South Carolina Lawyer Blog

One of the country's largest personal injury verdicts was awarded to a former college student who is permanently brain damaged after a 2007 automobile accident, reports the Mercury News. The Santa Clara jury found two truckers and state transportation officials at fault in the accident.

On May 3, 2007, the victim was in the back seat of a car heading for a camping trip with three other men when two trucks collided, sending one into the rear of the men's car. The accident left the 23-year-old college student with permanent brain damage requiring full-time care at a neurological treatment center.

Out of court settlements will bring the total damages to more than $60 million, which will be used for the man's care and rehabilitation.

If you have been in an accident, it’s important to make sure you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability. Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at the Louthian Law Firm for a free evaluation of your case at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online consultation form.

Auto Accident Personal Injury

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The sole survivor of an SUV struck by an 18-wheeler in a construction area of Texas I-35 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Named in the suit are her 13-year-old son and her 63-year-old father who both died in the accident which occurred over the 4th of July weekend.

The woman's lawsuit was filed against the truck driver, the driver's company, the construction company, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT.) Her SUV had slowed down for traffic in a construction zone where the highway narrowed to one lane when they were hit by the tractor trailer.

The lawsuit claims TXDOT did not have adequate safety controls in place which made the accident possible. After spending five days in ICU, the survivor is still recovering from her injuries.

Since the July 4th accident, three more people have been killed by another 18-wheeler in the same construction area.

Accidents involving large trucks or 18-wheelers can be devastating to the victim or surviving family members. If you have been injured or lost a loved one due to an accident with a tractor trailer or other large truck, the attorneys at Louthian Law Firm can help. Call us for a free consultation at 1-866-410-5656.

Fatal Tractor Trailer Accident

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A Chilton County, Alabama jury has awarded $3.5 million to the family of a man killed when the van he was driving was crushed between two logging trucks, reports the Montgomery Advertiser.

Ken Gorum Trucking and Gary Fruge, the driver of the logging truck, were held responsible for the accident and have been ordered to pay the award. The jury found Fruge was speeding, and the truck had defective brakes, when it crashed into the victim’s van.

The victim's car was pushed into the logs on the truck in front of him, causing the logs to come through his windshield - one went through his head and killed him. Although the driver claims he was going only 45 miles per hour, evidence suggests he was traveling between 65 and 75 mph.

Progressive Insurance Co, the insurance for the defendants, had refused to settle the case before trial.

If you have been in an accident or have lost a loved one in an accident, it’s important to make sure you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability. Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at the Louthian Law Firm for a free evaluation of your case at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online consultation form.

Alabama Logging Truck Wrongful Death

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Posted In: Truck Accidents , Wrongful Death

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Our neighbors in Georgia bore the brunt of a South Carolina company’s mistake on Jan. 24, when bad brake maintenance caused an avoidable accident in Effingham County. According to an article in the Savannah Morning News, a tractor-trailer that belonged to Smith Logging of Grays tried to stop for a stop sign and discovered that his brakes were not working. Rather than yielding the right of way as intended, the truck, which was fully loaded with logs, slid into the intersection and hit a van belonging to Effingham County, Ga. Fortunately, nobody involved was seriously hurt; two of the van’s passengers sustained minor injuries. A fire and rescue worker was quoted in the article expressing surprise that nobody was killed.

According to the article, the logging truck’s driver will likely be cited for failing to maintain the vehicle. That may sound minor, but it’s an important penalty, because statistics from the federal Department of Transportation show that shoddy vehicle maintenance is a critical cause in 10% of all large-truck crashes. The department’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study found that vehicle failures caused about 8,000 crashes involving large trucks -- and brake failure alone was responsible for approximately 1,000 crashes. When you include failures that mislead other drivers, like missing headlights, those numbers may grow even bigger. In fact, brake-related problems, including but not limited to failures, contributed to 29% of all truck accidents, according to the study -- the largest single contributing factor. In that light, trucking companies and truck owners must be held strictly responsible for maintaining their brakes and other essential truck equipment. Lives are in the balance.

Continue reading "Truck Accident Shows Importance of Maintenance" »

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When a 45-year-old biker was hit and injured by a tractor-trailer on a highway, he didn’t take his injuries lying down. Refusing to balk at a fractured hand, rib, and leg, lower back hematoma, a lacerated liver, traumatic brain injury and a separated shoulder, Pernanza Hill bravely endured multiple surgeries and the loss of his income as a septic tank laborer. And then he fought back, filing a negligence lawsuit against the tractor-trailer’s owner.

Hill claimed that the truck’s driver had driven too fast, losing control of the vehicle and negligently causing Hill’s injuries. Though the defendant, USA Truck, Inc., denied any fault, plaintiff was able to convince a jury that he had not darted into traffic as claimed with the help of several eyewitnesses. The jury, taking into consideration the nearly $170,000 of medical costs, future lost earnings of $250,000 plus, and the painful emotional trauma of the plaintiff’s bike injury, decided in favor of Hill. They awarded $3 million, including $1 million in punitive damages.

Continue reading "Bike Injury Incurs Punitive Damages For Defendant" »

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