Commercial trucks are massive vehicles, weighing up to 80,000 pounds. That’s about 20 times heavier than your car. Getting into an accident with a commercial truck can cause serious injuries to the people inside the smaller car.
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in an accident with a commercial truck, you may have questions about what comes next. An experienced commercial truck accident lawyer can help you hold the negligent party responsible for your injuries.
Who Is Liable in a Truck Accident?
Figuring out who is to blame for a regular car accident is hard enough. Identifying who is at fault for your truck accident can seem impossible since there are many owners, components, and parts in the truck.
That’s why it is vital to the success of your truck accident injury case that you work with a skilled and knowledgeable truck accident injury attorney. Your lawyer has resources and truck accident experts ready to help determine who caused your accident.
Independent Contractors
The first place to look for liability in a truck accident is the driver. What many people do not realize is that most truck drivers are independent contractors. So if a truck driver causes the accident where you suffered injuries, the trucking company may not be immediately liable but the driver may.
Commercial trucks have many components, often requiring extensive repair and maintenance. Many commercial trucks are serviced by independent repair and maintenance shops. If these shops were negligent in service work and maintenance on the truck, they could be held responsible for the wreck.
The manufacturer of the truck or trailer may also be liable. If there was a defect in the design or the manufacture of any part of the truck, the truck or component manufacturer may also be liable.
Trucking Companies
When a commercial truck accident occurs, trucking companies may also be liable. The owner of the truck or the trailer may be responsible for your accident because they failed to properly maintain the vehicle.
The truck driver’s employer, which is often different from the owner of the truck itself, may also be liable. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires trucking companies to train their drivers. If they do not conduct a thorough background screen or do not provide adequate training before sending the driver out on the road, the driver’s employer may be responsible for your accident.
The big takeaway here is that in many truck accident injury cases, more than one party is liable. That’s why you need the guidance and skill of a truck accident injury lawyer who can thoroughly investigate your truck accident and work aggressively to collect maximum compensation for your injuries.
How Long Does a Truck Accident Settlement Take?
Truck accidents cause serious, lifelong injuries. In many cases, victims will never be able to return to their pre-accident life. This means that victims may need to collect massive sums of money in order to avoid shouldering the financial burden that will come after their truck accident injuries.
When you partner with a lawyer to file your personal injury claim for damages, your goal is to collect maximum compensation. By aggressively negotiating with the insurance company for the responsible party, your lawyer attempts to obtain the best results possible.
While it’s true that most personal injury claims settle out of court, they do not always settle quickly. Especially with a complex truck accident case, there will be extensive investigations to determine who is to blame.
Ultimately, it can take months or even years to collect a full settlement. But the wait is worth it so that you do not have to pay out of pocket for your medical expenses to help you recover.
Our Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help Your Case
When you have a trusted lawyer at your side, you can rest easy that your case is moving forward while you focus all of your effort and energy on your health and well-being. Getting better is your most important goal. Let your lawyer deal with the legal complexities.
We Can Evaluate Your Claim
The first step in collecting compensation is to make sure you have a solid case. When we first meet with you, we evaluate your case, looking at the details of your accident to make a preliminary decision about whether you can hold someone else liable for your accident.
Our attorneys determine which companies and individuals can be held responsible for your injuries. Once we make that determination, we can move forward.
We Can Get You a Fair Settlement
Partnering with the right truck accident injury attorney can make the difference in your personal injury claim. By working with a 5-star firm focused entirely on maximizing your compensation, we can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, striving for maximum results.
Many people mistakenly believe that working with a lawyer will eat into their settlement. Ultimately, the opposite is true. Lawyers understand the nuances of the law related to truck accidents and are adept at aggressively negotiating with insurance companies when it comes to obtaining a fair settlement.
Let Our Truck Accident Attorneys Get You Compensation
Not all lawyers and law firms are created equal. Not all lawyers have the resources to battle the big insurance companies to help you recover maximum compensation. We do. Pacific West Injury Law is here for you. Contact us today online or at (702) 602-4878. The bear cares.