Every day, we can look at the nearest highway and see large trucks passing by, carrying the supplies we need to our local stores. While these trucks are necessary for delivering groceries and other essentials, they can be dangerous if you are in an accident with one.
Unfortunately, people in passenger cars are at much higher risk of injury or death than someone riding in a truck cab when the two vehicles collide. If you’re in an accident involving a large truck, you may have severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), internal injuries or bleeding, broken bones, or back, neck, and spine injuries.
Sorting out your medical bills, lost income, and other damages following a large truck accident can feel like a full-time job. You might expect the insurance company to help – especially since most truck drivers are required to carry at least $750,000 in liability insurance.
Unfortunately, insurance adjusters who handle truck claims are trained to save the insurance company money. As soon as they receive your claim, they will consider several ways to reduce the company’s losses:
If possible, try to preserve evidence in your accident, as this can help us determine all liable parties (there may be more than one). Taking the following steps after a truck accident can make it easier to identify the party or parties at fault:
Your first thought may be that the truck driver was at fault, and often that’s true. However, there are other potentially liable parties that we will consider.
There are a number of ways a trucking company can be negligent. They might fail to perform regular maintenance on the truck or ignore warnings from the driver that it needs repairs.
Sometimes, the company also pushes drivers to meet unrealistic goals for speed and timing of deliveries, which can put the driver in a bad position. Federal regulations require that drivers only work so many hours depending on how many hours of rest time they’ve had.
For instance, drivers can drive for eleven hours after ten consecutive hours of rest. Truckers are also required to carefully track their work and rest periods to show compliance with these rules.
But if a driver feels pressured to make a delivery on time, they may find ways to mislead the electronic record system and drive more hours than they should.
In some cases, the trucking company is also negligent in their hiring practices or in performing regular drug screenings on current employees. Or, if they assigned a driver to a truck that required extra certifications, such as HAZMAT, and the driver didn’t have the correct qualifications, they could also be liable.
Trucks are often loaded by a third-party company, such as a warehouse or manufacturer, and while this step seems far removed from an accident, it may be the cause of some crashes. A poorly-loaded trailer is at high risk of toppling or flipping, which presents a severe risk for anyone on the road nearby.
In many cases involving flipped trailers, we find that the cargo was loaded in a top-heavy pattern, heavy items weren’t properly secured, or the trailer was simply overloaded. As the truck moves, the entire trailer could sway from the unequal weight distribution, or unsecured items could move, creating an imbalance.
Both situations might lead to a serious accident, in which case, the company that loaded the freight might be liable.
Another situation of third-party liability may occur when a mechanic or service worker makes an error in fixing the truck. If the mistake causes the accident, the third-party company that serviced the truck may be liable.
In a few cases, the truck is produced with a defective part or a component is replaced with a part that turns out to be defective. In these situations, the mechanic or service worker usually has no reason to believe the part is defective, so they aren’t at fault, but the manufacturer could be responsible if the defect leads to an accident.
In many accidents, the truck driver made a mistake that led to the collision. Some common truck driving errors include:
If you or a loved one have been in a large truck accident, please contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm for a free consultation about your case. We’ll review what happened, answer your questions, and discuss your options.
There is no obligation, and if we do take your case, you won’t owe us anything until we win or settle it.
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm was established by attorney Ali Awad, who turned it into one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country. He and his associates have recovered millions of dollars for injured people and their families.
When Mr. Awad isn’t negotiating with insurance carriers or working on a case, you can find him posting about legal topics for more than a million followers on social media. To work with his team at The CEO Lawyer, call 833-254-2923.
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After a personal injury, you're bound to have legal questions. The CEO Lawyer Ali Awad can provide you with answers to these questions, just as he's given answers to his millions of curious social media followers. Take a look at some of the most common personal injury law questions for general information, and then reach out to one of our seasoned attorneys for specific guidance on your case!
To quickly resolve matters following an accident, insurance companies will offer you less than you deserve in compensation for your injuries. Many victims feel pressured to accept these offers as the bills begin to pile up, but that is rarely a good idea. The insurance company is looking to protect its bottom line; and will offer injured victims less than they deserve. An experienced personal injury attorney understands how to negotiate with the insurance company and can look out for your best interests by getting you the compensation you deserve after an injury. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, it is important to avoid negotiating or providing recorded statements to the insurance company without first seeking help from a qualified personal injury attorney.
The best way to determine if you have a personal injury case is to speak with a knowledgeable attorney. Our legal professionals have the expertise to evaluate your case and determine a strong legal strategy so that you can obtain the greatest amount of compensation possible under the law. We will enlist investigators, assistants, and other specialists to collect accident reports, speak with witnesses to your accident, and put together a plan. While you focus on your physical recovery, we will remain committed to fighting for the compensation that you deserve.
Accident victims have a limited time to file a personal injury lawsuit. This time period is referred to as the statute of limitations, and in Atlanta, it lasts only two years. This means that if you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you have only two years to pursue a personal injury suit. If you wait too long to reach out to an experienced attorney, you might be forever barred from seeking the compensation you deserve.
During your initial consultation with CEO Lawyer team, we will go over the important details of your personal injury accident, which include the nature and extent of your injuries, how your injuries have impacted your ability to earn a paycheck, the cost of your medical treatment, and whether further medical treatment will be required. We will answer any questions you might have, as well, in regards to our experience, our track record of success, and what to expect from the legal process. Many personal injury victims wonder if they will be able to afford the legal fees required to pursue a lawsuit. CEO Lawyer injury and accident attorneys will not ask for any type of upfront fee unless we are successful in obtaining compensation for you. That means that if you have been harmed in a motor vehicle accident, slip and fall accident, defective product accident, or any other type of personal injury accident, you can absolutely afford to contact our law office today for assistance. In fact, you cannot afford to wait. Reach out today. We understand that some accident victims might have already obtained the assistance of an attorney but may be dissatisfied with the services provided. We are standing by and prepared to help you change legal representation, regardless of where you are in the process.
If you or a loved one has been injured in any type of personal injury accident, you should not hesitate to speak with the experienced attorneys at CEO Lawyer personal injury law firm. Call, email, or fill out our online contact form today so that we can begin helping you pursue the compensation you deserve.