Truck accidents are more complex and more than one party may be liable for your damages.
Did you know that, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 72% of all fatalities in large truck accidents are passengers in the other vehicles involved? The huge difference between a 4,000 lbs car and an 80,000 lbs fully-loaded 18-wheeler means that the occupants in a regular car are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured in such a collision. If you were recently involved in this type of accident and are wondering whether you need a Rhode Island truck accident attorney, the answer is yes. There’s no way you can handle the legal and financial aspects on your own and get the damages that you deserve.
When you’re in a terrible accident and everyone tells you that you’re lucky to be alive, all you can think about is your health, treating your injuries and resuming your normal life. Health is all that matters, indeed, but that comes with a cost. If you have sustained some serious injuries, like spine damage, a broken neck or head trauma, those costs can be huge. Where is that money going to come from? The insurance company? Not if they can help it!
The main problem with a large, 6-figure claim, is that insurance companies hate it when they have to pay out these kinds of damages and they will use any pretext to minimize the value of your claim. If you’re thinking about filing a claim, do yourself a favor and talk to an experienced Providence truck accident lawyer before you do that.
First of all, you need someone with plenty of experience in such cases to figure out the value of your claim. And, you need to establish clear liability. In a regular car accident, there’s not much to it. It’s either you or the other driver that is responsible. However, truck accidents are more complex and more than one party may be liable for your damages.
Most truck accidents are caused by driver error. Some truck drivers do tend to drive aggressively. Or maybe the guy was drunk, drugged or simply distracted.
On the other hand, it may be that the truck driver was not experienced enough and could not handle the 80,000 lbs monster behind him. A seasoned truck accident lawyer will want to learn everything about that driver. Did he have a valid commercial driver’s licence? Had he received proper training before being let loose on the highway? Was he in compliance with the federal hours of service regulations? If the answer is no to any of these questions, your accident attorneys may be able to build a case against the company, as they are responsible for training and monitoring their employees. At the same time, the company is responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles. If the accident was caused by a defective part or a malfunction, once again you may have a case against the trucking company or the company they use for maintenance.
Filing a claim against the trucking company’s insurance is the better option, financially speaking. You can recover all the money you need to see you through these difficult times, but in order to do that you’ll need a very tough lawyer to fight their tough lawyers.
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