How do I handle an accident with a commercial truck or 18-Wheeler?

• July 25, 2016
• Car Accidents
• Personal Injury Law
• Truck Accidents

Have you been injured in a semi truck accident?

Hundreds of thousands of truck accidents occur each year. Many of these result in death or injuries to the people involved. Motorists in passenger vehicles are especially vulnerable to catastrophic semi truck accident injuries when they are in accidents with commercial trucks. Truck accident medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses often leave families with no idea what to do or where to turn for help.

Filing a claim for semi truck accident injuries is different from filing a typical personal injury claim. In most commercial truck accidents, there are several parties who may be liable for an injured person’s damages: the truck driver, the operator, or the owner of the truck. Any or all of these parties could be responsible for your damages. While this could result in a larger settlement or judgment, it also makes your case more complex.

Truck Driver Negligence

Like all drivers, truck drivers are more likely to become involved in accidents when they do not get enough rest and sleep. The speed and mass of many commercial trucks and unhealthy drivers makes a dangerous combination.

Truck accidents often result from drivers’ poor working conditions, such as unreasonable deadlines or pressure from their employers to take jobs more frequently than they should. Federal agencies impose strict regulations on the trucking industry, such as requiring drivers to take breaks and rest after a certain number of hours at work. However, trucking companies often ignore these regulations, placing at risk the motorists who share the road with their trucks.

Corporate Negligence

Federal regulations also require companies to perform proper maintenance on their vehicles. They also limit the weight of the loads trucks may carry on one haul.

In order to make each haul more profitable, the truck operator might skip a maintenance check or load too much cargo on a truck. Both of these conditions can cause serious accidents that are worsened by malfunctioning equipment or excessive cargo weights. The results are often drastic for victims.

What to Do When You’ve Suffered Semi Truck Accident Injuries

Semi truck accident injuries frequently leave victims in need of long-term medical care. Injured people are usually unable to work for a significant period of time. They may not be able to earn the same amount of money they could before the accident if they are able to return to work at all.

Seeking compensation in these cases can be tricky for people who want to handle the claim themselves. It is usually difficult for victims to put a dollar amount to their injuries and expenses, so they may not know what is a fair settlement. Insurance adjusters often take advantage of people who are desperate to get their bills paid. Victims feeling the pressure of medical bills on top of everyday living expenses may take a low offer just to get some relief.

In addition, proving fault in truck accidents may be a complex problem, even when a truck driver was clearly negligent. This is because of the many parties involved in the case: the driver, the owner of the truck, the operating company, and even the truck manufacturer.

You may have to prove that the operating company knowingly loaded too much cargo onto the truck; that the driver’s employers encouraged or required to violate federal regulations during jobs; or that the truck manufacturer installed faulty brakes or other components. These are common circumstances that can lead to trucking accidents, but they may be hard for an injured person to prove. Attorneys know how to use discovery methods to investigate truck accident claims. Injured people typically do not have the legal knowledge to do this.

Call an Asheville Trucking Accident Attorney

The insurance companies that will be involved in your truck accident case will focus on paying you as little as possible. If you suffered catastrophic injuries that have left you disabled, every dollar counts. The assistance of a personal injury attorney could be invaluable when you’re seeking compensation for your semi truck accident injuries. Contact or call our firm today to speak to one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. Consultations are always free.