Six Things to Know About Trucking Accidents
Posted Friday, September 25, 2020 by Chris Thayer
When people are involved in collisions with commercial vehicles, the injuries are worse, the damages more costly, and chances for fatal or life-altering harm are increased. Insurance carriers and commercial motor carriers are all too aware of the exposure and risk involved in these high-stakes collisions. You can pretty much bet that if you are hurt by a semi-truck in the Pacific Northwest, you will be facing a wall of insurance adjusters, claims representatives, and skilled defense attorneys. If you want fair and reasonable compensation for the harm they caused, it is going to require a fight. The attorneys of Pivotal Law Group, PLLC are dedicated and have decades of experience handling complex injury litigation in Seattle and surrounding areas. Here are six things you should know about trucking accidents that make a big difference when trying to recover compensation.
*Act Fast* The number one thing you need to know is that time is of the essence. This is not just an expression. Some trucking companies have been known to actually hide or destroy evidence, repair vehicles and trailers to conceal facts that could lead to liability, and even deploy private investigators to get statements from witnesses and victims alike. You need a legal team working for you as soon as possible.
*Damages are Bigger* There simply is no way a semi-truck can collide with a passenger car and not cause serious damages. With big damage comes big injuries. Injuries tend to include:
- Concussion
- Brain injury
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Lacerations
- Punctures
- Burns
- Death
*Settlement is Not Easy* One would think that with bigger injuries, a settlement would be easier. The opposite, however, tends to be the truth. Insurance adjusters are more inclined to fight and retain law firms to defend their cases when large amounts are on the line.
*Evidence can be Complicated* Unlike a straightforward case with two passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles are subject to all sorts of federal and state regulations. Consider one division of the Department of Transportation known as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This agency is tasked with making regulations and ensuring the safety of the commercial trucking industry. To adequately investigate a trucking accident, an attorney will need investigators, will need to get access to the crash data recorder, and often locate employees and witnesses to interview.
*Lawyers Need to Understand Log Rules* Truck drivers may cause serious crashes due to fatigue. Fatigue is often the direct result of ignoring hours of service rules, which are designed to keep accidents from happening by limiting driver fatigue and asleep-at-the-wheel collisions. If a lawyer is to effectively obtain a judgment for the plaintiff in a trucking case, it is paramount that they understand hours of service rules.
*Trucking Accidents are Costly to Fight* It is never cheap to pursue justice in a personal injury case. When it comes to trucking collisions, it can cost thousands of dollars to obtain medical records, crash data, assistance from medical experts and private investigators. All this is even before considering all of the court costs and fees. Fortunately, when you work with a reputable personal injury firm, you do not have to worry about any of that. At Pivotal Law Group, PLLC, we cover all costs of litigation and investigation of your case. We only recover these funds if we are successful in getting money for your injuries. Therefore, there really is no cost for you to pursue justice. Give us a call or find us online to learn more or to set up a free consultation today.