Being involved in a truck accident can be a life-changing event. You may be facing serious injuries with a long recovery ahead of you.
And because truck accident cases can be much more complicated than other auto accident cases, it’s crucial to hire an attorney with truck accident experience. Below, we discuss six important reasons you should hire a truck accident attorney, including:
The average semi cab can weigh up to 25,000 pounds, while a fully loaded semi trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds.
When a semi collides with a 2,000 or 3,000-pound car, the outcome can be devastating for the car’s occupants.
What’s more, semi trailers and other large trucks have a much longer stopping distance than smaller vehicles. They also don’t maneuver well. This may make accidents more likely when you’re traveling on congested highways.
Because trucks cause more serious, catastrophic injuries and generate more financial damages, truck accident cases are higher stakes than most car accidents.
An experienced attorney can help you navigate and demystify this process.
If you’re injured in a truck accident, you have the right to recover financial damages from anyone responsible. To recover damages, you’ll need to prove three things:
Often, this liability goes beyond the at-fault driver.
The more potential parties that may be involved, the more complex the case becomes, and the more you need an attorney with specific truck-accident experience.
A truck accident attorney will investigate the crash and identify who is liable in the trucking accident. These can include:
For many car accidents, damages are pretty straightforward. You may be able to recover the cost to repair your vehicle and whatever medical expenses you’ve incurred.
But huge, heavy trucks can cause major damage—and not all this damage may be immediately apparent.
If your injuries are life-changing, you may not know whether you’ll achieve a full recovery. You could be facing significant medical expenses, physical therapy or rehab, or an extended period of time off work.
You might not be able to return to work, which means that a damages award will need to compensate you for your lost earning capacity.
It’s important for your attorney to have experience in investigating and developing the evidence you’ll need to recover full compensation for your losses.
From hours-of-service regulations to sleep apnea testing, the trucking industry is heavily regulated by the federal government.
Agencies like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have strict rules and regulations all truckers must follow.
Often, negligence and a DOT or FMCSA regulation violation can go hand-in-hand.
For example, a driver who regularly violates the FMCSA’s hours-of-service regulation or uses illegal drugs while driving is far more likely to be involved in an accident.
Experienced attorneys are well-versed in these regulations, as well as the common causes of trucking accidents. This working knowledge allows your lawyer to more easily identify any potential claims that can be brought.
Trucking insurance can be just as complex as the broad web of federal trucking regulations.
And even in cases where liability is clear, the trucking company’s insurer has a vested interest in settling a claim as cheaply as possible. This can mean making lowball offers or dragging a claim out for years to pressure you into settling.
You need attorneys who have the skills and resources to fight back against trucking companies and their well-funded insurers.
If you’ve suffered serious injuries in a truck accident, it’s important that your attorneys have the expertise to fight for the compensation you deserve. Trial strategy can be important, especially if your case goes to a jury.
Since 1979, the experienced personal injury accident attorneys at Breit Biniazan have helped our clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars. We can help you too, whether you decide to file a truck accident lawsuit or negotiate directly with the other party’s insurance company.
To set up a free consultation, contact us online or call us at (855) 659-4457.
