The after effects of a truck accident can be quite life-threatening, causing much more damage to property, harming a lot of people, and in multiple cases even taking people’s lives.
Different from usual car accidents, there are more complex legal and insurance problems that come with truck accidents because of the size of trucks, federal laws for trucking industry, and different parties who take part in such accidents.
Whether you are a victim or your loved one is a victim, you may doubt whether obtaining the services of a truck accident lawyer for case consultation is effective in resolving these problems. The point of this article is to show you potential advantages and considerations that can help you to use your intelligence to make a decision.
The Complexity of Truck Accident Cases
Truck accidents differ from standard car accidents in several critical ways:
- Severity of Damages: Because of their large size and weight, crashes that involve commercial trucks often cause severe injuries to people and damage to property, which is extreme masses.
- Multiple Liable Parties: The difference between truck accidents and car accidents is that the former can have more than one party liable, especially when the driver is not the only person involved. The company should bear the crucifying debt, since it was a mistake of one of its employees. Additional parties that can be sued include the owner of the tractor-trailer, which could be a trucking company, the company responsible for setting and enforcing trucking fleet policy, the manufacturer of the truck, its parts suppliers, and the people neglecting the maintenance of the vehicle.
- Federal and State Regulations: Regulations on truck and transport of goods are strict and are at both the state and the federal level. The trucking company needs to comply with hours-of-service rules, stay within the weight limits, and most importantly keep the vehicle in good working condition to avoid potential accidents. Knowledge of these laws will be a determining factor in the success of any case.
- Insurance Complexities: Trucking companies tend to have large insurance policies in place which are enforced by aggressive legal teams to avoid making settlements and paying out less. Working with these types of insurances can be very confusing especially if you have no legal advisor.
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Benefits of Hiring a Truck Accident Lawyer
- Expert Legal Guidance: A semi-truck crash attorney is specifically experienced in dealing with these cases of truck-car collisions. They are knowledgeable about federal motor carrier safety regulations and the general practices followed in the industry. They will tell you what laws support your case and how you can achieve the necessary results.
- Thorough Investigation: Lawyers have teams set up with the sole purpose of doing thorough investigations because they have access to large amounts of information and resources that common people may not have. They will secure essential evidence like black-box data, driver logs, maintenance documentation, and witness accounts.
- Negotiation with Insurance Companies: Many times, insurance adjusters prefer to settle the benefit claims for the lowest possible amount of money. On the other hand, a lawyer specialized in this field can advocate for you by applying the evidence he or she has and legal arguments to generate the most possible benefit for you.
- Litigation Representation: In case the out-of-court settlement is not fair enough, the truck accident attorney can represent you in front of the court, and he/she can fight for your rights and the compensation you are owed.
When to Consult a Truck Accident Lawyer
You should consider consulting a truck accident lawyer if:
- You or a loved one recently endured severe injuries or ailments.
- Liability is murky or in contention.
- Multiple parties are in the play.
- The insurance company proposes a meager or biased settlement.
- You are not aware of the regulations relating to trucking.
- Evidence requires preservation and further examination.
Costs of Hiring a Truck Accident Lawyer
Many lawyers that handle truck accident cases operate on a contingent fee plan which suggests that they only charge you if you get money for your damages. Usually, the fee is a percentage of the amount that was resolved or the money that was decided upon as a prize. The client is not the one who pays the lawyer, he/she despite the fact that we must limit costs.