Truck Accident Lawyer Columbia SC

While serving in Congress, Joe Cunningham did what’s right for constituents all over South Carolina. Now as an attorney, Joe serves accident survivors and families who need a little help to pull through. Whether taking on insurance companies or trucking companies, Joe Cunningham Law is on your side with our Truck Accident Lawyer Columbia SC team. 

The types of injuries suffered in a semi-truck crash can be catastrophic. That’s why at Joe Cunningham Law, you won’t have to pay our team a cent unless we can negotiate a settlement or win legal damages in court. If we don’t win, you don’t pay—it’s as simple as that.

To discuss your truck accident with experienced lawyers serving Columbia, contact our South Carolina law firm. You can also set up a free consultation by phone at 843-800-2726.

You Have a Deadline to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit

According to South Carolina Code § 15-3-530, you generally have three years from the date of the collision to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim.

There are exceptions to this three-year statute of limitations, however, with much shorter deadlines to file a claim. That’s why it’s in your best interests to speak with our accident lawyers as soon as possible after your semi-truck crash in Columbia, SC.

During your consultation, we can discuss what happened and let you know if you have a viable legal claim. We can then start investigating the circumstances of the collision while negotiating a settlement with the insurance company.

Compensation in a Semi-Truck Accident Case

Collisions with a tractor-trailer can cause all kinds of catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), loss of limbs, and serious neck and spinal cord injuries. When seeking compensation in a big rig case, Joe Cunningham Law will make sure that these expenses are factored into the value of your claim:

• Medical Bills and Ongoing Care – This covers hospitalization, emergency treatment, visits with doctors and specialists, physical rehabilitation, and occupational therapy.
• Lost Wages and Future Earnings – This covers any medical leave from work, extended absences to recuperate, and any negative impact on your ability to earn a living.
• Damage to Property and Belongings – This covers repairs to or replacement of your vehicle, rentals or rideshares for temporary transportation, and damage to any other belongings during the crash.
• Pain and Suffering – This covers changes to overall quality of life as well as counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mood disorders, and mental health.

If the semi-truck accident proved fatal, our lawyers can help you seek damages for the wrongful death of a loved one. The compensation from a wrongful death claim will cover the above losses as well as funeral expenses, grief counseling, and other difficulties caused by the absence of that person in your life.

Why Choose Joe Cunningham Law for Your Case

Joe Cunningham brings the people-first approach he used as a Congressman to every personal injury case. He focuses on the experiences and needs of accident survivors, because your story is the heart of your case.

We Know How Civil Litigation Defense Attorneys Think

Joe started his legal career representing defendants in personal injury cases. Now that he’s on the other side of the table, he can anticipate arguments a defense lawyer might make and build much stronger cases for accident victims following a semi-truck crash.

We Know the Tactics That Insurance Companies Use

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 Case Reviews with No Obligation

Healing and paying your bills are your main concerns after a truck accident. At Joe Cunningham Law, you don’t have to pay any fees to speak with an experienced lawyer about what happened. We’ll listen and let you know if you’ve got a case worth pursuing.

Client Don’t Pay Unless Our Lawyers Win

At Joe Cunningham Law, we take cases on a contingency fee basis. That means if we don’t win, you don’t pay us. We only get paid if we can secure a settlement for you or win damages in court.

Request a Free Consultation with Our Law Firm Serving Columbia, SC

If you or a member of your family got seriously hurt in an 18-wheeler crash, you can count on Joe Cunningham Law for help. We’re ready to listen and stand up for what’s right. To discuss your collision with skilled semi-truck accident attorneys serving Columbia, SC, contact the team at Joe Cunningham Law.

How Common Are Semi-Truck Crashes in South Carolina?

According to 2022 numbers from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS), there were 3,159 total total traffic collisions involving commercial motor vehicles and large trucks that year. That comprised 2.2% of all motor vehicle collisions in South Carolina in 2022. Of that total number of crashes, there were 134 serious injury wrecks and 131 fatal collisions.

Since Columbia is the state capital, there were numerous vehicle crashes throughout the region, a number of which involved tractor-trailers. SCDPS recorded 12,731 total collisions in Richland County, the third highest number in the state in 2022.

Blind Spot Collisions Involving Large Trucks

Tractor-trailers have major blind spots all around them. Passenger vehicles need to be careful whenever they’re near these parts of a semi-truck on the road:

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

Truckers are still expected to exercise caution despite these blind spots. If a trucker is negligent when merging, turning, braking, or accelerating, they could be held liable for injuries.

Crashes Due to Truck Driver Fatigue

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has limits on how long truckers can drive. Unfortunately, the nature of trucking tends to involve long hours spent on the road. Sometimes truckers violate these hours of service regulations, which can lead to extreme driver fatigue.

Driver fatigue can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving, resulting in slower reaction times, poor decision-making, and sluggish motor skills. It can even cause drivers to fall asleep behind the wheel. When truckers violate hours of service regulations en route to Columbia, SC, our semi-truck accident lawyers can hold them accountable.

Accidents Because of Distracted Truck Drivers

Distracted driving means any activities that take a hand off the wheel and attention off the road. Examples of distracted driving include:

• Texting while driving
• Looking up directions
• Checking a phone
• Making a call without a hands-free kit
• Eating while driving
• Rubbernecking

When truckers lose control of their semi because they’re not paying attention, our accident attorneys can make sure they’re held liable for any injuries or vehicle damage.

Speak with Our Semi-Truck Crash Lawyers About Your Case

You may feel confused and alone after a big rig collision. Joe Cunningham Law is here to pick you up and fight for the compensation you deserve. To request a free evaluation of your accident with experienced truck accident lawyers serving Columbia, contact our South Carolina personal injury attorneys.

Trucker DUI Accidents

When we discuss accidents caused by intoxicated driving, we typically think of drunk drivers and alcohol consumption. While some truckers drink and drive, it’s more likely that a trucker would take stimulants and uppers to stay alert behind the wheel.

Whether it’s narcotics or other substances, stimulants could cause erratic behavior that leads to aggressive driving, road rage,  and other poor decisions. The accident attorneys at Joe Cunningham Law can hold truckers or any commercial drivers accountable for driving under the influence (DUI) crashes.

The Dangers of Jackknife Truck Accidents

A jackknife truck accident is when a trailer bends in toward the cab much like a folding knife. These kinds of accidents tend to happen because of abrupt braking, uneven weight distribution of a load, or sudden turns. If a tractor-trailer jackknifes, it could lead to a deadly multi-car pileup that affects people in several lanes of traffic. This could be disastrous on Columbia highways and interstates.

The Hazards of Poorly Secured Semi-Truck Cargo

Companies use flatbed trucks to haul raw materials, building materials, and heavy equipment. If the cargo is not properly loaded onto the flatbed, it could come loose, causing major collisions in nearby lanes of traffic. These kinds of accidents can be particularly dangerous if they involve a logging truck, lumber truck, or trucks loaded with stone or concrete.

The Risk of Underride Tractor-Trailer Accidents

An underride truck accident is when a smaller vehicle gets trapped under the trailer of an 18-wheeler. This could happen because a car, pickup, or SUV is in a trucker’s blind spot as the semi merges on a highway. Underride accidents can also happen when drivers rear end the trailer of a big rig, which could be due to a trucker braking abruptly.

The Threat of Big Rig Rear-End Collisions

It takes a tractor-trailer much further and much longer to stop than a regular commuter vehicle. Truckers need to be careful about their speed and allow a lot of distance between themselves and any traffic ahead of their semi. If a truck driver speeds or fails to slow their vehicle responsibly, our lawyers can hold them liable for causing a wreck.

The Potential for Wide Swinging Turn Truck Crashes

In addition to extra braking room, it also takes extra room for a large truck to make a turn. Truckers need to be careful about any nearby vehicles that could be hit while making a wide turn. Failure to account for passenger vehicles while maneuvering a tractor-trailer could lead to serious injuries and be grounds for legal action.

Discuss Your Case with Our Tractor-Trailer Attorneys Serving Columbia, SC

Joe Cunningham Law is ready to help you hold negligent truck drivers liable for causing wrecks. If we don’t win, you don’t pay us. To set up a free case review with proven semi-truck accident attorneys serving Columbia, contact our South Carolina personal injury lawyers.

Other Kinds of Truck Accidents We Can Help With

In addition to semi-truck accidents, the lawyers at Joe Cunningham Law can also address collisions with these kinds of vehicles in Columbia, SC:

• Delivery Trucks – We can help with serious delivery truck and delivery van crashes that involve Amazon, an Amazon DSP, UPS, FedEx, DHL, or even the United States Postal Service.
• Moving Trucks – Professional movers must abide by traffic laws and ensure they’re driving safely. We can hold them accountable after a crash.
• Cement Trucks and Dump Trucks – Essential for construction and other industrial jobs, these large trucks can cause severe injuries if they are in an accident.
• Garbage and Recycling Trucks – We often take for granted just how dangerous garbage trucks and recycling trucks can be if they are involved in a collision.

Can Trucking Companies Be Held Liable for Crashes?

Yes.

While there’s a lot of focus on truck drivers, trucking companies can be held liable for a crash as well. A trucking company may have been negligent in the screening and hiring process, allowing a dangerous driver to be on the road despite numerous red flags.

Similarly, trucking companies may neglect regular maintenance and service to their fleet of trucks. In these cases, the trucking company may be at fault in a collision, though poor workmanship by mechanics, service crews, and inspectors could also be to blame if there’s a crash.

The attorneys at Joe Cunningham Law can investigate your trucking accident case in Columbia and let you know who the liable party or parties are.

Can Automakers and Part Companies Be Held Liable for Collisions?

Yes.

If an automaker puts a poorly designed or manufactured semi-truck on the road, there’s a high risk of serious wreck. The same can be said of shoddy brakes, flimsy tires, flawed steering systems, and defects in other vehicle components.

In these situations, the team at Joe Cunningham Law can file a product liability lawsuit, which allows consumers to put corporations on notice when they put defective goods on the market.

You Can Still File a Lawsuit If You Were Partly at Fault

If you were in a collision with a big rig and were partially to blame for the accident, you can still seek legal damages.

South Carolina is a modified comparative negligence state. Per S.C. Code § 15-38-15, you are eligible for compensation if you are 50% or less at fault. If your case prevails, your percentage of fault gets deducted from the total damages awarded.

As your 18-wheeler accident case progresses, the lawyers at Joe Cunningham Law will let you know if you could be held partly responsible for the large truck crash. Sometimes it’s financially better for you to take a pre-trial settlement rather than seek damages in court.

Contact Our Truck Accident Lawyers Serving Columbia, SC

Joe Cunningham Law is here to help accident victims throughout the Palmetto State. If you were seriously hurt in a semi-truck crash and need to speak with accident lawyers serving Columbia, contact our South Carolina law firm. You can also reach the attorneys at Joe Cunningham Law by phone at 843-800-2726.