Do You Need Lawyers for Truck Accidents?

If you or a loved one has been in an accident that involved a truck, you may be overwhelmed and exhausted. The aftermath of an accident is always challenging, and this is particularly true when the accident involves a truck. You’re likely dealing with a powerful trucking company that has endless time, resources, and legal advisors. These cases can be extremely complicated, and attempting to tackle them alone could result in you not receiving the compensation you deserve. This is why it is absolutely in your best interest to hire lawyers for truck accidents who will handle everything related to your claim.

Read on to learn the factors that make working with a truck accident lawyer important, and how having one on your side can help your case.

Understanding the Severity of Your Injuries

Truck accidents that don’t result in severe injuries are exceedingly rare. When an 80,000-pound semi truck collides with a passenger vehicle just 1/16 its size, it’s likely that the passenger vehicle and its inhabitants will endure the brunt of the damage. In fact, research has shown that when fatalities occur in truck accidents, 7X percent of the time, it’s a member of the passenger vehicle that loses their life. In contrast, the fatality belongs to the truck driver just X percent of the time.

But why is it so important to work with a lawyer if your injuries and damages are severe? If you experience injuries that require a hospital stay, it’s likely that the maximum you can recover via an insurance claim is not enough to compensate for your medical bills. What’s more, many severe accidents also leave the injured party with lifetime suffering that doesn’t necessarily have a clear monetary value attached. It’s your lawyer’s job to assess your injuries and the way in which they’ve impacted your life and draw up a settlement number that compensates not just your bills and lost wages, but also your overall pain and suffering.

Percentage of Fault in a Truck Accident Can Affect Settlement

If there’s even a possibility that you bear some percentage of fault, it’s very important to work with an experienced truck accident attorney. In most cases, you are still eligible for compensation if you are partially at fault, but you may have a more challenging case on your hands. Insurance adjusters may try to pressure you into accepting a claim that assigns you a far higher percentage of fault than you actually deserve. Your lawyer can advocate for you and ensure that you only accept what’s right.

Identifying Liable Parties in a Truck Accident

One of the factors that complicate truck accident cases across the board is the sheer number of potentially liable parties. When two regular passenger vehicles collide, it is generally the drivers and their insurance companies that handle the process going forward. However, when the accident involves a truck or commercial vehicle, the trucking company itself also gets involved, and, depending on the case, other parties may as well. Some of the potentially liable parties in a truck accident include:

  • The driver. Of course, in some cases, the driver bears responsibility for the accident. This would be the case if the driver was texting or drinking while driving, or if they were driving recklessly, which includes behaviors like tailgating and unsafe lane changing. If the driver was speeding, they may also be at fault.
  • The trucking company. There are many ways in which the employer could be at fault. Perhaps they failed to properly and fully train the driver before letting them onto the road. Perhaps they have a history of unsafe practices in the workplace. Any of this could result in a case where the trucking company is found responsible.
  • The mechanic. Trucking companies often use third-party mechanics to inspect their trucks and keep them up to code. If the mechanic was negligent in their work, or knowingly put a poorly functioning truck back into the hands of the truck company, they could be responsible.
  • The manufacturer or auto parts retailer. Sometimes, a truck accident is caused by mechanical failure, which may be due to a design flaw in the part that malfunctioned. If this is the case, the manufacturer may bear some responsibility. The retailer that sold the part could also be responsible if they damaged the item while it was in their care, or knowingly sold a faulty part.
  • The city or town. The city or town may be responsible if the accident was caused by poorly maintained roads, missing signage, or anything else that falls under that area’s legal jurisdiction.

In many cases, many of these parties share some degree of fault. Imagine that the truck veered into oncoming traffic because it hit a pothole, but the driver also was unable to correct it because they were texting. In this case, it’s possible that the driver and the municipality share responsibility. For this reason, many truck accident victims choose to work with an attorney. Experienced lawyers can navigate the complex nature of fault that is shared by an individual, a company, and a municipality.  Working with lawyers for truck accidents ensures that you, the victim, end up with the fair compensation you so deserve.

Work with Truck Accident Lawyers Who Are Ready to Go to Trial

Most truck accident cases settle without needing to go to trial, but sometimes, if a fair settlement cannot be reached, going to court becomes necessary. If this is the case, you will certainly want the aid of an experienced truck accident lawyer. When you work with Giddens Law Firm,  your truck accident lawyer can continue fighting for you in court just as they have throughout the settlement process. You want the best of the best advocate for you, ensuring you’re able to secure the financial compensation you very much deserve.

Why Giddens Law Firm?

Working through the aftermath of a truck accident is not easy for anyone. But with the help of a Giddens Law Firm attorney, there is a way through.

At Giddens, we believe that every truck accident victim has a right to justice and a right to compensation. Our lawyers for truck accidents approach each case with compassion and care, but also with strength and diligence, and no detail of your case will ever fall through the cracks.  We are always available to answer your questions along the way.

Don’t let yourself be intimidated by powerful trucking companies and insurance companies. They may try to take advantage of your vulnerable state to get you to accept a settlement or agree to a degree of fault that is entirely unfair. We are here to prevent that from happening, and to make sure you are compensated for the immense suffering you may have experienced. Contact us today for a free initial case review. We are ready and waiting to protect your interests and remember: you never pay a penny unless we win for you.

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