Truck Accident Attorneys
Every year, 5,000 people die in accidents involving large trucks. If a crash does occur it's crucial to find truck accident lawyers that understand the different factors involved.
A lawyer should immediately initiate claims with the insurance company of the driver company, as well as the company which is the owner of the truck. This is done in order to maximize the insurance coverage available.
Liability
Although trucks comprise only 4 percent of the vehicles on the road but they are involved in more than five percent of all vehicle accidents. In the majority of these accidents, the victims suffer severe injuries and become permanently disabled. These accidents can have a devastating financial impact, and the victims and their families must be compensated in order to live their lives with dignity. Insurance companies and trucking companies will do everything to cut down on the amount of compensation the victim is entitled. This is why you need a strong, experienced semi truck accident attorney that can stand up to insurance companies and their attorneys. John Hensley's team has the knowledge, experience, and strength to make a significant difference in your case.
Semi-trucks, also known under the names tractor-trailer and 18-wheeler are commercial vehicles of a large size made up of one truck unit (tractor) and an attached trailer that transports cargo. Due to their size and weight they are vulnerable to serious accidents when they are driven with recklessness or if a driver fails to exercise reasonable care while driving the vehicle. The most common causes of accidents involving trucks include speeding, distracted driving, and failing to check blind spots before changing lanes or turning. Unsafe loading of freight could result in truck accidents. This can cause shifting, swaying and even the truck rolling.
In addition to the driver, other people can share responsibility in a truck accident. This includes the driver's employer, the company that the driver transports goods for, or even the person who sets up the load. It isn't easy to prove that someone is at fault when there are multiple insurance companies involved as each will try to limit their own liability.
In certain instances the local government entity could also be liable for any accident that occurs on its property. For instance, if poorly designed road layout or inadequate maintenance contributed to an accident the county board may be held accountable for the damages that the victim has suffered. This kind of claim is based on the concept of vicarious responsibility, which makes a supervisory party liable for the actions of employees who is acting within the context of their employment.
Damages
The physical and emotional trauma that can result from a motor vehicle accident could be severe. The results of a collision involving semi-trucks can be more severe than other types of accidents. These vehicles can cause serious injuries and damage to property. This can lead to a significant financial burden. A semi truck accident attorney can help you determine the totality of your loss and pursue an appropriate amount of compensation.
It's always a good idea, regardless of the type of accident that took place to speak with an attorney for personal injuries. This is especially true when it comes to cases involving large vehicles. In addition to the general laws that regulate traffic and personal injuries there are specific regulations applicable to commercial vehicles. These regulations could have a significant effect on the way a crash is handled, the parties responsible and the type of damages that could be awarded. A lawyer can help get the most out of these regulations and ensure that the parties responsible are held accountable.
When a truck collision occurs it is not uncommon to have several parties that could be responsible such as the truck driver, the company they work for, and the company that carried the load. In addition, blame can be assigned to the maker of the truck or to any of the parts that were defective and caused the accident. A semi truck accident lawyer can provide the detailed evidence needed to demonstrate that all parties at fault are accountable and that you are entitled to fair compensation.
An experienced semi truck accident attorney on your side can protect you from the usual strategies that insurance companies employ to deny or reduce your claim. grand prairie semi truck accident attorney of injuries often feel desperate to receive their compensation so that they can pay for medical treatments and other expenses. The insurers know this and profit from this, using delaying as a way to to force you into accepting lower than you should.
An attorney can help determine all the future and present damages you are entitled to, such as medical bills loss of income as well as property damage and pain and suffering. A lawyer can help you determine the amount of punitive and compensatory damages to award in your particular case. Compensation damages are designed to compensate you for your losses, whereas punitive damages are intended to punish the at-fault party and discourage others from committing similar acts.
Expert Witnesses
Unlike a normal car accident scenario, truck accidents generally involve a significant amount of specific information regarding industry regulations including truck mechanics, the long-term economic and medical effects of the collision. A semi-truck crash lawyer must be able to access the right experts, who can fill in gaps of knowledge and provide testimony that could be essential to a client's case.
The specialists in accident reconstruction are among the most reliable experts that a semi-truck accident lawyer could rely on. These professionals are experienced and can assess the scene of an accident, evaluate the truck as well as the vehicle involved and determine the reason for the crash, and explain their findings clearly and easily comprehendable. They are usually an essential part of a successful lawsuit because they can help jurors understand how a crash took place and who may be accountable.
The right expert witnesses can also assist to determine what damages are enforceable and how much those damages will be worth. A life care planner, for instance is an expert who can determine the effect of a serious accident on the ability of a victim to work and their medical requirements throughout their lifetime. In addition, an economist could assist in calculating things such as lost earnings damages, which will be a significant component of any compensation award.
Forensic toxicologists as well as experts in recognition of alcohol and drugs can also be a huge asset in a successful case. These types of experts could help to draw a straight line between intoxication and the accident, particularly in cases where the trucker may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision. A metallurgist could also be an effective expert witness because they can conduct tests on metal components of the truck that could be involved in the collision to determine whether they were loaded to the max.
In some instances, an attorney for an New York semi truck accident will retain an expert to study the trucking company and how it operates. This is essential, particularly when the trucker worked for an established trucking company and was subject to standards that other drivers were not. An expert could examine the safety policies of the trucking company and hiring practices, as well as any other information that may aid in determining the source of the problem.
Time Limits
Evidence is often lost or destroyed when a truck accident occurs. This is the reason it's so important to speak with a semi truck accident lawyer as soon as you can. Our attorneys will conduct an extensive investigation to determine who is responsible for your injuries. We will work with experts in accident reconstruction as well as medical professionals and financial experts to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
The most frequent cause of a truck accident is driver error. This can be caused by driving distracted, driving under the influence or driving recklessly. The trucking company that owns and operates the truck could be accountable for accidents in the event they fail to comply with safety rules or hire unqualified drivers.
Unprofessional maintenance of the vehicle is a further cause of an accident involving a truck. Failure to check or repair the truck's brakes or tires, or any other component could cause a dangerous crash. It's important to make sure that your lawyer for truck accidents is aware of the maintenance requirements of large trucks to be able to look into any issues with the safety of the truck.
A third issue is that a poorly loaded trailer or cargo can cause a truck accident. A truck that isn't loaded properly can cause the trailer or truck to jackknife when it's not properly loaded. This is a serious accident that could result in serious or fatal injuries to motorists.
Drivers' negligence by other drivers can also result in truck accidents. They might cut off the truck driver or merge into the wrong direction. These actions can cause the truck to veer off the road and crash with pedestrians or other vehicles.
A head-on collision between a truck and a passenger vehicle is among the most fatal types of truck crashes. The front of the passenger vehicle usually takes the brunt of the impact, which can result in serious injuries and death. These types of accidents usually occur on roads that are not divided when the truck driver is asleep, steers away from another vehicle, or is under the under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There are also accidents involving trucks spilling their loads of hazardous substances. These accidents could cause environmental harm as well as health risks for people who come into contact with the chemicals.