Charleston Truck Accident Lawyer Stephen A. Longo
We take on trucking companies and their insurers, and we don’t back down
Charleston’s position as home to one of the busiest ports on the East Coast means the roads in and around the city carry an enormous volume of commercial truck traffic every single day. Tractor-trailers, flatbeds, tankers, and delivery trucks move through I-26, I-526, and the region’s highway network around the clock. When one of those trucks crashes into your vehicle, the results can be devastating. Injuries are often severe and the legal cases are anything but simple.
A truck accident is fundamentally different from a standard car accident. There are often multiple parties involved: the truck driver, the trucking company, the company that loaded the cargo and the insurers for all of them. Commercial carriers have professional legal teams and aggressive adjusters who start building their defense the moment a crash is reported. You need an experienced Charleston truck accident lawyer in your corner right away.
At The Longo Firm, LLC, we know how to investigate truck accidents thoroughly and aggressively. We know what evidence to demand, and we know to move fast before it’s lost. Attorney Longo and his team have the experience you need to take on powerful corporations and their insurers and win.
Why are truck accident cases more complicated than other crashes?
Commercial trucking is heavily regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Truck drivers must follow strict Hours of Service rules. Carriers must maintain records of driver logs, inspection reports and maintenance schedules. These documents can be critical to proving what went wrong, but trucking companies are only required to keep them for a limited time.
That’s why acting fast matters so much after a truck accident. We can send a legal preservation demand letter requiring the trucking company to retain all relevant evidence immediately. This includes the truck’s black box data (which records speed, braking, and other operational information before the crash), the driver’s logbook, and any dashcam footage. Once that data is gone, it’s gone.
We also look beyond the driver to identify every at-fault party. Was the trucking company negligent in hiring or training the driver? Was the truck improperly maintained? Was the cargo loaded unsafely? In many truck accident cases, the full picture of responsibility goes beyond what’s obvious at first glance.
What causes truck accidents near the Port of Charleston?
Commercial truck accidents around Charleston often involve one or more of the following:
- Driver fatigue and Hours of Service violations
- Distracted driving behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle
- Speeding or aggressive driving on I-26 or I-526
- Improper cargo loading or an unsecured load
- Defective truck equipment, including brake or tire failures
- Negligent hiring or training by the trucking company
- Port-related truck traffic creating hazardous road conditions near the Port of Charleston
Whatever the cause of your Charleston truck accident, our law firm will work tirelessly to gather the evidence you need to build a strong legal case. That way, we can demand the money you deserve for your financial losses.
How much is my Charleston truck accident worth?
There is no single answer to this question, because the value of a truck accident claim in Charleston depends on many factors that are specific to each case. The severity of your injuries, the cost of your past and future medical treatment, the income you have lost while unable to work and the long-term impact of your injuries on your daily life all play a role. In catastrophic injury cases involving permanent disability, spinal cord damage or traumatic brain injuries, the financial losses can be substantial.
South Carolina law allows injury victims to pursue compensation for both economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses include medical bills, lost wages and future care costs. Non-economic losses include pain and suffering, emotional distress and the loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving especially reckless conduct by a trucking company, such as knowingly keeping a fatigued driver on the road or ignoring known maintenance problems, punitive damages may also be available.
The only way to get an accurate picture of what your specific Charleston truck accident claim may be worth is to have an experienced attorney review the full circumstances of your case. Attorney Longo can evaluate your injuries, your financial losses and the conduct of the trucking company to build the strongest possible case for maximum compensation.
Why should I hire a Charleston truck accident attorney?
The moment a commercial truck is involved in an accident near Charleston, the trucking company’s legal and insurance team goes to work. They preserve evidence that helps them. They conduct interviews that protect their driver. They look for ways to minimize what they pay. You deserve the same level of attention and fight on your side.
Attorney Longo knows how to go toe-to-toe with major truck carriers and their insurance companies. He knows what evidence to look for and how to demand access to it, which can be critical in many truck accident claims or lawsuits. That’s why he has secured multi-million-dollar results for clients in catastrophic injury cases. He knows what it takes to win.
Give your Charleston truck accident case the best opportunity for success. Contact The Longo Firm, LLC right away for a free case evaluation. In South Carolina, you generally have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit, but the evidence that wins truck accident cases can disappear much faster than that.
The Longo Firm, LLC – we go above and beyond for you.