A fuel truck accident can be complicated and result in catastrophic injuries and extensive property damage. These culminate into costly bills and additional day-to-day expenses for accident victims and their family members.
It would be fair for the survivor and their family members to be adequately compensated in such circumstances, especially if someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or crime caused the accident.
So, if this is your current state, you can count on our North Las Vegas fuel truck accident attorneys for professional legal assistance as you seek justice.
Factors that Contribute to a Truck Accident
Several factors can contribute to a fuel truck crash. Most of the time, a negligent driver is to blame. The leading contributing factors include:
Law Violations
Many drivers involved in fuel truck crashes violated basic traffic laws, like overspending, improper lane changes, tailgating, or failing to yield the right of way. You can hold such a driver accountable by filing a lawsuit.
Equipment Failure
Equipment malfunctioning is another leading cause of fuel truck accidents. This could result from poor maintenance by the transport company or driver, and you can use it as grounds for your injury claim.
Road Conditions
Hazardous road conditions caused by poor maintenance, bad weather, or construction projects can cause accidents. A truck accident attorney can help you file a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible government entity.
Road Design
Flawed road designs can cause a road crash. Traffic control devices, merging lanes, and poorly designed intersections are the most common causes. A reputable fuel truck accident lawyer in North Las Vegas will help you determine the leading cause and get the deserved compensation.
How to Report a Fuel Truck Accident in North Las Vegas
In North Las Vegas, vehicle drivers involved in the crash must report the accident if there was no police officer at the scene and if the accident caused injury to or death of a person or property or vehicle damage.
The relevant Nevada State laws require drivers to report the incident “forthwith” (immediately) to the nearest Highway Patrol or other law enforcement authorities. Failing to comply could lead to a driver’s license suspension for up to a year. Your accident attorney will take you through the legal requirements described in Nevada Revised Statutes §§484E.080, 484E.070, and 484E.030.
Why You Must Involve a Fuel Truck Accident Attorney in North Las Vegas in Your Case
It’s possible to file a lawsuit by yourself, but a fuel truck accident has unique circumstances that could hinder you from getting justice.
For instance, the industry is heavily regulated with numerous rules that drivers and companies must comply with, including FMCSA and HAZMAT. It’ll be hard to determine all case factors without sufficient legal knowledge. Also, different parties could be at fault, so the investigation process used will be different from typical vehicles.
Fuel truck accidents also cause relatively severe bodily harm and extensive property damage, and you need a unique strategy to go through mediation or court proceeding. All these challenges could prevent you from getting a fair settlement. But, working with a fuel truck accident attorney in North Las Vegas can help you push through these challenges, build a strong case and increase your likelihood of earning a deserved compensation.
Your Legal Options After a Fuel Truck accident
After establishing negligence and determining who’s at fault, your truck accident attorney will proceed to explore the available legal options. Their goal is to win a favorable settlement for the damages.
Your North Las Vegas fuel truck accident lawyer will compile a detailed list covering the different injuries or damages and their worth. Typically, they’ll attempt to win compensation for the following types of damages:
Economic Damages
These are the discernible damages directly linked to the accident. You can easily document and calculate them by assigning a dollar amount to each; hence they’re generally more concrete. Examples include:
- Medical expenses for the accident injuries (current and future)
- Damaged property repairs and replacement
- Lost income during recovery
- The cost of extra lifestyle adjustments
Your North Las Vegas fuel truck accident attorney will handle the documentation and receipts and speak with professionals to determine the accurate possible compensation.
Non-Economic Damages
These compensate for the less tangible damages, usually harm inflicted personally. You can’t express them in the form of money, so they’re relatively harder to calculate. Your attorney will rely on specialist insights to create an accurate invoice. They include:
- Disfigurement
- Pan and suffering
- Lost earning capacity
- Anxiety PTSD
- Emotional trauma
- Loss of consortium
Shared Fault in Nevada Injury Cases
When someone else is directly responsible for the North Las Vegas fuel truck accident, one can easily assume that the other party is entirely at fault. However, the court may apportion you a share of the blame.
Nevada applies the modified comparative fault rule when an injured accident victim is partly responsible for the incident and resultant events. The concept may reduce the possible compensation amount or eliminate it depending on the circumstances.
Consider this example: The court has determined that you deserve a $50,000 compensation, but you’re 40% responsible for the fuel truck accident. In this case, you’ll end up with 60% of the total amount, which is $30,000. But if you’re over 50% responsible for the accident, you’ll not receive any damages award.
Time Limits for Nevada Personal Injury Lawsuits
The Nevada statute of limitations (Nevada Revised Statutes §11.190) limits the duration allowed to file a truck accident lawsuit in a state court. In essence, you have only two years to do this, and the period starts on the exact date of the accident.
The court won’t hear your case if you file the personal injury lawsuit after the statute of limitations deadline lapses.
Speak with a Trusted Las Vegas Fuel Truck Accident Lawyer Today
You need reliable, comprehensive legal representation if you sustained injuries and damaged your property in a fuel truck accident caused by someone else’s negligence. You have limitless options, but only a few law firms in North Las Vegas can match Pacific West Injury Law’s professionalism. Contact us, and we’ll review your case at no cost.