Greenville, SC - Truck accidents account for roughly 10% of all crashes, but although relatively few by numbers, they are also the most dangerous. A regular passenger car barely weighs some 4,000 lbs, whereas a fully-loaded 18-wheeler can weigh up to 80,000 lbs. There’s no question who’s going to suffer the most in such a collision. Occupants in passenger cars tend to suffer severe injuries after an accident involving a large commercial vehicle and the financial consequences can be catastrophic. If you sustain severe injuries, the medical bills alone will be huge, not to mention the lost wages while you’re recovering in some hospital. If you or a loved one were recently injured in this type of crash, you need to contact a skilled Greenville truck accident lawyer right away. Should I talk to the insurance company?In the immediate aftermath of a serious accident, you’re going to be in a state of shock and it is not recommended to talk to anyone. At that particular moment, a future personal injury claim will not be your main concern, but you must understand that anything you say could affect your chances of recovering the damages you deserve.For instance, you should not talk too much while at the scene of the crash as the trucker might report anything you say to his insurer or employer. You should inform your insurance company of the accident, but don’t tell them anything more than the date and place. Above all, do not say anything that might sound as an admission of guilt of any kind. Don’t say even something as innocuous as “I was just looking at my watch”, as a ruthless insurance adjuster might use such a statement to argue you were distracted.

Texting while driving; image by Roman Pohorecki, via Pexels.com, CC0.

Keep in mind that South Carolina follows the comparative negligence rule, which allows you to recover damages even if you were up to 50% to blame for the crash. This can be useful if you were indeed somewhat to blame, but the rule may be also used against you. If you admit to being distracted the insurance company will try to increase the percentage of blame attributable to you. Maybe you did something wrong, but instead of getting a 10% share of the blame, they’ll say you were 40% to blame. This could mean a huge loss for you, as any compensatory damages awarded to you will be reduced by 40%, instead of just 10.How can a truck accident lawyer help?If you get a call from the insurance company representing the trucker or his employer, don’t talk to them. If they seem eager to settle quickly that’s a clear sign they’re trying to get away with as little money as possible. Let them know that your attorneys will be in touch.The moment you get off the phone, look up the best truck accident lawyers and schedule a free consultation. For one thing, only a lawyer working for you will tell you how much your claim might be worth. You cannot expect the insurance company to be honest about it since they’re the ones who have to pay you. At the same time, you will want a team of knowledgeable lawyers working on your side as you need to determine who might be liable for damages. Maybe it’s the trucker, but a thorough investigation might reveal that the trucking company can also be held accountable. Or you may have a case against those responsible for loading the truck or the manufacturer of a certain part that turned out to be defective.