Were you injured in a wide-turn truck accident in Indian Land? If you cannot work due to your injuries, you may feel overwhelmed by your unexpected medical bills. If the truck driver or trucking company is to blame for the accident, you need an experienced injury attorney to pursue fair compensation on your behalf.
To review your legal options, call a wide-turn truck accident lawyer at David Blackwell Law. David Blackwell is an experienced personal injury lawyer and can handle all aspects of your truck accident claim while you focus on healing.
What To Do After Being Involved in a Wide Turn Truck Accident
If you suffered injuries in a wide-turn truck accident, you might be in pain and unsure of how to start a claim. Speaking with an experienced truck accident attorney to discuss your legal options is a good first step after you have begun receiving medical treatment:
- Contact an Indian Land, SC, truck accident lawyer – A personal injury attorney can review the circumstances of the truck accident and explain your legal options. The attorney can handle all communications and negotiations with the insurance companies on your behalf while you focus on your recovery. By retaining an experienced truck accident attorney, you’ll be in a stronger position to pursue a successful personal injury claim.
- Gather evidence – Your attorney will collect the necessary evidence to prepare a truck accident lawsuit. You can provide some initial information to help the attorney get started. Write down your version of how the truck accident happened. If you spoke to any witnesses after the accident, provide their contact information to your attorney.
- Seek follow-up medical treatment – Not all truck accident injuries are immediately evident after an accident. Truck accident victims should see a primary care physician or a doctor provider at an urgent care facility for a medical evaluation as soon as possible. Advise the medical provider that you were in a truck accident so they document it in your medical records.
- Maintain a file – In the weeks following the accident, you will likely receive medical bills and letters from insurance companies. Keep any medical records related to the treatment you receive, as well as any photos you took of the accident scene or your injuries. Your file may contain critical evidence to support your wide-turn accident claim.
How an Indian Land Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help
To bring a successful truck accident case, you must prove the commercial truck driver or trucking company caused the accident and your injuries. Your attorney will thoroughly investigate the facts and circumstances of the personal injury accident and gather the evidence to build a robust case on your behalf. This evidence may include:
- Photographs of the vehicles
- Photographs of the accident scene and surrounding area
- The police report
- Data from the truck’s black box
- Expert reconstructionist reports
- Maintenance records
- Employment or contracting records
At David Blackwell Law, our experienced truck accident attorneys will handle every detail of your case. From the initial investigation to communicating with insurance companies to evaluating liability, we work hard to prepare each client’s truck accident claims. We will calculate your financial losses, negotiate with insurance companies, and seek a full and fair settlement. David Blackwell will be ready to file a personal injury lawsuit if settlement discussions are not productive.
Why Do Trucks Make Wide Turns?
The length of tractor-trailers dictates why truck drivers must swing wide to clear intersections safely.
- Turning radius – Trucks have a large turning radius due to their configuration.
- Length – The length of trucks means more space is needed to turn safely without hitting curbs or vehicles in adjacent lanes.
- Center of gravity – A fully loaded commercial truck can be fourteen feet high or more, giving it a higher center of gravity and making it more likely to tip over. Some trucks move into the adjacent lane to limit this risk of hitting a curb while making a wide turn.
Types of Wide Turn Truck Accidents
A wide-turn truck accident is typically referenced as a wide left-turn truck accident or a wide right-turn truck accident to distinguish how these accidents occur:
- Truck Wide Right Turn Accident – A wide right turn accident occurs when a truck moves to the left to make a right-hand turn, and the vehicle behind the truck moves into the right lane. This accident can be due to the driver of the vehicle believing the truck is switching lanes rather than turning. However, truck drivers must keep a proper lookout for vehicles behind and to the right of them at all times. If truck drivers fail to use their turn signal or check their blind spots, they can cause a wide right turn accident.
- Truck Wide Left Turn Accident – Wide left turn accidents are less common since left turns already tend to be wider turns. The primary danger in a left turn is that it requires truck drivers to cross an intersection into traffic. If a truck driver turns the wheel too soon, the trailer can go off-track and hit another turning vehicle.
Causes of Wide Turn Truck Accidents
A significant cause of large truck accidents is a truck entering another lane as the driver attempts to make a wide turn. In these circumstances, there may be another vehicle in the truck’s path.
Poor decision-making by the truck driver, such as timing a wide turn badly or executing one poorly, may result from other factors, including:
- Driver fatigue
- Lack of familiarity with the road
- Inattention
- Intoxication
- Distracted or reckless driving
- Inclement weather
- Poor road conditions
Attorney David Blackwell can determine what factors contributed to the wide turn accident and who is at fault.
Get in Touch with Our Indian Land Truck Accident Lawyers
If you suffered injuries and financial losses due to a wide-turn truck accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to seek financial compensation. Attorney David Blackwell understands the legal process can be intimidating. He focuses on putting people first. Let David Blackwell Law be your trusted guide through the insurance claim process and the South Carolina court system. Call today to discuss your case in a free consultation with an Indian Land truck accident attorney.