We at Ted A. Greve and Associates understand how devastating a truck accident can be to an individual or family. Even beyond the pain, healing, and hospital bills, there are the long-term injuries, follow-up expenses that insurance companies fight tooth and nail, and that’s even before looking at things like not being able to work or dealing with an at-fault party who tries to evade responsibility.
Our Aiken truck accident lawyers are dedicated to giving injured clients the full legal support that they need. We protect your rights in court and pursue any settlement or monetary reward you are entitled to so you can focus on healing and putting your quality of life back together.
Contact us today for a free initial consultation with an Aiken personal injury attorney!
Truck Accidents Are a Problem
The highways running through our city and state are busy. While it’s great to be part of the thriving larger economy, that also means that major accidents abound. With the available statistics from 2010-2017, there were an average of around 1,000 accidents a year involving large trucks, semis, and busses in the state.
South Carolina ranks around 8th to 9th nationally in the number of average truck accidents in a year. While we want to see everyone take the proper safety precautions for safe travel, sometimes accidents do happen.
When you do find yourself the unfortunate victim of a big truck accident, it’s important to know the right next steps to protect you and your loved ones in the process to follow.
What Should You Do After a Truck Accident?
What you do after a truck accident is important for both your health and your ability to recover compensation.
Call the Police
The first step is simple. You want to call 911 to get police and ambulances there immediately. It’s important to have the proper professionals on-site. This is especially true if there are serious injuries or multi-vehicle pile ups where there are many people likely to be seriously hurt.
Help Others
Next is to help others. If you have first aid training, make sure to treat others if you’re not too injured, and definitely see to your own injuries that you can self-treat. Help as much as possible.
Exchange Information and Take Photos
Calling authorities and helping those in medical need is definitely priority #1, but if the scene is safe and those who need medical attention are getting it, then you need to make sure to get information while there.
All parties need to exchange insurance information as well as contact info. In addition to this if you have a smartphone, takes pictures. You want to document the scene, speak with witnesses, and get their contact information as well if they are willing to provide it.
Never Admit Fault
Never admit any fault or even potential fault. Under South Carolina’s comparative negligence rules, you cannot recover damages if you are determined to be 51% at fault or more. And if you’re less than 51% at fault, your compensation will be reduced.
Get Medical Attention
Get medical attention even if you “feel fine.” With the adrenaline of the moment, you might not understand how hurt you are. There could also be deeper injuries, especially to the back or neck, that don’t show up immediately but become issues in the weeks and months to follow.
Contact an Aiken Truck Accident Lawyer
You should absolutely take this information and contact a qualified experienced local truck accident lawyer like Ted A. Greve & Associates. You want to make sure that your legal protections and rights are watched over and you don’t end up making a mistake that costs you financial support you’re legally entitled to.
Truck Accident Liability Laws
There are many laws in the state of South Carolina that revolve around specific liability issues. All trucks have weight and load restrictions as well as strict safety inspections that must be up to date at all times. This also includes checking on federal regulations on hours worked, proper licensing, and the issue of substance abuse.
When it comes to potential damages it’s important to note that South Carolina is a comparative negligence state. If the plaintiff is found to legally share any responsibility for the accident, the compensation amount will be reduced. This is why having an experienced lawyer who knows how to defend your legal rights is so important.
The amount of damages that are available varies. While there aren’t hard ceiling limits in many cases, there are formulas for figuring out what should be paid on a long-term basis. The math needs to make sense.
At Ted A. Greve & Associates we fight on your behalf to make sure the numbers come out as much in your favor as possible.
Just How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer Help?
There are multiple ways that a skilled and experienced truck accident lawyer can help. They know how to take the information you have and that police put together at an accident scene to put together the type of investigation you need for filing a good claim.
A good lawyer knows how to file a claim, negotiate for the best settlement or outcome available, and take the case to court if necessary. Depending on the company, insurance, or other parties involved having a good accident lawyer on your side may make them more likely to settle, saving months of stress, effort, and getting you much-needed funds to live on quite a bit sooner than would otherwise be possible.
If your case needs to go to court, you want the best possible lawyer on your side.
What Types of Compensation Can I Receive?
There are three major types of compensation you can potentially receive from an accident case in South Carolina.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are a part of major accident settlements. This includes the obvious: medical bills, lost wages, as well as direct economic losses (damaged vehicle, items, etc). It’s worth noting that economic damages also include lost income or benefits because of the injuries caused in the crash, so this number can sometimes end up much higher than expected.
Non-Economic Damages
Noneconomic damages include payment for emotional distress, pain & suffering, and clear damages that aren’t directly financial but clearly affect your quality of life.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are only awarded in certain cases. In the state of South Carolina, punitive damages are capped at $500,000 or 3X compensatory damages – whichever number is larger. However, there are some exceptions to this. One exception is if the at-fault party’s judgment was impaired by drugs or alcohol.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in South Carolina?
When it comes to filing a claim, filing sooner is better than later, but the victim of a truck accident has three years from the day of the accident to file a claim. If you don’t file by this deadline, your case will be dismissed.
Contact Our Aiken Truck Accident Lawyers Today
Ted A. Greve & Associates has been representing accident victims for 25 years. Our attorneys have extensive experience and have secured multiple million-dollar settlements in the past. Plus, you pay nothing until we help you get compensation. So what are you waiting for? Call today at (800) 693-7833 for your free consultation with a skilled and experienced lawyer who wants to fight for you.
