Have you or a loved one been hurt in a serious truck accident in the Lexington, South Carolina, area? Are you looking for an experienced and knowledgeable Lexington truck accident lawyer? The dedicated team at Smith & Jones Law has over 35 years of combined experience fighting hard for the rights of truck accident victims across South Carolina. We truly understand how devastating and life-altering these crashes can be and the major negative impact they have on your health, your finances, and your overall quality of life. That’s why we are fully committed to providing personalized, compassionate legal representation to help you recover the full and fair compensation you deserve under the law.
Why Truck Accidents Are So Dangerous
When a massive 18-wheeler semi truck collides with a much smaller passenger car, the results are often catastrophic and deadly for the occupants of the car. A fully loaded semi-truck can legally weigh up to a staggering 80,000 pounds. Compare that immense size and weight to the average passenger vehicle weighing only around 4,000 pounds. In a direct collision, the occupants of the smaller vehicle almost always suffer the absolute worst of the violent impact. Severe and life-threatening injuries like traumatic brain injury, paralysis from spinal cord damage, crushed or even amputated limbs, and massive internal organ damage are tragically common outcomes in these wrecks.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
The vast majority of devastating truck accidents are entirely preventable tragedies. They are directly caused by negligence, either by the truck drivers themselves, the trucking company they work for, or, in many cases, both parties. Some of the leading causes our Lexington truck accident lawyers frequently encounter include:
- Driver fatigue: Unrealistic and grueling delivery schedules and pressure from management push many drivers to stay on the road for dangerously long stretches without adequate rest. Studies show drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving in terms of impairing reaction time and judgment.
- Distracted driving: Truck drivers are very prone to distractions behind the wheel from mobile devices, eating and drinking, adjusting navigation and logging systems, or simply zoning out from lack of focus on long, monotonous drives across the country.
- Impaired driving: Getting behind the wheel while under the dangerous influence of illegal drugs, prescription medications, and alcohol is shockingly common in the trucking industry.
- Speeding: Excess speed reduces the crucial stopping distance and reaction time needed to brake or swerve to avoid a devastating crash, especially with 80,000 pounds of momentum behind them.
- Overloaded trucks: Carrying too much weight or unbalanced cargo makes massive trucks much harder to safely control and bring to a complete stop quickly in an emergency.
- Poorly maintained trucks: Systemic issues like worn brake failure, dangerous tire blowouts, broken lights, and other critical maintenance problems are often the root cause behind many catastrophic wrecks.
- Inadequate driver training: Trucking companies have a basic duty to properly screen, train, and continually educate drivers in essential safety skills, but sadly, many fail in this core responsibility.
How Our Lexington Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help You
The aftermath of serious truck accidents inflicts immense physical pain, emotional trauma, financial hardship, and stress on victims and their families. You may be facing a long, painful recovery process and be unable to work to earn income to support your loved ones and pay the bills.
Astronomical medical expenses and basic daily living expenses can quickly become overwhelming and threaten your financial stability and future. The skilled and compassionate South Carolina truck accident lawyers at Smith & Jones Law are ready to step in and take on the burden of your complex legal case so you can focus your energy and attention on your physical and emotional healing and putting your life back together again.
Our experienced truck accident lawyer in Lexington, SC, will immediately begin a thorough investigation to determine fault and identify every potential source of financial compensation for your injuries and losses. Our dedicated legal team will act quickly to gather and preserve crucial evidence before it disappears, like the truck’s electronic data recorders, driver electronic logs, dash cam footage, company maintenance and inspection history, and other key records. We will interview eyewitnesses, medical professionals, life care planners, and others to build the strongest and most persuasive case possible on your behalf.
What To Do After a Truck Accident to Protect Your Rights
To protect both your health and your legal right to full and fair compensation, you must take these important steps after a truck accident in Lexington or elsewhere in SC:
- Call 911 right away and report the accident to local police to get an official accident report generated. Be sure to tell the dispatcher if anyone is injured and needs an ambulance to the scene.
- Seek immediate medical evaluation and treatment for your injuries, even if you think they are relatively minor.
- If you are physically able to do so, try to collect as much evidence as safely possible at the accident scene, such as photos of the vehicles, road conditions, and visible injuries, as well as the names and contact information of any potential witnesses.
- Never give a recorded statement about the accident or your injuries to the trucking company representatives or their insurance carrier without consulting an attorney.
- Contact a knowledgeable and experienced truck accident lawyer in Lexington, SC, as soon as possible after the accident for a free consultation to discuss your rights and legal options for recovering compensation.
Get Help From a Top Truck Accident Lawyer in Lexington, SC, You Can Trust
After a traumatic truck accident turns your entire world completely upside down in a split second, you can confidently turn to the respected South Carolina truck accident lawyers at Smith & Jones Law to fight tirelessly for your right to full and fair financial compensation for your injuries and losses. We have a proven track record of delivering results for truck accident victims and their families. We look forward to putting our many years of experience, considerable resources, and unwavering dedication to work for you.
With locations in Lexington and Mauldin, South Carolina, we are ready to fight for the justice and compensation you deserve. Contact the dedicated truck accident attorneys at Smith & Jones Law today.