A side-impact crash with a commercial truck can leave you facing painful injuries, medical bills, lost income, and uncertainty about the legal process that follows. Side-impact truck accidents in Myrtle Beach often happen when a truck turns across traffic, swings too wide, or moves into a lane without enough space. Because the side of a passenger vehicle offers less protection, these collisions often cause serious harm.
You do not have to manage the aftermath of a truck wreck alone. An experienced truck crash attorney could preserve evidence, deal with insurance carriers, and identify every at-fault party. At Whetstone Perkins & Fulda, we take a personal approach to truck cases and focus on how the crash has affected your health, work, and daily life. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
How Liability Is Proven in Side-Impact Truck Collisions
These cases often depend on rules regarding right-of-way, lane use, and turning. In Myrtle Beach, side-impact truck wrecks often happen when a commercial driver changes lanes without enough clearance, turns across traffic, or enters an intersection when it is not safe to do so. Negligence usually focuses on whether the at-fault party failed to operate the truck with reasonable care under the circumstances.
Pursuant to South Carolina Code § 56-5-1900, a driver must remain within a single lane until they can safely move. State law also sets rules for how drivers must make turns. These statutes can become important when a tractor-trailer cuts across a travel lane or strikes the side of a smaller vehicle during a turn. Our attorneys at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda use crash reports, witness statements, scene evidence, and vehicle data to show how the collision happened and why it could have been avoided.
Why Do Side-Impact Truck Cases Involve the Trucking Company?
A trucking company may share liability if it failed to train the driver on blind spots, turning radius, lane changes, or intersection safety. The company may also be responsible if it pushed unrealistic delivery schedules or allowed an unsafe truck to stay in service despite known mechanical concerns.
When side-impact truck collisions happen in Myrtle Beach, company records may reveal whether preventable safety failures played a role. Pursuant to federal rules, including 49 C.F.R. Part 395, commercial drivers must follow hours-of-service rules. Motor carriers must inspect, repair, and maintain commercial vehicles. If fatigue, brake issues, steering problems, or defective mirrors contributed to the crash, those records may help establish liability against more than one at-fault party.
Recovering Damages After a Truck Injury Crash
A side-impact collision can affect nearly every part of your life. You may need emergency treatment, follow-up care, rehabilitation, and time away from work while bills continue to accumulate. To address the full effect of the crash, a personal injury claim should account for:
- Medical expenses
- Future care
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Lost wages
Because Myrtle Beach side-impact truck crashes often cause severe injuries, it is important to evaluate both immediate and long-term losses. Pursuant to SC. Code § 15-3-535, most personal injury actions must be filed within three years of when the claim was or should have been discovered. Under the doctrine of modified comparative fault, the court may also reduce damages based on a party’s share of fault. This means the trucking company may try to shift blame to limit what it pays, which makes early evidence preservation especially important.
Speak With a Myrtle Beach Lawyer About a Side-Impact Truck Crash
In cases involving side-impact truck accidents in Myrtle Beach, the legal issues are often more complicated than they first appear. Questions about lane usage, turning, blind spots, company records, and vehicle maintenance can affect the outcome of your claim.
Whetstone Perkins & Fulda is prepared to investigate those details and pursue accountability from every at-fault party. Contact us today for help understanding your rights, protecting your claim, and seeking the compensation you need to move forward after a truck struck the side of your vehicle.
