Whether you call it a truck, a big rig, an 18-wheeler, or a semi, these vehicles are big and can cause big damage. Some of the most serious accidents in the nation involve big trucks, and many of those include severe injuries or death. If you or a loved one was involved in a trucking accident, Leon Law, PLLC, is standing by to handle your case. You need strong representation from someone with experience, which is exactly what we have.
Causes of Trucking Accidents
By understanding some of the most common causes of trucking accidents, you can hopefully avoid some of them. If you’ve already been in an accident, understanding the causes can help you seek the right compensation from the right party. Some cases are obvious and only have one responsible party, while others are quite complex and will have multiple parties who are liable.
The following are some examples of trucking accident causes:
- Violating Rules and Regulations – Truck drivers have specific rules and regulations they must abide by while on the road. For example, there may be certain hours they are and are not allowed to drive. They may need a specific amount of sleep before they are allowed to drive a certain distance. If a driver gets on the road and hasn’t slept for an appropriate amount of time, he or she could cause a serious accident due to drowsy driving.
- Negligent Driving – Sometimes a truck driver doesn’t use common sense while behind the wheel. Some common negligent behaviors include drunk driving, improper vehicle handling, speeding, tailgating, and other similar actions.
- Threatening Employers – There are some trucking companies that put too much pressure on their drivers. They may offer incentives or threaten their drivers so the driver feels obligated to complete a job in an unreasonable amount of time. This often leads to speeding, drowsy driving, and ultimately accidents.
- Roads in Disrepair – A big truck is going to have a harder time staying in control of the vehicle if the road is in disrepair. The county, the city, or even a private citizen might be responsible for an accident caused by a road that created an unsafe environment for a truck driver.
- Failing Parts – A truck manufacturer might be responsible for the crash if it is determined that a truck part failed, which is what led to the accident. There are a lot of parts that go into keeping a big truck safe, so there could be multiple manufacturers and parties involved in such a situation.
- Other Drivers – It’s not always the truck or the truck driver who causes an accident in which they’re involved. There’s also the possibility another driver on the road was acting negligently and caused the truck to swerve or perform another dangerous maneuver.
Another consideration is the truck’s blind spot. If you think about checking your blind spot in your family car, you’ll realize a truck driver couldn’t make the same observation because the cab is in the way. Truck drivers have huge blind spots that begin at their mirrors and extend the entire length of the cab. There’s also a 200-foot area behind the truck they can’t see. If there’s a car riding in the truck driver’s blind spot, that could cause an accident.
Compensation for Trucking Accidents
Because of how serious a truck crash can be, settlements often read hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars. Big trucks can cause some serious damage, which could result in serious compensation. Working with your trucking accident lawyer, you could receive the following types of compensation, depending on your case.
- Medical Expenses – This could include both the medical expenses you’ve already paid as a result of your accident and the expenses your doctor projects for the future. Surgeries, physical therapy, prescription medication, and a variety of other medical expenses could all be included.
- Lost Wages – Immediately following your accident, you most likely lost work due to medical care and recovery. You should be compensated for the lost wages. There’s also a chance you may not be able to go back to work for some time, possibly forever. You could receive compensation for those lost wages as well. If your injuries have resulted in you having to take a lesser paying job, you may be able to seek compensation for the difference.
- Property Loss – Chances are your vehicle was damaged quite severely in the accident, so you may be able to seek compensation for property loss.
- Pain and Suffering – Of course there’s the physical pain you’ll experience after being injured in a truck wreck, but there are emotional pains as well. You can typically seek compensation for both.
- Punitive Damages – Depending on the situation, you may receive punitive damages. This is an award that is meant to punish the defendant if he or she acted particularly negligent, resulting in your accident. While it is a punishment, you receive the benefit of it.
Let’s Discuss Your Case
At Leon Law, PLLC, we are committed to helping you fight for the compensation you deserve. You should never have to suffer the effects of a trucking accident on your own. Give us a call at 480-269-1083 today or fill in our online form and let’s discuss your case more in detail.
In Trucking Accidents, Part 1, you learned about some of the causes of truck accidents being rule violations, negligent driving, roads in disrepair, other drivers, and pressure. You learned you might be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, property loss, pain and suffering, lost wages, and possibly even punitive damages. Now that you’re aware of these things, we’re eager to show you what you need to know about how to file a claim and what we can do to help if you’ve been in a trucking accident in Phoenix.
Steps You Should Take Before Filing a Claim
Trucking accidents are some of the most violent types of accidents in the nation. Just the vastness of the vehicle itself is enough to warrant an accident, but with so many other drivers on the road, truckers have to be extremely alert so as to avoid a collision in Phoenix. If a collision does happen, the associated parties are entitled to compensation. To file your claim, there are four things you should do:
- Seek Medical Attention – Your health should be the first thing you focus on. Truck accidents can cause very serious medical issues, which will end up costing the injured person a lot in medical costs. While you may want first to seek financial support, seeking medical assistance is more important. Hang on to a copy of all medical-related documents and bills.
- Contact Your Lawyer – We’re always available to take your call. We realize you can’t put a time stamp on when an accident is going to occur, which is why we’re available to take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We’ll work to protect your rights and help you obtain compensation.
- Notify Your Insurance Company – If the accident was your fault, you’d need to notify your insurance company of the accident. If the accident was the fault of another driver, you’d need to notify that other driver’s insurance company. Find out the timeframe for which you have to file your claim.
- File Your Claim – Within the timeframe given by the insurance company, you can get the paperwork filed. You will need to include evidence of the accident, proof of fault, proof of injury, and a wide variety of other documents so you can claim as much compensation as possible.
How Leon Law, PLLC Can Help
We realize you could be spinning your wheels wondering what to do after a trucking accident, especially if your insurance claim is causing you grief. As your trucking accident lawyer, we’ll take care of all the things you probably don’t have the time, knowledge, or resources to take off on your own. You deserve proper representation in Phoenix, and that’s exactly what you’ll get with our legal services:
- We’ll look at all parties in your truck accident to determine who might be responsible for the injuries. This could include truck owners, truck manufacturers, truck drivers, or someone else altogether.
- Our investigators will look at the scene, photograph it if possible, and gather all the evidence needed to prove your case.
- With truck accident reconstruction experts’ help, we can put together a high-tech reproduction of your accident. We may also use video animation to give an accurate account of what happened.
- We can file and handle no-fault claims, which will help to keep your medical payments up to date and your salary at the amount you feel it should be.
- Our connections with medical experts ensure your documents will be reviewed by the very best in the industry. We can use those reviews as evidence in your case.
- We’ll stay in close contact with every client, so you will always know exactly what is going on with your case. We realize you are invested in the progress, and you’ll be informed every step of the way.
- If the case comes to trial, mediation, or an appeal, we can handle those processes as well. It can get complicated, and we’re committed to ensuring you have all the resources you need to succeed.
While this is a fine list of our services, it doesn’t stop there. At Leon Law, PLLC, we are committed to being there for our clients through everything. If your case becomes a complicated lawsuit, you can count on us.
Why You Should Choose Leon Law, PLLC
Truck accidents can take a great physical, emotional, and financial toll on a person and their family. When you choose Leon Law, PLLC, we treat your case as if it were our own. Our goal is to provide you with all the information you’ll need to get through this difficult time. With this information, and with our guidance, you’ll be able to make the best decision for you and your family.
Our motor vehicle accidents are handled on a contingency fee basis. What this means is we won’t be paid if we don’t win the case. Our payment comes right out of your settlement, so if there’s no settlement, there’s no fee. This is how confident we are in the cases we take on.
Contact Us To Get Started
At Leon Law, PLLC, we’re your trucking accident lawyer in Phoenix, AZ. Contact us today at 480-269-1083 to learn more or to set up a consultation so we can discuss your case.
