Garbage trucks are part of many more accidents than you may realize. When an accident involves a garbage truck, the resulting injuries can present serious medical expenses that financially wreck the involved victims. At times, the driver of the garbage truck suffers the biggest loss, but most often the driver of another car or a pedestrian suffers the most.
If you sustained injuries in an accident involving a garbage truck, Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help. Our legal team will assist you in dealing with all of the legal issues that may arise from the accident. Contact one of our Cicero garbage truck accident lawyers at (800) 794-0444 to discuss your case.
Liability in Garbage Truck Accidents
Garbage trucks venture into almost every neighborhood. Drivers must navigate these large vehicles on tough driveways, around curves, through traffic signals, and throughout populated areas. This can make such trucks even more dangerous than an 18-wheeler.
When a garbage truck-related accident occurs, several people may bear fault. Some of the common liable parties associated with these accidents include truck drivers, local governments, private waste management companies, or entities responsible for maintaining the truck.
At times, the liable party may appear obvious. However, most often, identifying the liable party presents a challenge. A personal injury lawyer often proves helpful in these cases. An attorney can review all the circumstances of the accident and help determine liability. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to discuss the logistics of your case with a garbage truck accident lawyer in Cicero: (800) 794-0444.
Common Causes of Garbage Truck Accidents
The cause of an accident matters when determining liability. Several factors commonly lead to garbage truck accidents, including the following we outline here.
Driver Error
Garbage truck drivers abide by a set of standards that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) establishes. Driver errors occur when the garbage truck driver does not follow these rules. Distracted driving, the most common cause of all types of accidents, represents this accident factor. Impaired driving, speeding, and breaking traffic laws also fall under driver-error accident factors.
Hazardous Road Conditions
Garbage trucks operate in all types of weather conditions. At times, the weather may make the road conditions hazardous, which could result in an accident. In addition to the weather, poor road design, potholes, and inadequate warning signs, may also result in an accident occurring.
Poorly Maintained Truck
Certain regulations require garbage trucks receive proper and timely maintenance. Allowing garbage trucks to operate with worn tires or other maintenance issues may cause an accident to occur. In these types of cases, the owner of the truck holds liability for any injuries resulting from the poor maintenance of the vehicle. In cases involving a defective truck part, the manufacturer of the part may be liable, too.
For a free legal consultation with a Garbage Truck Accidents Lawyer serving Cicero, call (800) 794-0444
Types of Damages You May Recover
By filing a claim or lawsuit against the negligent party or parties in your case, you stand a chance of collecting compensation that can help you manage the financial, physical, and emotional damages resulting from this experience.
Every garbage truck accident case is different. However, awards commonly include the following types of damages:
- Ambulance transportation
- Medical costs
- Lost wages and benefits
- Diminished earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
The above list is far from exhaustive.Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 to discuss the possible damages you may recover from an insurance settlement or jury award.
Cicero Garbage Truck Accidents Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
What You Should Do After a Garbage Truck Accident
By taking precautionary steps following your accident, you may avoid further medical complications, and you may help lay the foundation for a stronger case against the liable parties.
After any type of accident:1. Check for injuries. A crash involving a garbage truck can prove quite serious, which means that everyone involved should get the medical attention they need right away. Even if injuries do not appear serious, you should still call 911. Never assume that everything is okay, as injuries often worsen after the adrenaline from the accident wears off.
2. Call the police, if for no other reason than to obtain an official accident report. A police report provides the most accurate record of the accident and who the law enforcement will hold liable for the crash. If you need to file a personal injury claim, the police report will support your claims.
3. Take photos. If possible, take pictures of the accident scene, your vehicle, the garbage truck, and your injuries. Make sure to take pictures of the license plates of all vehicles involved in the crash. Get contact information from the drivers of the other vehicles and any witnesses of the accident. Make sure you get the company information from the driver of the garbage truck, as well as the insurance information, as you will need this if you make a claim against them.
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Contacting a Garbage Truck Accident Lawyer
Garbage truck accidents are treated differently from standard motor vehicle accidents. For this reason, you should consider talking to a personal injury lawyer about your case. You will need to adhere to your state’s statute of limitations regarding these types of cases, which means that the sooner you start building your case, the better.
Many complications may arise from a garbage truck accident—from severe damages to the vehicle you drove to the medical attention and care that you may need for a long time afterward.
At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, we understand all of the intricacies that may arise from these types of cases. Contact one of our Cicero garbage truck accident lawyers at (800) 794-0444 for a free consultation to discuss the legal action you may take to try to get the compensation you deserve.
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