When You Have Been in A Truck Accident
You see semi-trucks almost every day, particularly if you have to commute on the highway. You are so used to them, you hardly put much thought into passing a truck or watching one make a wide turn. But when you are about to be in a collision with a semi-truck, you suddenly realize how large and intimidating these vehicles truly are. When you are in an accident with one of these vehicles, up to 80,000 pounds moving at considerable speed slams into your personal vehicle. Clearly, a truck accident can lead to serious physical injuries that put you in the hospital and keep you out of work for weeks or months.
Call an Attorney Right Away
If you have been hurt in an accident with a truck, you should call an experienced Tavares personal injury attorney immediately. A lawyer experienced with the complexities of accidents with commercial trucks can help you take the right steps from the very beginning and increase your likelihood of obtaining the maximum compensation for your injuries. By working with Oldham & Smith, you can learn what to expect from this process and have attorneys who will immediately fight to preserve crucial evidence and determine who is responsible for the accident.
Preserve Evidence
After an accident with a semi-truck, the carrier may try to quickly repair, replace, or destroy the truck. However, that truck contains crucial evidence about your accident. Your attorney will immediately seek to have the trucking company preserve the truck in its current condition so it can be inspected by an objective party. An inspection may reveal poorly maintained components or defective parts. Additionally, your attorney will request information from the truck’s “black box.” This electronic component of the truck records data such as when the truck is on, hard stops, and speed.
Your attorney may have to go to court to seek a preservation order and obtain this data through discovery. This means you may need to file a personal injury claim right away.
Determine Liability
Figuring out who is responsible after a truck accident is more nuanced than if you were in a collision with another personal vehicle. In your situation, the truck driver may have been negligent and caused the crash or another party like the carrier or loader could be at fault. An experienced attorney understands who may be liable for your injuries and how to investigate the accident to find out.
File an Insurance Claim
In almost all auto accidents, you will recover compensation through the responsible party’s insurance company. Once you have determined who the at-fault party or parties are for your accident, your lawyer will file an insurance claim with their providers. Once your claim is approved, you can expect a settlement offer – though the first offer is usually too low. Your personal injury attorney will seek to negotiate a settlement that covers your:
Past and future medical expenses;
Pain and suffering; and
Disability or disfigurement.
Contact Us Today
When you have been in a serious trucking accident, you need to recover compensation to pay your medical bills, cover your everyday costs, and make up for all of your lost wages. At Oldham & Smith, we understand how crucial it is to address your accident immediately and aggressively fight to obtain maximum compensation. Call us today to schedule a consultation.
