Back in January 2020, two lawsuits were filed against a truck driver and his employer after he caused a collision that claimed the lives of two individuals. The lawsuits were filed in Horry County Court of Common Pleas and named the driver, James Tyrone Williams and his employer, Ferguson Enterprises, as defendants. The lawsuits stem from an accident that transpired back in 2019 involving 35-year-old Cecil Morgan and 29-year-old David Sibbick.
WMBF News reports that the two victims had been employed by the SC Department of Transportation and were working in the road on U.S. 501 near Aynor. The lawsuits allege that Williams was driving over 50 mph despite the warning signs that indicated drivers needed to reduce their speed due to road construction. The suits say the truck driver proceeded past the warning signs and collided into the two workers as well as two vehicles that had been stopped in traffic.
Aside from being accused of ignoring the road signs, Williams was also allegedly “not medically qualified or fit to drive due to severe obesity, hypertension, and/or obstructive sleep apnea.” The court documents say that “At the time of the collision Defendant Williams operated a Commercial Motor Vehicle while Defendant Williams’ ability or alertness was so impaired, or likely to become impaired through fatigue, illness or any other cause such as severe obesity, obstructive sleep apnea and/or hypertension as to make it unsafe for Defendant Williams to begin or continue to operate the Commercial Motor Vehicle.”
The families also named Williams’ employer as a defendant after they claim the company failed to conduct a pre-trip inspection on the vehicle which would have revealed that it had non-functioning brakes. The source stated that the families are seeking damages, but the amounts have not been disclosed.
Hiring a Columbia, SC Truck Accident Lawyer After an Accident
Truck accidents are among some of the most difficult types of cases that are presented in court. While most motor vehicle accident cases involve two parties (the driver and the person they hit), these types of cases often involve several parties. To make things even more complex, you can bet that there are also multiple factors that contributed to the accident. Being able to identify who the liable parties are along with the reasons for why the collision occurred can be difficult to do, especially if you are working toward recovering from a severe or catastrophic injury.
It is for this reason that we recommend you contact Louthian Law Firm, P.A. so that you can set up a time to speak with one of our dedicated and knowledgeable truck accident lawyers in Columbia, SC. Our attorneys are here to help you understand what your next steps should be so that justice is served, and you are able to recover the maximum amount of compensation you need to help you get through this challenging time.
Louthian Law Firm, P.A. can be reached at:
1116 Blanding Street, #3A
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 888-316-9040
Website: www.louthianlaw.com
Bert Louthian has been practicing law in Columbia with his father, Herb, since 1985. After receiving his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina, Bert launched his legal career in his father’s firm. With 80 years of legal experience between them, Louthian Law, P.A. remains Family-Owned and Family-Focused.
Bert understands that when life goes wrong – when you or someone you love gets hurt or suffers a loss, it can feel like nothing will ever be right or fair again. He gets up and goes to work every day to prove that feeling wrong – and does everything in his power to make things right again.
