How to Win a Truck Accident Lawsuit in South Carolina

If you have been severely injured in a South Carolina truck accident, you may have a right to take legal action against the truck driver or other at-fault party to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other accident expenses. You will need experienced legal guidance to have the best chance of obtaining fair compensation after a truck accident in South Carolina.

The South Carolina truck accident lawyers at Joye Law Firm have more than 300 years of combined experience helping those who have been injured by the negligence of others seek justice. While we can never guarantee a win in any personal injury case, our attorneys have handled many truck accident claims and resolved many cases in our clients’ favor.

While past results are not predictive of the outcome of future cases, we are proud of our record of results because they indicate the effort we made on behalf of injured people who needed help—people just like you. The results also show our experience handling complex cases. Call 888-324-3100 for a free case review and discussion of your legal rights.

Keep reading to learn more about what it takes to have the best chance of winning a truck accident lawsuit in South Carolina.

Steps You Should Take After a Truck Accident

To increase your chances of winning a South Carolina trucking accident lawsuit, you should take certain steps after a truck accident:

Be sure to get the truck driver’s name, personal insurance information, the name of the driver’s employer, and their company insurance information. To file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, you will need this information.
After calling 911 to report the accident, take photos of the accident scene, if possible. Get photos of the damage to all the vehicles involved and anything in the area that might have contributed to the accident. Evidence from the truck accident scene often plays a crucial role in a lawsuit. You want to gather as much evidence as you can.
Seek medical treatment right away. You want a doctor to document your injuries as soon as possible after the accident.
Save your medical records and proof of lost income related to the accident. These documents are evidence of your losses. You will need them to maximize your compensation.
Do not give any recorded statements to insurance companies until you have spoken to a trucking accident attorney. Insurance companies are looking for reasons to deny or minimize claims. You need to maintain strict control over the information you provide insurers. An attorney can handle communications with the insurance adjuster on your behalf.
Speak to a lawyer. A truck accident lawyer can investigate the accident and move quickly to preserve evidence before it is lost. The sooner you talk to an attorney, the better the chance an attorney will have of finding evidence to support your case.

How to Win a Truck Accident Lawsuit

To win a truck accident lawsuit in South Carolina, you must prove the truck driver or another party was negligent, and their negligence caused your injuries.

The potentially at-fault parties in a truck accident lawsuit include:

The truck driver — There are many ways a truck driver can cause an accident. Examples of truck driver negligence include drunk driving, distracted driving, driving while fatigued, speeding, failing to check blind spots, following too closely, and reckless driving.
The trucking company — Trucking companies are required to make sure the drivers they employ have adequate training, licensing and experience to handle a large truck safely. Trucking companies should screen their drivers for any past incidents that might indicate the driver is unsafe such as prior arrests for drunk driving. A trucking company may be held financially liable for the negligent actions of its employee.
Vehicle and parts manufacturers — A 18-wheeler is made from thousands of individual parts. If a critical component or safety system fails, an accident could occur. The company that made the defective part that caused the accident may be held financially liable.
Cargo loaders — A company that had the responsibility of loading cargo into a truck trailer may be legally responsible if the truck’s cargo comes loose or shifts in transit and causes an accident.

Tips for Developing Your Truck Accident Case

Here are some tips for navigating the process of developing a truck accident claim in South Carolina:

Stay off social media after the truck accident. Any comments or photos that you post about the accident or other activities including family vacation photos six months after the fact may be used by an insurance company to dispute your case and call into question the seriousness of your injuries. It’s best to take a break from social media until the accident case is resolved.
Act quickly after the accident. Key evidence, such as dash cam footage, security camera videotape, or the information in a truck’s electronic data recorder, can disappear or be destroyed if an attorney does not take prompt steps to preserve the evidence.
Keep all follow-up appointments with the doctor. Failing to keep follow-up appointments could call into question the seriousness of your injuries and jeopardize your case.
Remember that insurance company representatives are not your friends, no matter how friendly they seem. They are looking to protect their company’s bottom line, which means paying as little as possible after an accident to settle a claim.

When Should You File a Truck Accident Lawsuit?

In most cases, you have three years after a truck accident to file a lawsuit in South Carolina. Generally speaking, you want to file a lawsuit well before that deadline.

If you wait too long to file, you may be barred by the statute of limitations and your case may be dismissed without being heard.

How Can a Lawyer Help Win Your Truck Accident Lawsuit?

Your truck accident attorney can help you identify all the liable parties and all the insurance policies available to compensate you for your injuries. A lawyer can also help gather evidence to support your case and negotiate with the insurance companies for a fair settlement. Most cases are resolved without a trial. But our attorneys at Joye Law Firm are outstanding trial lawyers and will be prepared to take your case to trial if the insurers refuse to agree to a reasonable settlement.

Call a Truck Accident Lawyer in South Carolina

Truck accidents can cause devastating injuries that can affect your life for weeks, months, or years afterward. If you are struggling to get back on your feet and pay for medical treatment after a serious accident, you should speak with an experienced semi-truck accident attorney about your legal rights and the appropriate steps to take. The case review is free. We do not charge any legal fee unless we win compensation for you. Contact the Joye Law Firm for a free consultation with a South Carolina truck accident attorney.