What Are Common Commercial Truck Accidents in South Carolina?
Truck accidents can take numerous forms, each with unique dynamics and consequences. Here are some of the most common examples:
- Jackknife Accidents – A jackknife accident occurs when a truck’s trailer folds in on the cab, similar to how a pocket knife closes. This can happen due to abrupt braking, taking turns too sharply, or driving in poor conditions.
- Rollover Accidents – Trucks can roll over due to high speeds, improper cargo loading, or difficult road conditions. Rollover accidents often lead to severe injuries due to trucks’ size and weight.
- Rear-End Collisions – These collisions occur when a truck hits another vehicle from behind or vice versa. They can be devastating for occupants of smaller vehicles, especially at high speeds.
- Blind Spot Accidents – Trucks have much larger blind spots than smaller vehicles. Truckers are significantly more likely to collide with other vehicles if they fail to monitor their surroundings, particularly in the blind spots.
- Underride Accidents – This type of crash occurs when a smaller vehicle slides under a truck’s trailer during a collision. Underride accidents can result in severe injuries or fatalities due to the smaller vehicle’s roof getting crushed.
- Head-On Collisions – Head-on or frontal accidents occur when a truck collides front-first with an oncoming vehicle. They often lead to severe or fatal injuries due to the force of impact.
- Lost Load Accidents – If a truck’s cargo is improperly secured and falls onto the road, it can cause catastrophic accidents, particularly if the cargo is heavy or hazardous.
- Wide Turn Accidents – Also known as “swinging turn accidents,” these wrecks happen when a truck swings out too wide when turning and hits another vehicle in the process.
- T-Bone Accidents – These occur when the front of a truck hits the side of another vehicle or vice versa, creating a T-shaped wreck. This usually happens when one party fails to yield the right of way, often in an intersection.
What Compensation Can I Expect to Recover in a Charleston, SC, Truck Accident Claim?
In a truck accident injury claim, you could be entitled to financial compensation, called damages, for various types of compensable losses. These losses can encompass a wide range of physical, emotional, and financial hardships resulting from the accident.
Common types of compensable losses in truck accident injury cases include the following:
- Medical Expenses – These include costs related to hospitalizations, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, therapy, and any other medical care you need due to the accident.
- Lost Wages – Any income or earnings you lose due to the inability to work during your recovery or any long-term disability resulting from the accident.
- Lost Earning Capacity – Compensation for diminished earning capacity If permanent disability affects your future ability to earn a living.
- Pain and Suffering – The physical pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish you experience as a result of the accident and your subsequent injuries.
- Lost Enjoyment of Life – The subjective loss of your ability to participate in activities or enjoy life to the same extent you did before the accident.
What If I Am Partly at Fault in a Truck Accident?
South Carolina operates under a “modified comparative negligence” doctrine. This legal doctrine determines how the court handles cases when injured parties share blame for injury accidents.
Under this doctrine, you can still recover money for your losses even if you are partly at fault for the accident, as long as your degree of fault is less than 51 percent. However, if the court holds you partially responsible, it will reduce the amount of money available to you by your percentage of fault.
For example, let’s say the court determined you were 20 percent responsible for a truck accident that left you with $100,000 in medical bills and other losses. In that case, the most you could recover from your truck accident lawsuit would be $80,000, or 20 percent less than your total losses.
Determining fault is a complex process that can significantly influence your recovery options after a truck wreck. If you get hurt in a Charleston, South Carolina, commercial truck collision, it’s wise to seek the advice of a reputable truck accident law firm. A lawyer can accurately determine your degree of fault, minimize the effects of any evidence against you, and strive to maximize your recovery.
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