Truck Accident Attorney in Darlington

Every day, we share the roads in Darlington and throughout South Carolina with trucks and tractor-trailers that can stretch as long as 53 feet and weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Because of their massive size and weight, these rigs expose us to major safety risks. Large commercial trucks can easily be involved in crashes, and those crashes can cause deadly and devastating injuries.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a crash with a tractor-trailer, don’t delay in getting in touch with Jebaily Law Firm. Our Darlington truck accident lawyers understand the serious nature of these crashes. We also know how to overcome the unique challenges that truck accident claims pose. We will move quickly to:

• Gather and preserve evidence
• Protect your legal rights
• Seek full and fair compensation for you.

We can bring to your case more than 100 years of combined legal experience and a record of delivering positive results for truck accident victims and their families throughout Darlington, South Carolina, including:

We will provide an immediate, free consultation and get to work on your case right away. You will pay no upfront costs or pay any legal fees unless we secure a financial recovery for you.

Darlington Truck Accident Statistics

If you were involved in a crash with a large commercial truck, you are not alone. These accidents occur at an alarming rate in South Carolina, especially on major interstate routes such as I-20, I-26 and I-95. These crashes are often deadly.

On average, 77 fatal truck crashes occur each year in South Carolina, according to the latest figures from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The overwhelming majority of these truck wrecks – 80 percent – involve more than one vehicle.

Additionally, the drivers and passengers in the other cars typically suffer the most severe harm – not the truck driver. According to the FMCSA, out of the persons killed in the U.S. in crashes involving large trucks between 2013 and 2015:

• 73 percent were drivers or passengers in the other vehicles
• 15 percent were drivers of the large trucks.

If the truck driver or another party caused you to suffer injuries or killed your loved in a crash, you can trust Jebaily Law Firm to fight for you and pursue all compensation you are due.

Why Are Truck Accident in Darlington Cases Different?

Truck accidents are different than other types of auto accidents. You need to work with a law firm that understands these differences and will put that knowledge to work for you and your family. Consider the following five key differences:

1. Different types of crashes occur with tractor-trailers.

A federal study found that the leading types of truck accidents are:

• Rear-end collisions
• Running off the side of the road or out of the lane
• Sideswipes of vehicles going in the same direction
• Rollovers
• Turning across the path or into the path of traffic.

Two specific types of crashes occur only when one vehicle is a tractor-trailer:

• Underride accidents – When a car slides beneath the trailer.
• Jackknife accidents – When the trailer spins out sideways at an angle from the tractor.

An attorney with experience handling truck accident cases will know how to investigate these unique types of crashes.

2. Multiple parties could be liable for a truck crash.

In a typical auto accident, you will take action against one party – the at-fault driver. However, in a truck accident case, you may seek a recovery from multiple parties, including the:

Your lawyer should know how to identify these parties, including those who may be based in a different state or in a foreign country.

3. Violations of state and federal regulations could be issues.

State and federal trucking regulations cover everything from hours-on-duty to driver training to truck maintenance. When these laws are broken, it can create the presumption that the trucker and/or trucking company acted negligently. You should work with an attorney who knows these rules inside-and-out. The attorney should know how to establish how a violation of these rules contributed to your accident.

4. Commercial driver insurance policies are involved in Darlington truck crashes.

South Carolina and federal law set minimum liability insurance requirements for different types of commercial motor vehicles. For instance, a truck that weighs 10,000 pounds or more and carries non-hazardous materials must have a minimum of $750,000 in coverage. The minimum limits are higher if a truck carries hazardous materials. Your lawyer must know the different policies and limits that apply in your truck accident case.

5. Darlington Truck accidents must be promptly investigated.

Much is at stake for trucking companies and their insurance companies when commercial motor vehicles cause crashes. This is why you need to move fast in order to preserve, gather and analyze evidence, including:

Your lawyer should launch a truck accident investigation as soon as possible in order to prevent evidence from getting lost or destroyed.

How Can a Truck Accident Attorney in Darlington Help You?

At Jebaily Law Firm, we will provide a free and immediate consultation about your truck accident case. We can discuss your case by phone, meet at our office in Darlington or visit you at your home or the hospital.

If we represent you, we will get started on your case right away. We can:

• Investigate your crash – We know what it takes to determine how a truck wreck occurred and who should be held accountable for the physical, emotional and financial harm you have suffered. In some cases, we may need to send a notice letter or get a court order to preserve evidence or force a defendant to allow us to access evidence.
• Consult with experts – We can work with knowledgeable experts in many different fields, including accident reconstruction experts, mechanics, engineers, medical experts and life-care planners. They can help us to determine the cause of your truck crash and the extent of your damages.
• Pursue a settlement – We are experienced litigators who know how to prepare cases for success at trial. Our preparation allows us to resolve many truck accident lawsuits and other motor vehicle accident cases through a pre-trial settlement.
• Go to court for you – If one or more parties involved in your truck accident case refuse to make a settlement offer that fully and fairly compensates you, we will be ready to present a strong case for you in the proper state or federal court. At Jebaily Law Firm, we are first and foremost trial attorneys. We thrive in the courtroom.

Remember: We will represent you on a contingency fee basis. So, you will pay no fees for legal services unless and until we secure a settlement or verdict that justly compensates you.

What Are Common Causes of Darlington, SC Truck Accidents?

Many factors contribute to tractor-trailer accidents. However, as the results of a groundbreaking study by federal traffic safety officials found, driver error is one of the leading factors. These errors include:

• Speeding – Truckers, especially on the interstate, may break the posted speed limit or travel too fast in heavy traffic or poor weather conditions.
• Reckless driving – Truck drivers often tailgate or conduct illegal maneuvers while in a rush to meet a delivery deadline.
• Distracted driving – In the course of a long trip, a trucker may become easily distracted by talking or texting on a cell phone or by using a mobile device to surf the Internet or look up directions.
• Fatigued driving – Too many drivers violate hours-of-service regulations that limit the hours they can spend behind the wheel. Trucking companies often put their drivers under pressure to break these rules.
• Impaired driving – Drinking and driving is especially dangerous when a driver operates a large 18-wheeler. Drivers can also cause crashes due to impairment from illegal drugs or medications that cause drowsiness.

We will look closely at the potential role of driver error in your truck accident case. However, we will also evaluate whether other factors played a role. Two non-driver factors that often cause truck accidents are:

• Defective truck parts – Recent FMCSA statistics indicate that defective tires, brakes, wheels, couplings, trailer hitches, safety chains and insufficient underride protection frequently contribute to large commercial truck accidents.
• Defective road conditions – Negligently designed or maintained roads can make driving dangerous for semi-trucks. Accidents can also occur in poorly set up highway construction zones.

Who Can You Sue in a Darlington Truck Accident Lawsuit?

To maximize the amount that you and your family recover after a severe or deadly truck accident in Darlington, South Carolina, Jebaily Law Firm will seek to recover compensation from all responsible parties. Those parties may include the:

• Truck driver – A driver may have failed to use reasonable care behind the wheel or operated the semi-truck with a complete disregard for the safety of others by driving at a reckless speed, driving while impaired or driving while excessively fatigued.
• Trucking company – The company can be liable for the negligence of its driver or for its own negligence such as hiring unfit drivers, failing to adequately train and supervise drivers, failing to inspect and maintain the vehicles in its fleet or pressuring drivers into unsafe practices.
• Mechanic – A mechanic can and should be held responsible for failing to conduct necessary inspections and make sufficient repairs. For example, the mechanic may be liable if the mechanic negligently repaired brakes or failed to replace worn tires.
• Warehouse operator – The weight of the cargo loaded onto a truck may make it unsafe for travel. In some cases, carelessly loaded cargo may shift or spill, causing the truck driver to lose control.
• Broker – In today’s trucking industry, companies may work with a third-party vendor who connects drivers with companies that need material transported. The company may be liable for providing companies with unfit drivers.
• Manufacturer – While poor maintenance contributes to many truck accidents, they can also result from truck parts that are defective from the start. The manufacturer and others in the distribution chain can be held liable.
• Government agency – A local, state or federal government agency can be sued for damages if the agency allowed a roadway hazard such as a “soft shoulder” to cause an accident.

What Can You Recover in a Darlington Truck Accident Claim? 

Trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. Passenger cars, in contrast, typically weigh only 3,000 to 5,000 pounds. The different in size and weight between these vehicles can result in deadly or life-changing injuries to those in the passenger cars, including:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal injury
• Internal injuries
• Fractures
• Burns
• Disfigurement.

The victim of a truck accident may require a lifetime of medical care and treatment. He or she may never be able to work or enjoy life as they did before the accident.

At Jebaily Law Firm, we will aggressively pursue the maximum amount for you and your family after a truck accident. We want you to be fully compensated for all of your damages, including:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost income and diminished future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering.

Depending on the facts of your case, we may also seek punitive damages on your behalf. These damages would aim to punish the driver, trucking company or other parties if they engaged in willful, wanton or reckless conduct.

If you lost a loved one in a truck wreck, we can pursue a different set of damages through a wrongful death claim. Those damages can include compensation for the loss of your family member’s financial support and companionship and coverage of the expenses involved with laying your loved one to rest.

Get Help from Our Truck Accident Attorneys in Darlington