Do I Need a Lawyer Who Specializes in Truck Accident Cases?
Experiencing a truck accident often feels like your worst fears coming true. Vehicle collisions that involve heavyweight trucks and cars often lead to severe injuries and catastrophic property damage.
Right now, you might be reeling with serious injuries that can include trauma to your brain, spinal cord and limbs. You could also be facing pain and suffering that impacts your ability to trust your decisions. Understanding how a truck accident attorney can help with your case gives you more peace of mind and support as you work on your recovery.
Why Are Truck Accidents Different From Typical Car Accidents?
Although car models vary regarding their weight and the strength of their exterior, the truth is that they are no match for standing up to a major truck accident. Whether you got hit by an 18-wheeler, delivery truck or other type of commercial vehicle, you can expect to see a few differences in the outcome compared to being hit by a regular car.
Severe Injuries and Damages
Being hit by a massive semi-truck that is carrying a heavy load naturally generates more forces than you would expect from a small family-style sedan. Even with modern safety features such as airbags in your car, you can expect to face serious injuries.
Traumatic brain injuries and trauma to your spine can leave you with debilitating changes to your health that could impact your future comfort and earning ability for a lifetime. A truck accident lawyer knows how to make sure you receive compensation for your current medical needs, along with challenges that you’ll face in the future.
Multiple Liable Parties
In a typical car accident, you usually only have one or two liable parties. For instance, someone who plows through a red light will be the person that the insurance company holds responsible for the accident. In rare cases, a car manufacturer or other automotive industry professional could be held liable for brakes not working or other parts-related issues.
However, a truck accident might involve many potential liable parties. Looking at this list of potential entities and individuals that might be liable helps you see why a truck collision lawyer is critical for helping you manage all of the details of a case.
• The actual truck driver
• The trucking company behind the operation
• The company responsible for maintenance and repairs
• The cargo loaders at a different company
• The vehicle or parts manufacturer
• Other people involved in the accident
Complex Regulations
The trucking industry is regulated by federal and state laws that change from one year to the next. In most truck accident cases, numerous laws were broken by one or several of the involved parties. As a general driver, it’s highly likely that you don’t know about many of the laws that govern the trucking industry.
A truck collision attorney not only knows about these laws, but they also have the capability to request reports, logs and other information that can support your case. When you’re recovering from a truck accident, it’s simply impossible to try to research all of the laws that could impact your rights to compensation. That’s why our team specializes in trucking laws that frequently impact how we handle accident cases.
Bigger Insurance Policies
The cost for medical testing, hospitalizations, ongoing treatment and potential future lost wages can reach into the thousands. In severe cases that involve loss of life or dismemberment, injured parties could be entitled to millions in compensation from a truck accident.
As you might imagine, truck insurance companies are naturally motivated to pay out as little as possible for major accident claims. While an insurance company might not investigate much into a small car accident that generates under a couple of thousand dollars in repairs, you can expect them to fight harder against cases that involve significant compensation.
Why Does Choosing a Specialized Truck Accident Lawyer Matter?
Independence is a desirable character trait, but there are times when it’s impossible to do enough research to help your case. A specialized truck collision lawyer provides these benefits that can reduce stress during a challenging time and ensure you get the compensation you are entitled to from the very beginning.
In-Depth Knowledge of Trucking Regulations
A truck injury lawyer goes beyond the traditional education in law school to specialize in these types of cases. You can expect your lawyer to know all of the federal and local laws within the trucking industry and be able to check to see if any were broken.
For instance, you might not know if a driver exceeded their allowable driving hours in a day. Or, it’s possible that the truck exceeded weight regulations, which contributed to the severity of the accident. Trucking companies must also maintain schedules for inspections, maintenance and repairs.
Once a truck accident attorney takes on your case, they quickly begin digging into all of the details. Since they specialize in trucking regulations, they may also know of new laws that were recently enacted.
More Experience With Handling Complex Liability Cases
Many people have general lawyers that they turn to for help with divorces, business agreements and other common situations. In fact, you might have already worked with a lawyer in the past to manage a minor fender bender.
A truck injury attorney is necessary now because they have experience with handling complex liability cases. Our team regularly investigates cases to uncover other potentially liable parties that can change the outcomes for compensation. Holding every liable party responsible for their missteps and actions also ensures that other people might not be impacted by similar accidents in the future.
Making sure that a neglectful trucking company or parts manufacturer is held responsible for complying with industry standards can help with your emotional recovery after an accident.
Stronger Negotiation Skills for Communicating With Insurers
Dealing with insurance companies is intimidating enough when you’re just seeking a quote for a new policy. But, you can expect the insurance company’s representatives to be even harsher when they’re protecting the business’s financial interests.
When you’re staring at a mound of medical bills piling up, it can be too easy to simply accept the first settlement offer. Unfortunately, it is common for insurance companies to start with low-ball offers in the hopes that someone who is feeling financial strain will accept right away. You may also face worries about making sure you file a claim in time or accept an offer. Working with an attorney helps you avoid intimidation tactics, such as being told that you must accept an offer within a specific time period by an insurance company.
Our attorneys care about making sure that every injured person receives the compensation they deserve. At PM Law Firm, we’ve negotiated with many of the primary insurance companies and are familiar with their tactics. We don’t back down to low-ball offers, since we know the details of your case and the types of compensation that you’re entitled to receive.
Access to Expert Resources
Even the most educated and experienced truck collision attorney needs support sometimes. We have access to research applications that can help us identify details about your case. We’ve also cultivated relationships with local law enforcement agencies and general businesses that make it easier to get access to police reports, traffic camera footage and witness statements.
If necessary, we can also consult with other members of the trucking industry, forensic scientists and vehicle parts manufacturers to learn more about what might’ve gone wrong. If your truck accident is unique, then we can also research past cases that have similarities to further get a better understanding of the factors that influence your case.
What Can Happen If I Choose to Proceed Without a Specialized Lawyer?
Choosing to self-manage your case or work with a less experienced lawyer could lead you to experience the following complications with your truck accident case.
•Increased stress
•Losing valuable evidence
•Missing critical components, such as broken laws
•Being unable to hold multiple liable parties accountable
•Failing to receive enough compensation to cover medical care and property damage
With major truck and car collisions, it’s important to remember that your memory can sometimes fail you after an accident. On top of brain trauma, it’s common to be unable to recollect all of the details because you missed them before and during the collision.
Truck accident lawyers often use tools and expert guidance to recreate what happened during the collision. Using models of the truck accident can provide valuable insight into who or what companies might be held liable for the incident.
Explore How PM Law Firm Provides Support to Truck Accident Victims
At our law firm, our goal is to surround truck accident victims with a full range of support that eases their worries and helps promote healing and greater financial security. Our services include, and often exceed, the following types of support listed here.
• Performing case evaluations
• Developing a strategic legal plan
• Gathering evidence
• Researching trucking laws
• Preparing legal documents
• Connecting with qualified experts and witnesses
• Navigating the complicated legal system
• Providing you with peace of mind
Get Quick Answers for Your Truck Accident Case With These FAQs
Time is short after a truck accident when you might need to rush to a medical appointment or get enough rest for proper healing. Reading through this list of FAQs can help you prepare for your initial consultation with our truck collision attorney.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim?
In the state of Texas, you generally have two years to file your truck accident claim. But, there are instances when you might have longer, such as if you develop new symptoms that impact your lifestyle after the time typically expires.
What types of compensation could I receive from a truck accident claim?
Most truck accident settlements award compensation for property damage, medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. In some cases, punitive damages are awarded if the liable parties are found to be guilty of serious negligence.
How do you determine fault for truck accidents?
Similar to car accidents, a thorough investigation is necessary to identify who is responsible for the collision. Truck accident investigations can be especially intense due to the complex factors and the number of potential liable parties that are involved.
Can you file a claim against multiple parties?
A truck wreck lawyer can help you identify the responsible parties and file claims against each one. Navigating this process is one of the biggest reasons to hire a specialized truck accident attorney who has experience handling challenging legal situations.
Protect Your Legal Rights by Partnering With Our Experienced Truck Accident Attorney
Going up against a major trucking company as an injured driver can be intimidating. Unfortunately, the other parties involved in a trucking accident are often incentivized to pay as little compensation as possible for your injuries.
Our truck wreck attorney at PM Law Firm specializes in helping ordinary people make sure their rights are upheld during complicated legal cases. Reach out to our law team today to begin easing the stress you’re facing and feel confident proceeding with taking legal action that aids in giving you the best recovery possible.