Commercial trucks are indispensable to the economy and marketplaces throughout the country. The enormous loads they often carry provide companies, governments, and communities with the sustenance and materials they need to go about their daily lives. Sadly, they are also destructive when not operated in a reasonably safe manner. Five Forks truck accident lawyers represent victims of truck accidents and fight to ensure that the responsible parties pay what they owe.
At Whalen Montalvo, our Five Forks truck accident attorneys are effective advocates who have represented thousands of cases dealing with truck accident victims in need. Our team fights hard for proper compensation payouts and walks away from subpar insurance settlement offers.
We firmly believe in your right to full compensation and can provide you with the quality guidance and representation you need to obtain it. We also offer:
To speak with an experienced Five Forks truck accident attorney, please call (864) 770-7710 without delay. Let our team review your case and discuss your options for compensation. You deserve to know what you are entitled to.
Truck accidents occur rather regularly and have a variety of causes. As you might imagine, the operation of these extremely heavy machines requires hours of training and experience. When a driver makes even a minor error in a big rig, the consequences can be gargantuan. The following are some of the many safety issues that lead to truck accidents in Five Forks and across the state.
Truck drivers must obey federal hours of service regulations that dictate the number of hours a trucker may drive in a day or week. These detailed regulations can cause truckers to fall behind or miss delivery deadlines. However, they are necessary to prevent truck drivers from driving while fatigued, which is a major cause of truck accidents.
Many truck accidents arise out of vehicle safety issues, including improperly inflated tires and failing brakes. As part of their duty, truck drivers are required to perform daily vehicle safety checks designed to spot problems before the driver hits the road. Sadly, many skip the vehicle check and blow it off as a nuisance — in reality, it is an essential element of truck driver safety.
Not all of the 30,000 or so truck drivers in South Carolina carry the proper licenses and endorsements for their rigs. And many who do have allowed them to expire. Licenses and endorsements are important gauges of a truck driver’s ability to operate certain types of commercial vehicles. Without them, a driver should not be on the road. Unfortunately, many unqualified drivers transit South Carolina roadways and cause accidents.
Truck drivers also commit basic acts of traffic negligence, such as:
Other parties who may be liable for your truck accident injuries include shipping companies and road contractors. Shipping companies are required to ensure that the loads they entrust to drivers are properly packaged and secured. And, road contractors must perform road construction work up to safety standards.
Additionally, truck drivers also sometimes share the blame for truck accidents with other drivers. For example, a speeding car and a speeding truck can both be to blame for the same accident and would both be held to answer.
When our Five Forks truck accident lawyers take a case, they perform a comprehensive investigation of the truck crash. They review the police and accident reports and every piece of evidence available, including:
The attorneys’ goal is to build as formidable a case as possible from the evidence available. The stronger the case, the more damages they can likely recover.
Damages available in South Carolina truck accidents are meant to address the various losses that all truck accident victims experience, including:
In cases where our Five Forks truck accident attorneys identify reckless or intentional behavior as the cause of a truck accident, we may potentially seek punitive damages on top of compensatory damages.
The Five Forks truck accident lawyers at Whalen Montalvo have the experience and skill to faithfully recover the compensation truck accident victims need to address their setbacks.
You deserve clear answers to your truck accident questions. Please have a look at the Q&A below and call us if you need more answers.
Do I need a Five Forks truck accident attorney to represent me?
If you have experienced a truck accident and injuries, you should strongly consider having an experienced truck accident lawyer in Five Forks represent you. Looking at compensation statistics, it is very clear that accident victims without attorneys are paid far less compensation than those who have attorneys fighting for them.>
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Five Forks?
Under most circumstances, victims of truck accidents must pursue compensation within three years of the accident. If they do not, the statute of limitations lapses and the claim becomes invalid. There are a few exceptions, however. Minors, for example, are typically granted much more time than adults.
Can I sue companies like Amazon and UPS for accidents caused by their drivers?
Yes. There are circumstances that allow you to sue large companies for accidents involving their trucks. Under the principle of vicarious liability, employers can face liability for their negligent employees. If an Amazon driver crashes into you because they were speeding, you likely have a case against Amazon. You can also sue these companies for any acts of negligence they engage in that contributed to the truck accident, such as negligent hiring.
What is my truck accident claim worth?
Your truck accident claim is worth the total of your damages. Once you meet with our Five Forks truck accident attorney, you will get a better idea of how much your truck accident claim is worth.
We’re ready to answer any questions you have. Give us a call and an experienced truck accident attorney in Five Forks will be ready to help.
Big rigs can be destructive when operated carelessly or unlawfully. Crash victims face significant injuries and property damage, and that’s just the beginning. Many find their lives forever altered after a truck crash. That’s where Whalen Montalvo comes in. We fight to change the narrative by recovering as much compensation as we can in your case.
For a free consultation with a truck accident lawyer in Five Forks, reach out to Whalen Montalvo. Learn the true value of your case from someone who is on your side. Call (864) 770-7710 to schedule a meeting at your earliest convenience.
I grew up right here in Greenville, South Carolina. Following highschool, I attended Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where I was an NCAA Scholar-Athlete for the Rhodes Lynx soccer program.
I completed my law degree at University of South Carolina School of Law, where I was on the mock trial team and an editor for the Journal of Law and Education. Following graduation, I served as a judicial law clerk for Senior Judge Robert H. Hodges, Jr. on the Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. My experience in D.C. trial courts solidified my desire to become a trial lawyer.
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Get the best legal representation possible. Give the Greenville, SC attorneys at Whalen Montalvo a call today at (864) 770-7710 or use our online form.