In a traumatic commercial trucking incident, protecting your rights can be even more complex than the collision itself.
When you are hit by a semi-truck, it’s much different from a car wreck with any other vehicle on the road. Tractor-trailers often exceed 80,000 pounds when fully loaded, while the average passenger car weighs around 4,000 pounds. When an average vehicle collides with a semi-truck, the consequences for the occupants of the smaller vehicle are often drastically more catastrophic. This disparity directly leads to more severe injuries, even fatalities, and consequently, more substantial and complicated damage claims.
Lawsuits involving these large trucks can be far more complex than typical car wreck cases due to the many unique legal factors involved.
That’s why it’s best to hire trusted trucking injury attorneys like our attorneys at Spiros Law. Our team will handle every step in your case, while you can focus on recovery, both physically and financially.
Determining Liability: Multiple Parties Can Be Involved
Unlike a car crash between two passenger cars, liability in a trucking-related crash can extend beyond the truck driver and may involve multiple parties. The truck driver may have been negligent, but they are rarely the only liable party. Determining who is at fault often requires a thorough investigation. An experienced trucking injury attorney can help identify all liable parties and navigate the complicated legal and regulatory landscape of the trucking industry.
Common at-fault parties in a commercial truck crash can include:
- The Truck Driver: This is where determining liability begins. Negligence can be speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or violating any traffic laws.
- The Trucking Company: The company has a duty to properly hire, train, and supervise its drivers. They can be held liable for faulty hiring practices, failing to enforce safety regulations, or pressuring drivers to meet unrealistic schedules that violate the Hours of Service rules to meet deadlines.
- The Owner of the Truck or Trailer: In some arrangements, the tractor and trailer are owned by different entities, adding another party to the claim.
- The Cargo Loaders: If the incident was caused by improperly loaded or secured cargo that shifted during transit, the company that loaded the trailer could be held responsible.
- The Truck or Parts Manufacturer: If the crash was caused by defective truck parts, such as a brake failure, some of the responsibility will fall to the manufacturer.
Evidence is Complex and Technical
Investigating crash evidence goes far beyond police reports and photographs of the scene. Truck collisions generate a wide range of evidence, including electronic logging device (ELD) data or black box records, the driver’s hour log, GPS data, and maintenance reports. To craft a solid case, preserving and interpreting this evidence requires extensive legal knowledge and, at times, expert testimony. Spiros Law can help you navigate this difficult and often confusing situation.
Understanding Federal Regulations in Semi-Truck Collisions
Commercial trucks and their drivers must comply with strict regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and state agencies. These rules cover hours of service, vehicle maintenance, weight limits, and driver qualifications.
Proving violations of these laws can serve as evidence of negligence in a case involving truck crash injuries.
The Severity of Injuries and Damages
Because semi-trucks are so much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles, crashes often result in serious injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Paralysis and spinal cord damage
- Fractures and internal bleeding
These injuries raise the stakes for compensation, since they often result in long-term medical care, loss of income, pain and suffering, and even wrongful death claims. Calculating the actual cost of these injuries is a far more complicated process than in a standard car collision case.
Battling the Insurance Company and Defense Strategies
As you’re dealing with the aftermath of the wreck, you may believe you have a solid case. But proving your case alone will be more complicated than you think.
Commercial truck drivers are covered by a much more complex insurance structure, with aggressive insurance agents and experienced, well-funded legal teams. Additionally, truck insurance carries significantly higher policy limits. They may use teams of adjusters, investigators, and defense attorneys to dispute your claim and deflect responsibility.
Large insurance companies and their insurers frequently employ tactics such as downplaying the severity of injuries, disputing liability, shifting blame to those who are injured, and minimizing payouts.
Spiros Law is well-versed in the insurance world and can skillfully take on these large insurance companies on your behalf. Dealing with insurance companies after you’ve been hit by a tractor-trailer can be complicated and overwhelming, but you can turn to our team for help.
Let Spiros Law Handle The Legal Complexities of Your Truck Injury Case
Protecting your rights, holding the responsible parties accountable, and securing the financial stability your family deserves requires extensive knowledge, resources, and a dedicated legal team prepared for the fight.
At Spiros Law, we work tirelessly to investigate every angle of your case. From analyzing black-box data to negotiating with insurers, we strive to ensure our clients get the justice they deserve.
Justice often comes in the form of compensation, and our team is skilled at building a strong case to ensure you are fairly compensated for your damages, including current and future medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.
We are committed to providing compassionate, transparent communication to every client. You are already dealing with the aftermath of serious injuries, so let us handle the legal complexities of your case.
If you have been seriously injured by a commercial truck or tractor-trailer, please get in touch with our team of personal injury attorneys as soon as possible so we can start working on your case.
