Law

Legal Aid for Semi-truck Accidents

If you have been victimized by a semi-truck accident or lost a loved one, then you should not quietly suffer and accept your loss. A semi-truck accident is a frightening catastrophe that can happen to anybody and is incomparable to general accidents. Victims might suffer:

  • Paralysis
  • Brain Damage
  • Amputation
  • Death

truckThe huge consequences can leave you distressed and helpless. But semi-truck accidents are not like any other type of accident. You should immediately consult a lawyer regarding a lawsuit instead of wasting time. But be careful to choose your lawyer wisely. You would need someone with expertise and experience in handling such situations with ease.

The insurance policies of semi-truck companies are expensive and, therefore, leave very little room for error. If you file a case against them, these companies will fight the cases aggressively to reduce their liabilities. These companies sometimes send a team to the accident spot to collect evidences that they would use to build a case against you. This could leave you overwhelmed and shocked, as, being a commoner you do not understand the policies and laws written specifically for the truck drivers. This is why choosing the right lawyer is important to form a strong case.

The parties that could be responsible for a semi-truck accident are:

  • Truck driver
  • Truck manufacturer
  • Company that maintains the truck
  • Company that loaded the truck

The insurance companies cannot be expected to take responsibility and pay up the sum for the accident caused. Therefore, building a strong case is important.

The "Comic" Book

The common semi-truck accidents occur due the following reasons:

  • Fatigue
  • Speeding
  • Overloaded and oversized trucks
  • Aggressive and reckless driving

Among the above causes, fatigue is the most common one. This is because, the truck drivers have to spend long hours behind the wheel. As a preventive measure, the U.S. Department of Transportation has restricted the hours that a driver spends behind the wheel to a maximum of 11 hours after a 10-hour off-duty period. The records of such shifts are kept in the log books. These books are maintained by the drivers to keep a tab on their timings. This makes it easier to spot violation in case of an accident. But these log books are heavily tampered with by the drivers, giving it the name of "comic book".

Evidences regarding the semi-truck accidents

The evidences in a semi-truck accident are different than a car accident. Following is a list of some of them:

  • Whether the driver's qualification and training file are complete and appropriate
  • Driver inspection record
  • Drug and alcohol screening post-collision
  • Verifying the driver's logbook records
  • Dispatch instructions and delivery documents
  • Data from GPS tracking system

The sooner you get a good lawyer, the more evidences you can collect to build your case. If you are a victim of a semi-truck collision, make sure to:

  • Call the police
  • Gather contact information from the witnesses, so that your claim is backed up without loopholes
  • Take photographs if you can, since this would act as proofs to your claim
  • If possible, then return to the scene of the accident or send a friend to verify if the spot has been tampered with since the accident

Injury claims and other compensation

You should claim compensation for your injuries if the driver's negligence caused them. Injuries can be classified as:

  • Soft injuries
  • Hard injuries

Soft injuries include

  • Sprains from torn ligaments or muscles
  • Minor burns
  • Lacerations and bruises
  • Whiplash or back strain

Hard injuries include:

  • Organ damage
  • Second and third degree burns
  • Broken bones
  • Internal bleeding

Other than that, you should also claim compensation for money spent on medical bills and other personal losses. Loss of a loved one cannot be compensated for, but the bills for the damages should not burden you since the accident was not your fault. Make sure to get the right lawyer to win you the case.

Shared by texastruckaccidentlawyer.com.

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