause much more severe injuries than passenger vehicle accidents. Smaller passenger vehicles have little protection against the sheer mass of a big truck.
- Truck drivers spend many hours on the road each day. Truck drivers can drive up to eleven hours out of each shift. That means a lot of hours spent on the road and, therefore, a lot of opportunities for accidents. While truck drivers receive special training before they can drive a commercial-weight vehicle, they may end up on the road before they have the experience needed to avoid accidents and navigate the challenges they face. Long hours on the road can also lead to increased driver fatigue and a higher risk of accidents.
- Truck drivers often carry higher-value insurance policies. Truck drivers must carry insurance policies that provide higher-value coverage than the average passenger vehicle driver. Those policies can substantially increase the overall value of a truck accident claim. Your damages, however, will still depend on your injuries and the financial losses you faced due to your accident.
Can I receive compensation if I was partially at fault for the accident?
You may be entitled to compensation if you were partially at fault for the accident. South Carolina is a “modified comparative negligence” state, meaning that your damages may be reduced if you are found to be partially at fault. If found to be partially at fault, the overall damages award may be reduced in proportion to the percentage of such fault, and a percentage of fault greater than fifty percent may preclude recovery entirely. Accordingly, you may still be entitled to compensation if your negligence does not exceed the defendant’s.
Contact a Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer at Our Law Firm Today
Severe injuries and lifelong medical expenses resulting from a truck accident are serious issues for accident victims. An experienced Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer at the Strom Law Firm is here to talk to you and take a look at your case. We know what it takes to negotiate with insurance companies.
Do not resolve your truck accident case for too little. The Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer at the Strom Law Firm are ready to litigate your case through depositions, hearings, and trial. Schedule your free consultation with a Columbia personal injury lawyer today at (803) 252-4800.
Client Review
Here’s what Alma P. said about us on Google: “Great law firm…awesome customer service! An absolute pleasure to work with! I would recommend this law firm to anyone.”
Rating: 5/5
Check out all of our Google reviews!
