Charleston Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck drivers keep the American economy rolling. They play a crucial role in the country’s supply chain by transporting raw materials and other goods that help our stores stay stocked and keep various industries alive. Unfortunately, major semi-truck accidents can happen. When they do, the injuries can be catastrophic or even fatal.

If you were seriously hurt in a collision with a tractor-trailer or 18-wheeler, you can count on attorney Joe Cunningham. A former U.S. Congressman, he helps working South Carolinians level the legal playing field against trucking companies and corporate interests.

Our personal injury lawyers are ready to listen. To request a free consultation to discuss your large truck accident, contact our Charleston, SC law office. You can also reach our law firm by phone at 843-800-2726.

How Common Are Semi-Truck Accidents?

According to numbers from the National Safety Council (NSC), approximately 120,200 large trucks were involved in injury accidents in the United States in 2022. In the same year, there were 5,837 large trucks involved in fatal collisions.

At the state level, 2022 numbers from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) found that there were 134 serious injury crashes involving commercial motor vehicles and large trucks and 131 fatal crashes involving commercial motor vehicles and large trucks. It’s worth noting that Charleston County had the most total collisions in the state that year.

Since 18-wheelers are a common presence in and around Charleston County, it’s important for drivers to be attentive and exercise additional caution around these large vehicles.

How Long Do I Have to File a Trucking Accident Lawsuit in South Carolina?

As noted in South Carolina Code § 15-3-530, you generally have three years from the date of the tractor-trailer accident to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim. There are some exceptions to the three-year statute of limitations, so it’s best to speak with a Charleston truck accident attorney at Joe Cunningham Law as soon as possible.

While you focus on recuperating from your injuries, our team will conduct an investigation into the 18-wheeler crash and begin negotiating a settlement with the insurance company so you can pay your medical bills.

Why Choose Joe Cunningham Law After a Truck Accident

While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Joe Cunningham developed a people-first approach to solving problems. He uses a similar approach as a personal injury lawyer, focusing on the needs of truck accident survivors in Charleston and other South Carolina communities.

Experience Representing Defendants in Accident Lawsuits

When Joe started his legal career, he worked on the other side of the table representing defendants in personal injury cases. Now advocating for the survivors of trucking accidents, Joe can use his firsthand knowledge of the legal process on both sides to anticipate the other lawyer’s arguments and build a stronger case for you.

Knowledge of How Insurance Companies Operate

The team Joe Cunningham Law understands the strategies that insurance companies use to lowball settlements and minimize payouts. We can identify these tactics and help accident victims negotiate better counteroffers.

Free Legal Consultations

At Joe Cunningham Law, your initial consultation is free of charge. Our attorneys know that a tractor-trailer accident can lead to major medical bills and other debts. We remove financial obstacles that would prevent you from speaking with an attorney. This is one way we help working South Carolinians get sound legal counsel after a crash.

Contingency Fee Representation

The lawyers at Joe Cunningham Law accept cases we believe we can win. To help reduce additional financial burdens on our clients, we take cases on a contingency basis. This means that our clients do not pay us unless we can negotiate a settlement or win damages in a jury trial. When our law firm earns your trust, it’s up to our attorneys to earn you money.

Hit by a Large Truck? Contact Our Charleston Law Office

A collision with a tractor-trailer or semi-truck can cause catastrophic injuries. The attorneys at Joe Cunningham Law can help. If you or someone you care about was seriously injured in a large truck accident, contact our Charleston law firm. Our lawyers are ready to listen and advocate for you. If we don’t win, you don’t pay.

Semi-Truck Blind Spot Collisions

Semi-trucks have major blind spots simply given their size. These blind spots are located:

• On the left of the truck driver just behind the cabin
• On the right of the cab and several feet behind it
• Ahead of the cab roughly 20 feet
• Behind the trailer roughly 30 feet

Truck drivers must be wary of any commuters around them at all times. Similarly, drivers in passenger vehicles should exercise caution and personal responsibility by giving semi-trucks extra room. When truckers fail to check their mirrors or do not take precautions when changing lanes or merging, a serious accident could occur.

Driver Fatigue and Large Truck Collisions

Truckers spend many hours on the road, which can lead to exhaustion and drowsiness. The nature of this job explains why driver fatigue is a major concern in the commercial trucking industry. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), approximately 13% of commercial vehicle drivers in 2020 were fatigued at the time of their collision. This includes falling asleep behind the wheel, which can cause major multi-vehicle pileups.

While there are strict FMCSA Hours of Service (HOS) regulations in place, some truckers may ignore these safety laws and put South Carolinian drivers at risk. Our injury accident attorneys can investigate the large truck accident and determine if driver fatigue played a role.

Truck Driver Distraction Accidents

With such long hours on the road, truckers may multi-task while behind the wheel. This could lead to distracted driving. Examples of truck driver distraction are similar to distractions that affect normal commuters:

• Texting while driving
• Making a call without a hands-free set
• Looking up directions while driving
• Eating while driving
• Reaching for objects while driving

Given the responsibilities of truck drivers, it’s crucial that they keep their hands on the wheel and focus on the road while the 18-wheeler is in motion.

Tractor-Trailer Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife accident is when the semi-truck trailer folds in toward the truck cab. This creates a V shape similar to a folding knife and can span multiple lanes of traffic. Jackknife accidents are usually caused by brake failures, tire failures, speeding, or overcompensation while turning or maneuvering the truck.

If a tractor-trailer jackknifes on Highway 17 or Interstate 26, it can cause a deadly multi-car pileup. Our truck accident lawyers in Charleston, SC can find out what caused the jackknife accident and hold the liable party accountable.

Poorly Secured Truck Cargo Accidents

Flatbed trucks are typically used to haul heavy items and building materials from one place to another. They can also be used to transport cars and heavy equipment. We expect all cargo on a flatbed to be secured carefully, but that is not always the case.

Unfortunately, poor cargo loading can happen, and it can contribute to major accidents affecting people in multiple lanes. These kinds of crashes can be especially dangerous if they involve a log truck, lumber truck, or flatbeds loaded with stone or concrete.

Truck Driver DUI Accidents

When truck drivers operate their vehicle while drunk or under the influence of any kind of substance, they put countless South Carolinians at risk. Sadly, some truckers make poor decisions and drive their semi while drunk or using drugs.

Our lawyers understand the pain and devastation caused by drunk and intoxicated driving accidents. We can hold commercial drivers liable for endangering others with their reckless choices and help seek compensation to aid in your recovery or grief.

Problems with Truck Maintenance and Repairs

We’ve focused a fair amount on driver error, but we should also consider the role that mechanical failure could play in a large truck accident. If a semi-truck is not regularly serviced, poor maintenance could contribute to brake failure, steering problems, and other issues with vehicle safety.

When a major semi crash occurs, our Charleston truck accident attorneys will carefully investigate all potential causes of the collision. We can check maintenance and repair records for the 18-wheeler and hold trucking companies accountable for failing to properly fix or maintain their fleet of vehicles.

Request a Free Trucking Accident Consultation at Joe Cunningham Law

No matter the cause or causes of the accident you were in, Joe Cunningham Law is here to help. To set up a free case review with our truck accident lawyers, contact our Charleston, SC law office.

Other Kinds of Large Trucks and CMVs to Keep in Mind

Semis and 18-wheelers aren’t the only trucks on our streets and highways. In addition to tractor-trailers, these are other commercial vehicles and large trucks that could cause accidents in Charleston, SC.

Delivery Trucks

Numerous multi-stop trucks from Amazon, the USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL are on our streets each day. Delivery truck drivers may make poor choices behind the wheel as they attempt to make deliveries on time, leading to serious accidents.

Garbage Trucks

Garbage trucks and recycling trucks help keep our city clean. These dump trucks are usually operated with care, but driver error, distractions, and even poor road and weather conditions can lead to serious crashes.

Cement Trucks and Dump Trucks

Construction vehicles are essential for growing our city. These large vehicles can cause major injuries, especially if they accidentally strike bicyclists and pedestrians. We can hold the construction or hauling companies responsible for the accident.

Moving Trucks

Box trucks are essential for moving your belongings from one part of South Carolina to another. If professional movers cause an accident or someone who’s rented a U-Haul truck gets into a major crash, our lawyers can investigate what happened and help you seek compensation.

Compensation in a Tractor-Trailer Accident

When negotiating a settlement or seeking damages in court, our truck accident lawyers in Charleston will be sure to consider the following financial hardships.

Medical Bills and Health Expenses

A collision with a large truck can lead to debilitating injuries. When seeking compensation, our attorneys will note all medical bills related to hospitalization, emergency care, life-saving and reconstructive surgery, physical rehabilitation, the use of assistive devices such as wheelchairs, and occupational therapy.

Lost Wages and Reduced Earning Potential

A truck crash can keep you out of work for a long time. Our lawyers will consider any extended medical leave you’ve taken from work and how this time off affected your wages and income. If you suffer a long-term or permanent disability in a tractor-trailer accident, the team at Joe Cunningham Law can estimate your lost future wages and whether or not you are able to earn a living.

Damaged Vehicles and Personal Belongings

Your vehicle may be totaled or substantially wrecked in a large truck crash. Any personal belongings you had on you can similarly be damaged, such as a laptop, tablet, phone, watch, jewelry, and so forth. Our attorneys can tabulate the total value of these damaged goods.

Damages After a Fatal Tractor-Trailer Accident

If you lose a loved one in a fatal crash, the grief can be overwhelming. When it comes to wrongful death claims after a truck accident, our lawyers will seek compensation to cover funeral expenses, emotional pain and suffering, grief counseling, and the lasting impact this loss will have on you and your household.

What If I Am Partially at Fault for the 18-Wheeler Accident?

You may still be able to file a truck accident lawsuit if you were partly at fault in a collision. This is because South Carolina is a modified comparative negligence state.

Per S.C. Code § 15-38-15, a person may still seek damages after a crash if they were no more than 50% at fault. The total amount in damages that person receives is reduced by the percentage a jury finds them liable.

Do not tell the insurance company that you share some of the blame for a collision with a truck. We can review what happened during a complementary and confidential consultation. The attorneys at Joe Cunningham Law will help negotiate a fair settlement offer.

Contact Our Truck Accident Attorneys in Charleston, SC

Whatever the circumstances of the crash, you can trust the team at Joe Cunningham Law. Attorneys Joe Cunningham and Aaron Scheer will use their multi-faceted knowledge of personal injury litigation to seek compensation after a serious collision.

To request a free consultation with skilled truck accident lawyers, contact our South Carolina law firm. You can also reach our law office in Charleston, SC by calling 843-800-2726.