In every town and highway of America, trucks of all sizes and types are driven. Almost 70% of all large driving vehicles are responsible for accidents in the United States. These include box trucks, flatbeds, tankers, livestock trucks, etc. Navbug gives daily updates on all accidents that occur in South Carolina, including truck accidents. In addition to trucks being hazardous to American commerce, they are also involved in some of the most distressing personal accidents. In the event of an accident, one should contact a Sumter truck accident lawyer to know how to navigate through the legal aspects of a case.
When you get into a truck accident in Sumter, you may not understand what to do or who to turn to. You could be going through a severe physical injury or a mental trauma due to the rising amount of bills. In such circumstances, the lines of liability may be indistinct. If you have gotten into a truck accident due to someone else’s negligence, you can recover compensation with the help of the right attorney.
Truck Crashes Happen Like Any Other Motor Vehicle Crash: Careless, Impatient, and Aggressive Driving
Truck collision lawsuits can happen like any other Sumter motor vehicle crash lawsuit —careless driving, speeding, tailgating, distractions in the form of texting or eating and drinking. These are the causes of most truck collisions, in which victims often suffer serious life threatening injuries. However, due to the nature of how 18-wheelers and other large trucks are operated, there are some additional hazards that large trucks pose to other road users. A few of these types of collisions include the following:
- Falling Asleep at the Wheel—Drowsy driving is a serious problem in the trucking world, where drivers are often encouraged (financially) to skimp on their federally mandated rest periods.
- Highway Merging or Lane Change Collisions—Trucks throw a wrench in the normal flow and speed on highways as passenger vehicle drivers are forced to navigate around these slower moving 18-wheelers. The danger increases when truck drivers change lanes or merge onto the highway, often doing so regardless of that lane already being occupied by a passenger vehicle.
- Crashes Caused by Defective Parts or Negligent Maintenance—With so much weight being towed over so many hundreds of thousands of miles, a lot can go wrong on a heavy truck. Bad breaks, defective or worn-out tires, and faulty light systems are just a few truck parts that, when not properly maintained, can cause crashes.
- Truck Crashes Caused by Overloading or Improper Tie-Downs—Overloading a truck increases the chance of brake failure or rollover, where improper tie-downs increase the chances of objects falling off the truck, causing vehicles behind to crash. If an object fell off a truck before you saw it fall (it was already in the roadway) you can still take legal action against the trucking company.
- Undercarriage Crashes—Smaller vehicles can become wedged underneath or crushed in sideswipe and T-bone collisions with large trucks that do not have undercarriage guards, leading to extreme injury or even decapitation.
Understanding the Cause
Policy Advice released an article in April 2020 that “estimated that by 2030 it will become the fifth largest cause of death in the USA.” For the most part, truck drivers are careful and professionals, but despite that, accidents still occur daily. Some of the most common factors contributing to the truck accident include:
- Inadequate maintenance of trucks: Malfunctioning equipment of lorries such as faulty breaks or steering topping, the chances of getting into an accident are doubled.
- Aggressive driving: While trying to overcome their speed and aggressive driving or combat against another truck or any vehicle, the size and weight of the car serve against them. The responses of the trucks are relatively slower than lightweight cars which results in them facing different accidents. Motorcycle accidents, in particular, can be especially dangerous when involving trucks, due to the significant disparity in size and protection, often leading to severe Sumter motorcycle injury claims.
- Drivers fatigue: for long-haul driving, drowsy driving is entirely every day. Even though there are strict intra-company and national restrictions and regulations that require resting periods for drivers, drowsy driving becomes a factor that contributes to accidents.
- Impaired driving: It is a common company practice to regularly screen drug and alcohol, which may decrease impaired driving. However, this fails to rule out truck drivers while under the influence completely.
- Distracted drivers: Even though the state has issues laws against texting while driving, it still is a common practice. Other than this, music while driving serves as a distraction for the driver, resulting in an accident.
Damages Truck Crash Victims Can Seek
By filing a Sumter personal injury claim with the trucking company responsible for causing the crash, you may be able to collect compensation for the following types of damages:
- Medical expenses
- Projected medical costs
- Lost wages and lost earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of joy of life
- Emotional distress
- Property damage
- PTSD
- And more
Get Legal Help Today!
Marc Brown law firm is among the top law firms that are dedicated to its clients and serve them with an expert and professional attitude. The main objective of this law firm is to be able to help their clients in every way possible. Along with fighting your case with complete devotedness and expertise, we also sympathize with what the victim could be going through.
Truck accidents in Sumter are devastating and dangerous, not only physically but also mentally. The victim could face life long injuries, due to which they may face a lot of financial troubles. Marc Brown law firm works to the best of their abilities to fight your case with dedication and get their clients the compensation they are the rightful owners of.
Along with many expert attorneys at Marc Brown law firm, Marc Brown is among the top lawyers. He is an experienced and well-skilled lawyer who initially started his career as a defender at a national firm. Marc Brown has the expertise to win cases as his practice enabled him to understand his circumstances deeply, considering both sides of the parties.
Call A Sumter Truck Accident Attorney Today
Whether you suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken bones, lacerations, whiplash, or an even more severe injury such as a severed spinal cord, you have every right to demand full compensation for your extensive damages. Only an experienced Sumter truck accident attorney can make this happen. We highly urge you to contact attorney Marc Brown today to get started. Call (803) 848-0008 to schedule a free consultation.