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Columbia Jackknife Accident Lawyer

Columbia Jackknife Accident Lawyers

When you’re traveling on the highway, it’s common to share the road with large trucks. While drivers need some experience to handle their vehicles around 18-wheelers, if everyone follows the rules of the road and drives cautiously, they can reduce the chances of an accident occurring. However, when negligence is involved, the truck may be in a wreck. Jackknifes are one of the most devastating types of wrecks and can cause serious injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered significant injuries and losses in a collision involving a big rig, a Columbia jackknife accident lawyer from Solomon Law Group can help you fight for compensation.

Solomon Law Group serves South Carolina citizens. We understand the severity of jackknife injuries and how they can put your life on hold. As you’re trying to focus on your recovery, having legal matters can seem overwhelming. That’s where we step in. Our lawyers will help you deal with insurance adjusters and taking the right steps to file your claim. We’ll do everything we can to protect your rights.

What Happens When a Truck Jackknifes?

According to The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMSCA), Large Truck Crash Causation Study, a jackknife was a factor in 7,000 crashes from the data collected between April 2001 and December 2003. A jackknife accident can be terrifying. It occurs when the driver loses control of the vehicle and the trailer swings forward instead of staying behind the truck. When the trailer moves, it usually makes a right angle or forms a “v” shape.

The trailer can take up the lanes of the highway and any driver who is caught in its path may be severely injured. As our truck accident lawyers investigate your case, we’ll determine the cause of the jackknife incident. There are a few ways that a driver can lose control of the trailer.

How Do Jackknifes Occur?

Losing control of a large truck is terrifying. The driver can make mistakes or not assess the driving conditions that put them at risk of having a jackknife accident. Here are some reasons why a truck could jackknife:

  • Speeding
  • Braking
  • Inclement Weather

Trucks are much heavier and larger than the average car. Drivers need to learn how to handle a vehicle that big. Maneuvering turns, lane changes, and merging all require careful technique. Trucks need time to get up to speed as well as slow down so the driver can safely change direction. If the driver is going too quickly, the trailer could swing forward. There’s more of a risk of an accident when the trucker is speeding on roads with curves and blind turns. They don’t know what they’re going to see when they make the turn, and taking the turn at high speeds could be more than they can handle, resulting in an accident.

There could also be an issue with the brakes that didn’t have anything to do with the driver. If the truck brakes didn’t receive proper maintenance or had a defect, the trailer’s brakes could work before the tractor, which can also result in a jackknife.

The driver needs to take the weather into consideration. If it’s raining, snowing, or if there is ice on the ground, they have a higher chance of losing control of the trailer. Truck drivers need to adjust their driving for the road’s conditions.

No matter what the cause of the accident, our skilled lawyers have experience in evaluating accident reports and the additional facts of the wreck, as well as investigating the accident scene. We’ll determine what happened and how it caused you significant losses.

What Can Your Compensation Cover?

A jackknife accident can result in devastating economic and noneconomic damages. While economic refers to items that can be assigned a monetary value such as medical expenses, continued care, lost wages, and lost earnings, noneconomic damages take the emotional toll of the accident into account. These do not have a direct monetary value, but our practiced lawyers will determine how the accident affected you. Noneconomic damages can include loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship if you lost a loved one.

Having a lawyer at your side will ensure someone is looking out for your best interests. We can help you get the compensation you deserve so you can cover the financial damages of the accident and work on your recovery in peace.

You Deserve Experienced Representation

While filing a claim against a trucking company may sound intimidating, we’re here to help you stand tall. Our lawyers in Columbia will be at your side every step of the way. To get started on your case, we’ll meet in an obligation-free consultation. Give our office a call today. We’ll discuss the merits of your case and how you can move forward.

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