Nickolas Joseph Allen Smith Killed in Truck Accident in Darlington County, SC
Darlington County, SC -- November 22, 2022, Nickolas Joseph Allen Smith was killed following an accident involving a semi-truck.
Investigators said that the accident happened near mile marker 136 of I-20. It appears that 38-year-old Nickolas Joseph Allen Smith was in a Nissan Altima traveling eastbound along I-20. A semi-truck apparently careened from westbound lanes into eastbound lanes and hit the Nissan.
Due to the collision, Smith sustained fatal injuries. No other injuries were reported. The cause of the accident remains unclear at this time.
Commentary on Nickolas Joseph Allen Smith Truck Accident in Darlington County
A commercial truck somehow losing control so badly that it careens across a median is more than concerning. This sort of tragic event can happen for all kinds of reasons, and it's important investigators equipped to look into even unlikely possibilities have a chance to look into things. Is it likely that this was some unavoidable, unforeseeable accident? Not really, but it is possible. Having clear evidence even of something more common, such as distracted driving, is crucial not just to ensure all the facts are clear but also to ensure the trucking company has as little room as possible to tip the scales. What exactly do I mean by this?
Let's say, for example, that police said the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel, lost control due to speeding, or was on their phone. That all would sound pretty open-and-shut. But throughout the hundreds of people I've assisted with similar incidents, those facts alone would not make things simple in anyway. That's because trucking and insurance companies have one priority: avoid responsibility. They have many ways to accomplish this, ranging from simply being uncooperative all the way to outright lying or altering evidence in the hopes they don't get caught.
I have no specific information about any companies involved here nor their reputation. But when it comes to ensuring a family knows they're getting the resolution they deserve, waiting around to find out isn't very prudent. It's far more prudent to take steps as soon as possible to have experienced professionals handle the details. That way, all the facts can be preserved and any attempts to wrongfully shift the blame can be anticipated and countered thoroughly. Doing so is often necessary in getting a family the justice they deserve after losing a loved one. The same would likely prove true here, as well.
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