The South Carolina State Police announced April 11 that a second person had died from injuries received in a tractor trailer crash in Conway, South Carolina. 

The state police reported that the accident happened in the early morning on Dongola Highway in Conway. A tractor trailer was backing across the road into a private drivway, when a Nissan pickup truck slammed into the tractor trailer and was wedged under the trailer.

The passenger in the pickup died at the scene and the driver died later.

The tractor trailer driver has been charged with failure to yield right of way.

Our View

It is tragic that this truck accident happened, and it was completely preventable.

Backing up a tractor trailer is always a risky maneuver that should be avoided if possible. It can be done safely, but expert truck drivers say that a good deal of planning needs to be done. And if the truck driver is backing up on a public road, it is absolutely essential that spotters and others be used to stop and direct traffic. 

Experts in the trucking industry report that when backing up, you should always get out and look if you are not sure what you are doing. Using spotters who are experienced truck drivers also is very important.

Unfortunately, because this truck driver did not use proper safety procedures, two people are dead and countless lives have been devastated. It is likely that the families of these two men have been blindsided not only by the emotional disaster of losing a loved one, but the financial disaster as well. Few people are prepared to survive financially if they lose their loved one in a terrible accident such as a tractor trailer crash.

Fortunately, there are legal options available that can at least mitigate some of the financial pain in some cases. The truck driver in the above crash was cited for failure to yield, so it is possible that he could be found liable for the deaths of the two people in the pickup truck. If so, the families of the deceased may be able to prevail in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Our personal injury attorneys licensed in North Carolina and Virginia have helped many families prevail in wrongful death lawsuits, such as this $3.5 million wrongful death settlement in a truck crash. A wrongful death lawsuit can provide the grieving family with much needed financial relief. While this will never bring back the loved one, reducing financial stress can help the family to heal.

If you have been involved in tractor trailer accident, be sure to listen to this brief radio clip from our wrongful death attorneys on what to do after a truck accident.