Florence, SC Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents are incredibly devastating and dangerous. It is not uncommon for victims of accidents involving 18-wheelers, semi trucks, and other big-rig vehicles to have permanent, life-altering injuries. To make matters worse, these injuries can be incredibly expensive to treat and manage, stressing even very good health insurance policies and creating a great deal of financial stress for victims who are already dealing with enough.

If you got hurt in a truck accident in or around Florence, call our office. We have handled hundreds of these cases, so our lawyers know what it takes to pursue legal action against those responsible for your injuries and fight hard for the financial compensation you deserve.

Get a totally free case review from our truck accident lawyers when you call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (803) 219-4906.

Types of Truck Accidents in Florence, SC

Figuring out the type of truck accident you experienced may seem like a superfluous detail, but it can actually help our truck accident lawyers do a better job of pursuing your claim. It can help support certain facts, explain why you have certain injuries, and inform the amount of money you ask for in damages. Types of truck accidents you may sue for in Florence include:

Fishtailing Accidents

“fishtailing” refers to when a truck trailer starts moving from side to side in a manner similar to a fish’s tail. Fishtailing often happens because a truck’s rear tires lose traction with the road, but it can also happen because a trucker oversteers or loses control of their vehicle because the road is covered in ice or is in bad condition.

Jackknife Accidents

Jackknife accidents are similar to fishtailing in that they involve a linked trailer moving in an unpredictable way, but they are much more violent and dangerous. A truck “jackknifes” when the trailer pivots around the link point like a pocket knife during a crash. In the most severe cases, the trailer may separate from the tractor and go careening down the road. Severe fishtailing can lead to jackknifing, but jackknife accidents can also happen because of a popped tire or an unbalanced cargo load.

Underride Accidents

An underride accident refers to when a vehicle collides with a truck and slides under it. Underride accidents are extremely dangerous because many car safety features are bypassed since the truck’s trailer often enters directly through the windshield into the passenger compartment. Indeed, underride accidents are often fatal.

For that reason, a safety feature called a ‘Mansfield bar” is often installed on the rear of a truck’s trailer to help prevent these kinds of crashes from being so exceptionally dangerous. However, not all states require Mansfield bars on trucks, older models may not have them installed, and most trucks do not have these bars on the side of the trailer – only the rear – so underride accidents are still a very real possibility.

Ordinary Motor Vehicle Accidents

Of course, trucks are susceptible to all the types of accidents that other vehicles can get into. A truck can get in a head-on collision, T-bone accident, or distracted driving accident just like a sedan or SVU can.

Causes of Truck Accidents in Florence, SC

Figuring out the cause of your truck accident is a very important part of building your claim. When you determine the cause of your crash, you can also determine the right parties to sue, which is crucial to a successful case. After all, if you use the wrong parties, you will not be able to get damages as you will not be able to prove that they caused your injuries.

Truck Driver Negligence

One of the most common reasons for truck accidents is a mistake on the trucker’s behalf. Truckers can speed, drive drunk, and do all the other things that would be negligent for other drivers. However, there are also things specific to truckers that they must do lest they be found negligent. For example, truckers need to know how to operate large vehicles safely. Additionally, truckers must follow certain rules, like FMCSA regulations regarding how long many consecutive hours they are permitted to stay behind the wheel. If truckers fail to act as reasonable truckers would under the circumstances, they can be found liable for their injuries in court.

Trucking Company Negligence

Trucking companies can also be negligent and cause truck accidents. This could happen in a number of ways. First, trucking companies are responsible for either hiring truckers who know what they are doing or training their drivers to be good truckers. If a company fails to do these things, they can be liable for negligent hiring or training practices. Second, some trucking companies maintain their own fleet of vehicles. If the company does not properly inspect or repair its trucks, that could lead to liability for the company.

Finally, trucking companies can be liable for the things their drivers do through a legal concept called “respondeat superior.” For a negligent employee’s actions to place liability on their employer, that employee needs to be doing a work-related activity. For example, suppose a truck driver is delivering a package and hits you. In that case, delivering a package is related to trucking – their job – and the truck driver’s employer is probably going to be liable for your injuries.

Truck Designer and Manufacturer Negligence

Sometimes, a problem with the truck causes an accident. When that is the case, you can file your claim against whoever caused the problem. If the problem is baked into the truck’s design, you sue the truck designer, whereas if the defect happened due to a mistake made at some point, you would sue the manufacturer or a party that did repairs or maintenance on the truck.

Get in Touch with Our Florence, SC Truck Accident Lawyers Today

Rice, Murtha & Psoras has truck accident lawyers who provide free case reviews when you call (803) 219-4906.