Once you have decided on the qualities of a good injury lawyer you should seek…
Here at The Fitzpatrick Firm, we handle cases involving semi-truck (also tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles) accidents that result from the truck driver’s negligence. Trucking accidents can result in serious bodily harm and/or damage to your own vehicle. Since federal and state safety laws essentially control trucking companies and their employees, this type of lawsuit can be difficult to understand.
What Do You Need To Know After Being Involved In A Trucking Accident?
In 2016, police reports indicated that around 475,000 accidents involving large trucks took place throughout the year in the United States -- 22% of those resulted in injury. Usually, trucking accidents take place on highways where the average vehicular speed is the highest. Clearly then, these accidents can result in serious bodily injury especially when taking into account the weight discrepancy between the two vehicles if it involves a semi-truck and some version of a smaller car.
You certainly will want to at least consult with a lawyer if you’ve been involved in an accident with a semi-truck. The reason being is that the insurers who represent truck drivers tend to be assertive and audacious. Not only are these insurers representing vehicles that can cause significant damage on their own, but also because they are consistently driving at faster speeds. With such high liability, trucking insurers will do anything within their power to get their client off the hook because of the sheer amount of money at stake. Therefore, if you or a loved one has been struck by a semi-truck, you should immediately consult with an attorney to see what steps to follow.
When Should I Hire A Trucking Accident Lawyer?
As soon as humanly possible. The insurance adjuster will most likely try and contact you prior to you reaching out to an attorney at all. What they are trying to do is this: get you to agree to some sort of settlement before an attorney can step in on your behalf. This does not necessarily mean you need to contact an attorney immediately following the accident. Instead, take some time to think about how you’d like to proceed and go from there.
Once you decide to hire an attorney, he or she will do everything within their power to find out what exactly caused the accident. You will want to hire an experienced truck accident attorney if you want a chance at winning your case.
Examples of Incidents That Would Require A Trucking Accident Lawyer
- A deadly truck accident
- An accident that left you critically injured
- If there is even a minimal chance you are the at-fault driver
- If there were multiple vehicles involved
- If the accident took place in a school/construction zone
Common Injuries Due to Trucking Accidents
The average semi-truck weighs in at about 80,000 pounds while the quintessential automobile’s net weight is usually around 5,000 pounds. Consequently, whether you drive a Honda Accord or Ford F-250 does not make much of a difference given the combination of weight and speed common to all semi-trucks.
Thus, an assortment of serious injuries can transpire as a result of a trucking accident. Several severe injuries we have seen here at The Fitzpatrick Law Firm are as follows:
- Burns
- Traumatic Brain Injury (concussions, blunt head trauma)
- Neck/Back Injuries
- Broken/Fractured Bones
- Internal Bleeding
- Lacerations to the Face and/or Scalp
- Spinal Injuries
However, death is not an uncommon result in trucking accidents and when it does happen, the driver and passengers inside the vehicle that is struck by the semi-truck are in the most precarious position.
If any of the aforementioned details pertain to you, dial (678) 607-5550 or contact us online to speak with an experienced, established attorney who will seek full compensation for you and your family.
