- 23 + Years Experience
- 10,000 + Clients
Trucking Accident Lawyer in Horry County, SC
If you’re looking for a trucking accident law firm in Myrtle Beach, SC, look no further.
Coastal Law is here to help you get the maximum compensation you deserve under South Carolina law when a commercial truck causes injury or death due to negligence.
Due to their size, eighteen-wheelers can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, are slow to brake, and are slow to turn or maneuver.
They are crucial for transporting goods to retail stores nationwide, but they also pose a potential danger hurtling down the highway, risking collisions with smaller vehicles or causing fatalities.
This is the reason there are federal and state laws and regulations that govern the operation of commercial vehicles.
This includes rules about how many hours a driver can work before resting, how to load and secure cargo, weight limits, and maintenance of commercial trucks.
If a truck driver, trucking company, or anyone else causes injuries or deaths due to not following industry rules or being careless on the road, they are responsible for providing full and fair compensation to the injured parties.
Our job is to hold the at-fault parties accountable to the fullest extent possible under SC law and to handle the legal aspects of recovering your damages. At the same time, you focus on recovering from your injuries.
A Conway, SC Trucking Accident Attorney Who Cares
People turn to Coastal Law for help when:
- They have been hurt due to someone else’s negligence, or a family member has been killed due to a truck driver’s carelessness,
- They need a fighter who can take on big trucking companies and insurance defense firms,
- The insurance companies deny their valid claims,
- They are looking for a local personal injury lawyer who knows the local courts and players or
- They need an experienced trucking accident attorney who has successfully handled hundreds of serious personal injury claims in South Carolina courtrooms.
How Coastal Law Can Help You
When you call Coastal Law’s Myrtle Beach, SC, and Conway, SC, trucking accident law firm, we will take the time to meet with you and discuss your case, answer your questions, and allow you to decide whether we are the right law firm to handle your case.
There is no fee for an initial consultation.
Your commercial truck crash attorney will:
- Meet with you to answer your questions and learn about your case at one of our offices or a location convenient to you,
- Investigate your case and determine whether you have a valid claim,
- Gather the evidence you will need to settle your claim or try your case to a jury,
- Identify all potential sources of recovery,
- Send a demand letter to the defendants or insurance companies when appropriate,
- File a lawsuit when the case is not settled, and
- Try your case to a jury if the insurance companies or defendants do not pay full and fair compensation.
Why Call Coastal Law?
Mike Wells is a trucking accident attorney at Coastal Law Firm with:
- Decades of experience handling serious personal injury cases in Horry County, SC,
- Access to a broad range of expert witnesses who can assist in the preparation of your case or testimony as needed,
- Private investigators who can assist in the preparation of your case when needed,
- Four South Carolina offices including offices in Myrtle Beach, SC, Conway, SC, Charleston, SC, and Columbia, SC,
- Ties to the local community and decades of experience with local courts and court personnel, and
- Compassion for our clients and a desire to help our neighbors in our local communities whenever possible.
How Do Trucking Accident Lawyers Get Paid?
Trucking accident attorneys, like most accident and personal injury lawyers, are usually paid on a contingency basis.
This means there is no consultation fee on any personal injury case, including commercial trucking crash cases, and you pay no attorney fees unless and until you are paid after a settlement or verdict at trial.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Trucking is a major industry in South Carolina: Because of its location on the Atlantic coast and its connections to major highways, South Carolina is a key transportation hub. This high volume of truck traffic increases the likelihood of accidents.
trucking Accident Law in SC
Over 23+ years, we’ve gained in-depth knowledge of the relevant laws, regulations, and court decisions, which allows us to represent our clients better.
Some of the more common causes of eighteen-wheeler and commercial trucking accidents in SC include:
- Driver fatigue,
- Speeding,
- Failure to keep a proper lookout,
- Improperly secured cargo,
- Equipment failure,
- Substance abuse,
- Aggressive driving, or
- Insufficient driver training.
Some of the more common types of eighteen-wheeler and commercial trucking accidents in SC include:
- Jackknifes,
- Blown tires,
- Cargo spills,
- Rear-end crashes,
- Wide turns at intersections,
- Side-swipes, and
- Roll-overs.
You are entitled to recover damages for the injuries caused by a commercial trucking crash, including:
- Medical expenses, including ER, ambulance, doctor bills, hospital bills, surgeries, medical equipment, and medications,
- Future medical expenses, including long-term care when needed,
- Pain and suffering,
- Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity, and
- Punitive damages when appropriate.
Wrongful Death Trucking Accidents
Eighteen-wheelers and commercial trucks may be necessary, but they are also extremely dangerous – every day, people are seriously injured or killed by truck drivers.
When a person is killed in a trucking crash, the personal representative of their estate will file a wrongful death and survival action on behalf of the crash victim and their beneficiaries.
TRUCKING
ACCIDENT INJURY?
If you’ve been in a trucking accident in South Carolina, it’s important to be aware of your rights and to consult with an trucking accident attorney immediately.
Negligence Law in SC
When a trucking company, truck driver, or other individual or company causes a trucking crash, they are responsible for the damage caused.
To recover damages in a negligence action, you must prove:
1. The defendant owed a duty to you (to properly maintain a truck’s equipment, to properly load a truck’s cargo, or to keep a proper lookout when making a turn),
2. The defendant breached that duty (by failing to inspect the truck’s brakes, secure the truck’s cargo, or keep a proper lookout,
3. The defendant’s actions resulted in damages (personal injury or property damage), and
4. The defendant’s actions were the proximate cause of the damages.
How’s a Trucking Accident Different
Tractor-trailers weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, while most passenger vehicles weigh less than 4000 pounds.
This means that big rigs will often literally crush a vehicle in a crash – and anyone in the vehicle.
In trucking accident cases:
1. There are often higher damages (that the insurance companies do not want to pay),
2. The insurance company and trucking company representatives will often get involved quicker than in other types of cases to attempt to limit their liability, and
3. The plaintiff’s attorney must be knowledgeable of trucking industry regulations and the significance of evidence such as hours-of-service logs, maintenance logs, and cargo logs.
