Truck Accident Lawyers
Because of their massive weight and size, semi-trucks can present extreme dangers to others on the road. In fact, the FMCSA reports that a truck accident results in one or more fatalities 98% of the time. The severity of these types of wrecks is what makes getting prompt legal help after a semi-truck accident crucial.
The large liability and costs for damages are also what make trucking companies, insurances, and truck owners fight tooth-and-nail to undermine your injury case. If they win, you could potentially be left to deal with any resulting medical bills on your own.
Don’t let semi-truck drivers off the hook for their negligent or reckless behavior. Injured in a truck accident? You may be entitled to compensation. Talk to The Paul Powell Law Firm and get a semi-truck accident lawyer who understands what you’re going through and knows how to help you achieve justice.
For immediate legal help with your semi-truck accident case, contact us today.
Why Work with a Truck Accident Lawyer?
Due to size and cargo, a semi-truck can often be one of the most dangerous things on the road. As an accident victim, you must be prepared to fight for your rights.
Some factors that can raise the value of your claim include:
Unlawful Driving
Strict rules are enforced to ensure semi-truck drivers take appropriate care with their vehicles. Regulations control how long a truck driver may be on the road and the length of breaks they must take.
However, some trucking firms often encourage drivers to break these rules, making accidents more likely. If a driver is trying to beat their deadline, accidents can occur.
Impaired Driving
It was once very common for commercial drivers to use caffeine pills and other “pep pills” to maintain long shifts. Naturally, these pills only mask the symptoms of sleep deprivation – using them can actually make it harder to drive rather than easier. Consequently, drowsy driving can be as deadly as drunken driving.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving affects all motorists. In several states, using a phone in anything but a hands-free manner while on the road is unlawful. Additionally, use of a phone while driving can demonstrate that the driver was unfit to operate a semi-truck even if not otherwise impaired.
All of the factors above can help establish that a semi-truck driver behaved in a reckless or negligent way behind the wheel. When such egregious behavior takes place, a court often strives to level punitive damages above and beyond the amount you are seeking. These damages typically apply to the trucking company, not the individual truck driver.
Settlement Amounts for Semi-Truck Accidents
What is the average semi-truck accident settlement? The truth is, even an experienced accident attorney can’t cite a precise figure off the top of their head. Settlement amounts range from a few hundred dollars to several million depending on:
- The severity of your injuries and associated costs
- Lost wages and opportunities
- The truck driver’s conduct
- Mitigating circumstances, such as severe weather, and
- Other factors that may have contributed to the accident
Contact The Paul Powell Law Firm Today
Getting a semi-truck accident attorney is the best way to that you can get the justice you rightly deserve. So don’t wait; contact The Paul Powell Law Firm to find out more. We look forward to hearing from you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Semi-truck accident cases are more complex due to multiple potentially liable parties including drivers, trucking companies, and cargo loaders, federal FMCSA regulations governing commercial trucking, higher insurance policy limits typically $750,000 to $1 million or more, sophisticated defense teams employed by trucking companies, electronic evidence like ELD data and black boxes that must be preserved quickly, and the severe nature of injuries caused by vehicles weighing up to 80,000 pounds. Semi-truck accident lawyers must have specific experience navigating these complexities.
You should contact a semi-truck accident lawyer as soon as possible, ideally within days of the accident. Trucking companies dispatch rapid response teams to accident scenes, ELD and black box data may be overwritten within days, maintenance and driver logs must be preserved through formal legal demands, physical evidence and vehicle damage may be repaired or destroyed, and witness memories fade quickly. Prompt legal action is essential to preserve critical evidence that proves trucking company negligence.
Critical evidence in semi-truck accident cases includes electronic logging device (ELD) data showing driver hours and potential fatigue violations, the truck’s black box or event data recorder capturing speed, braking, and other data, driver qualification files including training and medical certification records, maintenance and inspection records, dispatch records showing pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines, cell phone records proving distracted driving, surveillance footage from nearby cameras, and the truck driver’s drug and alcohol test results.Critical evidence in semi-truck accident cases includes electronic logging device (ELD) data showing driver hours and potential fatigue violations, the truck’s black box or event data recorder capturing speed, braking, and other data, driver qualification files including training and medical certification records, maintenance and inspection records, dispatch records showing pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines, cell phone records proving distracted driving, surveillance footage from nearby cameras, and the truck driver’s drug and alcohol test results.