Trucking accidents often involve multiple parties. They can result from various causes, including mechanical failures, improper loading, and securing of cargo, or violations of federal safety regulations.
A reasonable attorney can determine liable parties and seek compensation from them for your losses. To do this, they need evidence.
Collecting Evidence
A truck accident lawyer should immediately begin collecting evidence. This includes detailed photographs of the scene, including any damage to nearby vehicles and road markings. This will also have the truck driver’s Event Data Recorder (EDR, or “black box”), which can contain vital information such as speed, direction, and braking.
Trucks and tractor-trailers are enormous vehicles that must follow specific rules and regulations set forth by federal safety protocols. Despite these laws, thousands of truck accidents take place each year, often resulting in catastrophic injuries and death.
Many of these accidents are due to negligence or reckless driving by truck drivers and companies, but other factors can also cause truck accidents. A tractor trailer injury attorney can determine liable parties based on how the accident happened and can help you get maximum compensation. The truck driver, the trucking business, equipment makers, and loading companies are some examples of these liable parties. They may be responsible for a wide range of damages owed to injured victims, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
A fully loaded tractor-trailer weighs 80,000 pounds – far more than the average passenger. This difference in size presents a unique danger that cannot be ignored. Everyone on the roads is seriously at danger from truck accidents brought on by driver weariness, careless driving, neglecting to maintain vehicles and the roads, and abusing drugs or alcohol.
Regardless of who is at fault for the crash, a victim deserves fair compensation. A law firm familiar with trucking laws and regulations can investigate the evidence, identify all parties responsible, and on behalf of the wounded party, seek justice.
When settling insurance claims, the most important thing is to remain calm. Even if an insurance company’s initial settlement offer is below what you believe your claim is worth, it’s vital to stay firm and make a counteroffer. A lawyer can assist you in determining how much your claim is worth by reviewing your medical records, missing income, and other out-of-pocket costs.
Filing a Lawsuit
A lawsuit is a legal action against someone who has wronged you. However, suing is not without its risks. It is essential that you are patient with filing a motion and that your lawyer makes sure it is in the proper jurisdiction and within time limits that protect your legal rights.
An accident with a truck can cause devastating injuries that permanently affect a person’s quality of life. Trucking companies and drivers are governed by strict rules, codes, and regulations about their conduct on public roadways. These regulations cover maintenance, load securing, logging, and rest requirements.
A careless truck driver or trucking company may be held accountable for the harm they cause when they break one of these regulations. Your attorney will investigate the facts of your case to identify all parties responsible for your damages. Once this is done, your lawyer will submit civil court documents, including a complaint, summons, and more.
Recovering Compensation
Trucking companies and their insurers typically hire teams of attorneys to do everything they can to avoid admitting liability in a truck accident case. Your truck accident lawyer can counter the strategies of these experts and prove your case with the help of an Event Data Recorder, which is a crucial piece of evidence in truck crashes.
In addition to reimbursement for medical bills and lost income, your attorney can file claims for permanent injury or loss of life-altering features like impaired mobility, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma. Your legal team can also pursue punitive damages if the at-fault truck driver or their employer engaged in particularly egregious conduct.
You should try to take photos of the crash scene and collect the contact information of any witnesses. Your legal team will then move into action, contacting witnesses and working to reconstruct the accident. Your lawyer will protect you from speaking to insurance company representatives and other parties who may attempt to tamper with or destroy evidence.