Imagine being hit by a commercial truck on the highway. Your car is ruined in an instant, your body hurts, and you don’t have any idea what to do or who to go after for your losses. Tractor-trailer accidents are not just typical crashes; they can be life-changing catastrophes. The physical and emotional damage from a truck accident can leave you devastated with severe injuries, huge medical bills, and unable to work.
A truck accident lawyer will ensure that the proper party is blamed for the accident and that you receive fair compensation. Learn more about what a truck accident attorney can do for you below. Then, speak to an attorney today in a free consultation.
Truck Crashes Are Far Too Common
In a recent year, there were 523,700 accidents involving commercial trucks. This was a sizable increase from the previous year, when only 415,00 truck accidents happened. COVID-19 led to a temporary reduction in truck accidents, but now they are on the rise again. Truck crash statistics show that tractor-trailers are more likely to be involved in truck accidents than other commercial vehicles.
Fatal truck accidents happen thousands of times annually in the US. The majority of fatal truck crashes occur on two-lane, rural roads. Dark country roads can lead to truck driver fatigue, and truckers in rural areas may be more likely to speed. Unfortunately, 6.7 percent of truck accidents involve drunk driving. Approximately 13 percent of large truck crashes are in bad weather.
Most truck accidents happen because of truck driver error, including fatigue, driver distraction, drunk driving, speeding, and other types of reckless driving. A truck accident attorney will review your case and determine if the trucker violated their duty of care and injured you.
Why You Should Hire A Truck Accident Lawyer Now
Many people don’t hire a personal injury attorney after a motor vehicle accident. They may believe that they know how to negotiate a settlement and what their claim is worth. This is often not the case. Also, a truck accident is usually completely different from other motor vehicle crashes. Truck crashes often cause catastrophic injuries, such as paralysis, burns, brain damage, shattered bones, internal trauma, and more. People injured by a truck crash may be unable to work for years, and some are permanently disabled. How will you earn a living and support your family? Who will take care of your children and pay for their college education?
The liable party in the truck crash that injured you should pay for your injuries and other damages. Getting the most compensation from the trucking insurance company won’t be easy, but a truck accident attorney can do it. You should retain a truck accident lawyer after such a severe accident for several reasons:
Truck Accident Laws Are Complex
Trucking is one of the most essential parts of the US economy. The importance of the trucking industry means there are many complicated state and federal regulations. Truckers and carriers must obey all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, which are more involved than regular vehicle laws. A truck accident lawyer has the experience and skill to interpret trucking regulations and understand if someone violated them.
Many trucking accidents also involve several parties that may be at fault. They can be the driver, employer, trailer or cab owner, maintenance companies, etc. This may mean that truck crash victims have to deal with several insurance policies, which can lead to confusion for non-attorneys. Fortunately, a tractor-trailer accident attorney can assist with trucking regulations and multiple at-fault parties.
Trucking Companies Are Powerful and Well Funded
A truck crash victim may be up against many trucking company attorneys and insurance adjusters who aim to reduce or deny your claim. They will try to pay as little as possible by downplaying your injuries or offering a small settlement. Negotiating with such powerful parties in a lawsuit can be difficult for a non-attorney. Your truck accident attorney will level the playing field and ensure your rights are respected.
Proving Fault Is Difficult
Determining who was at fault in a truck crash is complicated. A truck accident lawyer will thoroughly investigate your accident and collect evidence to prove fault. Important evidence your attorney may obtain and interpret includes:
- Truck crash reconstruction: Your truck accident attorney may retain an accident reconstruction expert to prove how the crash happened and who caused it.
- Truck driver logs and records: Your truck accident lawyer can obtain electronic driver logs to determine if they were driving beyond their legal hours. Records about the driver’s training also may be reviewed.
- Truck maintenance information: Trucking companies must maintain their rigs with regular repairs. Records may show that the trucking company neglected truck repairs like brakes, tires, engines, and transmissions.
- Eyewitness testimony: A personal injury attorney may interview crash witnesses to learn if they know who caused the accident.
- Black box information from the truck may reveal critical information about the driver’s actions before the accident. Your attorney will find out if the driver was speeding, driving recklessly, or possibly falling asleep.
All the truck crash evidence can be challenging to piece together without a truck accident attorney. Your lawyer knows the evidence needed to prove fault and how to present the evidence in the best way for your case.
Identifying Liable Parties Is Challenging
It is often hard to know all parties that may be at fault in a truck crash. You can think it’s only the truck driver’s fault. However, a trucking company usually employs a truck driver; another company may maintain the truck. Another entity may load the trailer, too. The bottom line is you can be owed money from several people and parties. A truck accident lawyer knows how to find every defendant in your case and hold them liable.
The driver, employer, and another entity may be at fault in your accident. Another driver in the crash also can be partially to blame. Your attorney will figure out who is responsible and demand compensation from them.
Choosing The Best Legal Strategy Takes Experience
As the truck crash victim, you may be unsure of the ideal legal strategy to obtain compensation in your case. A truck accident lawyer can review a case and understand the best paths to compensation in a settlement or lawsuit.
A more severe injury claim with an especially reckless driver can mean aggressively negotiating for a settlement, knowing the insurance company probably wants to avoid a trial. However, a less severe injury that is harder to prove can mean going to trial because the insurance company doesn’t want to offer fair compensation. Every truck crash case is different, and your attorney will know the ideal strategy for your case.
A Truck Accident Attorney Will Identify All Damages
A severe truck crash usually causes life-changing injuries. You can have a limb amputation, brain injury, spine injury, internal organ damage, or broken bones. Serious injuries mean high medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and potential disability.
A truck accident lawyer knows how to value a claim to ensure you get the full compensation you deserve. In a severe injury case, you can be entitled to five, six, or even seven figures of damages for medical bills, lost income, lost earnings, capacity, pain and suffering, and mental trauma.
A Truck Accident Attorney Hires Expert Witnesses
Proving fault and all of your damages in a truck crash case is difficult, but a truck accident attorney will hire expert witnesses to bolster your case. For example, your lawyer may retain an economist and financial expert to accurately estimate what your lost future earnings are for a severe truck crash injury. They may hire medical experts to describe the pain and suffering your injury causes. Your attorney has various experts available to call on to build truck accident cases.
Most truck accident lawyers pay for these experts and are reimbursed from your settlement or case award.
Truck Crashes Involve More Insurance Coverage
The amount of money available in a regular auto accident is usually decided by how much liability coverage the at-fault driver has. Many states require small amounts of insurance, such as $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. This amount of insurance is often inadequate to fully cover accident damages.
However, trucking companies may carry $750,000, $1 million, or more in coverage. So, if you are severely injured, more money may be available for damages. Trucking cases are often more complex to settle or win because much more money is on the line. A truck accident attorney has the skills and experience to take on the insurance company and get the total damages you deserve.
Truck Accident Attorneys Know When To Settle And Sue
An experienced truck accident attorney has an intimate feel for these complex cases. They know when they have negotiated the most money possible from the insurance company if the insurance company isn’t offering enough, and when it may be time to file a lawsuit.
However, your attorney will listen to your wishes about settling or going to court. It’s your case, and you may want to settle and receive money sooner. The reality is that most truck accident claims settle out of court. You should listen to your attorney’s advice on settling or going to court, but the final decision is yours.
A Truck Accident Attorney Will File Your Case On Time
A truck accident lawyer knows all the state and federal laws that apply to your case. For example, every state has a statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit. Your time limit can be two or three years from the accident date. If you wait too long, you cannot receive compensation. You should immediately talk to a truck accident attorney to ensure enough time to file your claim.
You Have No Financial Risk
Truck accident attorneys work on a contingency basis. If you win the case, you only pay from your settlement or jury award. You do not pay out-of-pocket legal expenses. So, you should always have a truck crash attorney review your case if you think another party caused the crash. The attorney will tell you quickly if there is a case or not.
You don’t pay legal fees unless your attorney wins the case. This is why personal injury attorneys only take cases when they are highly confident it will lead to compensation. If a truck accident lawyer in your city takes your case, they think they can compensate you. How much and how fast are open questions, but the case will probably pay you something.
What Happens If You Don’t Hire A Truck Accident Lawyer?
You may receive a settlement if you negotiate the claim yourself with the trucking insurance company. However, there’s a good chance that you will receive less than you could have. The Insurance Research Council did a study that found that people who hire a lawyer for their injury case usually obtain at least three times as much compensation as those who don’t hire lawyers.
Hiring a truck accident attorney means you’ll pay their legal fee from your settlement. However, the attorney will get you more compensation, so you usually have more money.
Without an attorney representing you, the insurance company knows you probably are unaware of your full case value. You may take whatever settlement offer they come up with. Taking only a few thousand dollars when you have a severe injury can be disastrous for you and your loved ones. So, take the safe course and have a truck accident lawyer review your case for free today.
Speak To A Truck Accident Attorney Now
Did a truck driver injure you in a severe accident? You can have a growing pile of medical bills and lost income. Let an experienced truck accident attorney fight it out with the insurance company while you heal. A truck accident lawyer is available to review your case today. You don’t pay out-of-pocket legal fees, so call a personal injury attorney now.
