Get help when you need it, where you need it.
The Columbia and Lexington truck accident lawyers and legal staff at the Lovely Law Firm in South Carolina help negligence victims throughout Lexington County and Richland County to recover compensation for their losses. We know how life-changing trucking collisions can be and believe that the victims of negligence deserve to be fully compensated for all of their losses after these often devastating collisions. 18 Wheeler vs. car crashes are not like your average auto accident case.
Over the past 12 years, our attorneys have fought for the rights of people who have been injured in commercial vehicle accidents through no fault of their own. We focus on our clients while we work to recover damages to compensate them for all of their economic and non-economic losses. Our aggressive and compassionate approach to representing our clients has enabled us to recover substantial compensation amounts for our clients. Our peers in the legal community, the insurance companies, and the defense bar respect our work and the results we have secured for our clients.
Our reputation for success has resulted in accolades and recognition. Justin M. Lovely is regularly invited to speak on radio shows and at legal conferences and has earned 10 out of 10 ratings on Avvo for client satisfaction. Amy Lawrence has been named by the National Trial Lawyers to the organization’s Top 40 under 40 and Top 100 Trial Lawyers lists of attorneys in South Carolina.
When you choose us, you will always be treated like family. No attorney can guarantee an outcome in a trucking case, but we can guarantee the customer service you will receive from our office. We believe in building strong relationships with our clients and keep the lines of communication open. We make ourselves available to answer our clients’ questions as they arise and send regular updates about their cases by text messages, emails, or phone calls.
What The Lovely Law Firm can offer to you
The way we approach our clients’ cases distinguishes us from other attorneys in Lexington and Columbia. Whenever we are retained, we begin building our clients’ cases immediately and prepare every case as if it will head to trial. That is exactly what the trucking company is doing and you will need an advocate. Our preparation process includes conducting in-depth investigations to gain a clear understanding of what happened and all of the parties that may have contributed to the accident’s cause. In most cases, we are able to successfully negotiate fair settlement offers with the insurance companies by building convincing liability claims for our clients. However, we are also unafraid to fight for our clients’ rights through jury trials if the insurance companies refuse to fairly settle their claims. Our thorough preparation helps us to maximize our clients’ compensation amounts. Most insurance companies ultimately decide to settle our clients’ cases rather than risk losing at jury trials against us.
We retain various experts to help us build strong cases of liability and investigators to help interview witnesses and uncover relevant evidence to support their claims. This helps our attorneys to gain a better understanding of everything that occurred and the causal connections between different factors and the resulting collision and injuries.
In every case, we strive to recover as much compensation as possible for our clients. Some of the types of damages that might be available in a trucking collision injury claim include the following:
- Past, current, and future expected treatment and medical costs
- Past, current, and future rehabilitation and physical therapy expenses
- Past, current, and future income losses
- Property losses
- Reasonable burial expenses and funeral costs in claims involving wrongful death
- What the victim would have contributed over his or or her expected lifespan if he or she had lived in claims involving wrongful death
- Lost inheritance rights in claims involving wrongful death
- Physical suffering and pain
- Emotional trauma
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Reduction in the life quality
- Losses of consortium or guidance
If the defendant’s actions were reckless, wanton, or willful, punitive damages might also be available. A lawyer at The Lovely Law Firm will carefully analyze your claim and the evidence to provide you with an honest assessment. If you decide to hire a lawyer at our firm, we will investigate all relevant details and provide a range of values within which your recoverable compensation amount might fall. This can help you to assess whether a settlement offer is reasonable or if you should instead continue negotiating for more.
What are the different types of trucks involved in trucking collisions?
Trucking accidents in Lexington County and Richland County involve many different types of commercial vehicles. Some of the common types of trucks you might encounter on the roads and highways include the following:
- Bucket trucks – Commonly used by tree trimmers and utility workers, these trucks have attached buckets designed to lift workers at height.
- Heavy haulers – These are huge trucks seen on highways transporting oversized cargo with escorts and special permits.
- Grapplers – These are trucks with attached grapple loaders used to pick up and transport large items of debris.
- Logging trucks – These are trucks with long, open beds to transport logs secured by chains for the logging industry.
- Flatbed trucks – Flatbed trucks have flatbeds and are used to haul a variety of different types of heavy equipment.
- Box trucks – These are trucks with box-shaped, enclosed trailers used to haul goods.
- Delivery trucks – These trucks are used to deliver household and commercial goods.
- Tow trucks – Tow trucks have specialized lifts and tie-downs to attach and tow disabled or impounded cars.
- Tanker trucks – These are trucks with large, cylindrical tanks used to haul liquids and gases.
- Garbage trucks – These are trucks with loaders used to pick up residential and commercial waste on regular routes.
- Cement/concrete trucks – These trucks have revolving drums attached that mix the components of cement or concrete and prevent them from hardening.
- 18-wheelers – 18-wheelers have a truck tractor attached to one or more trailers with 18 wheels.
- Dump trucks – Dump trucks have tiltable beds with open-topped trailers that are often used in the coal and construction industries.
Any of these types of commercial trucks can seriously injure or kill others in accidents. Because of the risks of serious injuries or fatalities in accidents involving commercial trucks, the industry is stringently regulated.
Common trucking accidents
The trucking accident attorneys at The Lovely Law Firm handle many type of accidents, including the following common types:
- Jackknife accidents
- Head-on accidents
- Rear-end accidents
- Pileup accidents
- Underride accidents
Common trucking collision causes
The vast majority of trucking collisions are caused by errors made by one or more parties. Some of the most common trucking collision causes include the following:
- Speeding
- Texting and driving
- Poorly maintained roads
- Running stop signs or lights
- Inadequate repairs/poorly maintained trucks
- Inadequate training
- Defective brakes or tires
- Improperly secured loads
- Drowsy driving
- Drunk or drugged driving
- Driver fatigue
- Driving faster than conditions allow
- Defective trucks or component parts
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive driving
- Careless driving
The most common locations for trucking accidents in and around Columbia, SC
In Lexington County and Richland County, the following roads experience the greatest number of trucking accidents:
- Interstate 26
- Interstate 126
- Interstate 77
- Interstate 20
- U.S. Route 21
- U.S. Route 1
- U.S. Route 378
Common trucking collision injuries
Trucking collisions cause many different types of injuries and also frequently cause deaths. Some of the most common trucking collision injuries we see include the following:
- Deaths
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Permanent paralysis
- Fractures
- Amputations
- Burns
- Organ damage and internal bleeding
- Severe lacerations
- Head, neck, and facial injuries
Many victims of commercial vehicle accidents sustain multiple injuries or are killed.
Why you should retain an experienced lawyer at The Lovely Law Firm
Accidents involving large trucks are often the most serious collisions that happen. While you might think that the driver was clearly at fault, the trucking company and insurance carrier will likely aggressively defend against your claim. Representing yourself in this type of claim is rarely a good idea. The attorneys at The Lovely Law Firm have the experience and legal skills needed to prosecute trucking accident claims. Contact us today to request a free consultation so that you can learn about your potential claim and rights.
Not from Columbia? We also serve areas all over South Carolina. Connect with a truck accident lawyer in Murrells Inlet, truck accident lawyer in North Charleston, truck accident lawyer in Florence, truck accident lawyer in Conway, or a truck accident lawyer in Myrtle Beach.
