Truck accidents are different from car accidents as they cause astronomical medical bills and property damage. Additionally, trucking companies have legally complex insurance policies as well as more challenging determinations of liability given the substantially different causes for these often-severe accidents
Substantial Differences Between Commercial Trucks and Passenger Vehicles
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), large commercial trucks often weigh over 80,000 pounds, nearly 20 times the weight of an ordinary passenger vehicle on the roadways. Along with this substantial amount of weight and cargo, truck drivers often receive incentivization to deliver their cargo quickly in order to receive additional bonuses or compensation. As a result, truck drivers may not follow all safety guidelines or rules of the road, which can result in severe accidents as trucks with substantial cargo cannot stop as quickly as passenger vehicles. Additionally, if a truck driver fails to follow established federal guidelines regarding rest periods or inspection of cargo tie-down straps or fasteners or ensure the cargo load is correctly placed into the trailer of the truck, serious accidents can occur.
Severe Injuries Resulting from a Truck Accident
While any accident on the roadways can result in serious injuries or fatalities, when a large commercial truck weighing over 80,000 pounds is somehow involved in any kind of accident, serious injuries and fatalities often occur. Victims involved in truck accidents often suffer traumatic brain injuries, broken or fractured bones, internal organ damage, internal bleeding, aortic dissections, disfigurement, amputations, spinal cord injuries, nerve damage, paralysis, or even post-traumatic stress disorder. The physical and emotional trauma resulting from a truck accident can leave a victim with life-long and permanent injuries that result in medical bills, hospitalizations, surgeries, continued physical and mental health therapy as well as pain and suffering.
Make sure to collect all of the documents regarding your medical visits and treatments. Emergency room visits, ambulance transportation, surgeries, hospitalizations, physical therapy, medical treatments, prescription medications, mental health therapy, medical devices, and more may have the ability to be reimbursed from a settlement offer. Also, because severe injuries often cause a victim to have the inability to return to work, a victim may also have the ability to receive compensation for wages, lost vacation or sick leave, employee benefits lost, missed pension contributions, missed promotional opportunities, bonuses, and more. If you suffered injuries and losses following a truck accident, make sure to keep records regarding your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and other expenses related to your truck accident to ensure that you receive proper compensation for your injuries and losses.
Trucking Insurance Policies
Passenger vehicle accidents typically involve a determination of liability and then negotiations with insurance companies. However, trucking accidents often involve a much more complicated process as trucking companies insure their drivers and large commercial trucks with significant and substantial insurance policies. In fact, some of these trucking insurance policies cover up to 50 times the amount of coverage that exists in typical passenger vehicles. As a result, the process to receive compensation for injuries and losses in a truck accident can prove substantial and extensive. Also, trucking insurance companies have substantially more ability to fight victim’s claims and attempt to offer low settlement offers to victims of truck accidents. Consulting with a truck accident attorney can help you understand how you may have the legal right to receive compensation for your injuries and losses, and have an attorney represent your legal rights in negotiations with a trucking insurance company.
Determination of Liability
While some passenger vehicle accidents can involve the necessity for an independent investigation, however, truck accidents have multiple parties that can remain liable and responsible for victim injuries. These parties can include the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo loading company, the third-party mechanical repair company, the shipping company, or the manufacturer of a defective trucking part or component that caused the truck accident. Insurance companies will have investigators at the scene of a truck accident, and it remains important that an independent investigation ascertains the exact reason for the accident in order to determine proper liability.
Consider Visiting with a Trucking Accident Lawyer Regarding Your Case
Truck accidents are different from car accidents, however, California statute of limitations laws still only allow a victim two years from the date of the accident in order to file a claim. A truck accident lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 223-5115 can help you understand how truck accidents are different from car accidents, and how you may have different legal rights for your injuries and losses. Learning more about how to ensure your legal rights can help you understand the types of economic and non-economic damages you may have a legal right to under the law.