Five people in this case were rushed to hospital after a 2007 Freightliner semi jack-knifed on a highway in South Carolina. It rolled onto its side and slid along the highway striking two other cars. The driver of the rig had swerved to avoid colliding with a vehicle in a construction zone, but in doing so at the rate of speed he was travelling, it caused him to hit a 2003 Ford SUV, jack-knife, and roll over onto the side of the truck. The big rig then slid down the highway, crashing into a disabled 1996 Mercedes parked at the side of the road with a flat tire. Thankfully, the woman who had been driving the Mercedes was not in the vehicle at the time it was hit. The Ford SUV had four occupants, all rushed to the nearest hospital for emergency medical treatment. One of the passengers in the van was listed as critical and in the ICU. The trucker was also taken to hospital for his injuries and charged by the police for driving too fast for the road conditions.
Litigation will sort out the details, but it is apparent, given the police findings, that the semi driver was driving too fast for the existing road conditions. An experienced trucker must anticipate and/or pay attention to road signs and upcoming construction zones. Most of the time, drivers are given ample notice of an upcoming construction zone. 18-wheeler truck accidents are very complex; the lawsuit, when it is filed will take a long time to resolve. If these accident victims find themselves behind the financial eight ball while their litigation winds its way through a complicated legal process, they would be wise to seek a source for lawsuit funding. Experienced providers of this service can be found by doing some on-line research. Non-recourse (provided contingent upon the outcome of the case; if the case fails, the cash advance is excused) lawsuit funding can usually be arranged in 24-48 hours from the time of initial application and can bridge the gap between the filing of litigation and the potential resolution of litigation. It is certainly something for attorneys and clients to check out instead of giving serious consideration to an inadequate settlement offer.
