Should I Hire a Truck Accident Attorney in Phoenix?

Have you recently sustained injuries at the expense of a truck driver? Are you trying to piece together the pieces of what happened and who you need to contact to receive the compensation you deserve? Did you know that over 130,000 people sustain injuries due to the negligence of tired and overworked truck drivers?

If you were involved in an accident with a truck driver, you might want to consider working with a truck accident attorney to help you build your case. Please continue reading below to learn more about the benefits of working with a reputable truck accident lawyer. We will cover all you need to know about working with this type of lawyer and who you can reach out to for more information. 

Truck Accidents Are Catastrophic

The average semi-truck cab weighs upwards of about 26,000 pounds, whereas a fully loaded semi-truck can weigh over 90,000 pounds. Compared to the average car, which only averages about 3,000 pounds, the outcome for the passengers inside of the vehicle can be catastrophic. 

Semi-trucks need a lot of space to come to a complete stop, and they don’t maneuver well. This means that if you’re on a congested highway and traffic has to come to an immediate stop; the truck driver won’t have enough time to react and safely stop, which can result in a severe car accident. 

Helps You Prove There Was a Breach of Duty

If you sustain a truck accident injury, you have the right to receive compensation for your injuries and other types of damages. To prove that the other party is at fault for your damages, you must prove three things.

First, you must prove that the truck driver (or any related party) had a duty of care owed to you. For example, this means that the other party had the duty to make sure the truck was in good driving condition or that the driver was well enough to drive the vehicle. 

Second, you must prove that the other party breached that care of duty. Using the example above, let’s say that the truck driver was not fit to drive because they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol or they did not get enough sleep before they got behind the wheel. 

Lastly, you must prove that there were damages caused as a result of the breach. For example, let’s say the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which lowered their driving ability, causing a car accident and resulting in injuries. Your injuries are the damages caused by the truck driver’s breach of duty.

Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help Find the Responsible Parties

Most people assume that the truck driver is the main person at fault for your injuries when there may be more than one party to blame. For example, suppose the reason for the accident is that the loading company overloaded the truck, making it harder for the truck driver to stop. In that case, your truck accident attorney can make a claim against the loading company on your behalf. 

Other parties that may be involved in the accident:

• Trucking company
• City or state government
• Truck manufacturer

If more than one party is involved in your case, it makes the lawsuit a lot more complex. To ensure that you go after the right people, it is best to seek help from a reputable truck accident attorney. 

The Insurance Company May Not Offer a Fair Settlement

If the truck company’s insurance company reaches out to you and offers you a settlement for your injuries, you mustn’t sign the agreement. This is because their offer may not be what is proper for your situation. 

It is best to have the settlement amount reviewed by a reputable truck accident lawyer before you sign anything. If you sign that document, the insurance company will send you a check, but you lose the right to bring forth a lawsuit, where you can potentially earn more than what they’re offering. Even if the offer seems reasonable, it is best to wait. Injuries take some time to manifest, or your current injuries may require long-term care, which will cost a lot in medical expenses. 

You Need Proper Medical Treatment

As mentioned earlier, truck accident injuries can be catastrophic due to the massive size difference between your vehicle and the semi-truck.

Common injuries in a truck crash:

• Back and neck injuries
• Broken bones
• Burns
• Wrongful death
• Spinal injuries
• Severe head injuries

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may need a combination of physicians working with you to bring you back to health. You may not know which doctors you need, but your lawyer does.

Most truck accident lawyers partner with a network of providers who can give you the care you need. Even more so, the physicians they recommend you to can work out a deal where you receive the treatment you need, and they receive their payment when you receive your settlement.

Trucking Insurance Is Not Straightforward

Unlike a regular auto accident claim, a trucking claim may involve several insurance policies. For example, not only does the truck itself have insurance, but so does the trucking company, the truck driver, and even the cargo hauled by the truck may have an insurance policy over it. 

Trucking insurance companies also don’t like to pay out much when it comes to injury claims because they want to save their company as much money as possible. When you hire a lawyer to handle the claims process on your behalf, they will make sure they pinpoint the right insurance company to send a demand letter to. If there is more than one viable insurance policy they can use to seek compensation, they will do that for you. 

Your Truck Accident Attorney Will Handle the Entire Claims Process

When you’re hurt and tired, the last thing you want to do is go back and forth with an insurance company about the worth of your claim. That is if you can pinpoint which insurance company to contact to make a claim.

Truck companies are notorious for giving you the run-around. They will pass you over to several different people who are hard to get in contact with. You might find yourself leaving many different voicemails without hearing back for weeks.

Instead, you can leave that up to your truck accident lawyer to take care of. Your lawyer will utilize their resources to take care of your claim.

This includes reaching out to accident reconstruction specialists, investigators, doctors, and the police department for your police report. When you hire an attorney, they make sure to handle the entire claims process from beginning to end. Of course, they will keep you in the loop, so you are well aware of what’s going on and if there is anything you need to do. 

You Won’t Have to Worry About Saying the Wrong Thing

When you go through the claims process, an adjuster will want to take your statement about what happened. Depending on how you answer those questions, the adjuster will accept liability for the accident, deny liability, or try to put some of that liability on you. 

To ensure that you don’t say anything incriminating, it is best to partner with an attorney as soon as possible. They will handle giving the statement to the insurance company on your behalf.

Your Truck Accident Attorney Is Risk-free To Hire

Most reputable truck accident lawyers provide their services on a contingency fee basis. This means there are no upfront costs, and your lawyer won’t collect any payment unless your case wins. Even when you win your case, your lawyer will deduct their fees from your settlement offer.

These types of lawyers typically provide their clients with free consultations, so you won’t have to pay them for an initial meeting. During this initial talk, the lawyer will go over your legal options. Don’t be afraid to ask the lawyer any questions that come to mind; they are there to help you!

Get the Truck Accident Compensation You Deserve

When you work with a truck accident attorney to handle the entire truck accident claims process on your behalf, you can focus on healing. Truck accidents are confusing and exhausting, especially if you are unsure of who you need to be in contact with to submit your information.

To avoid that headache, it is best to partner with a reputable truck accident lawyer who knows who to contact and what types of damages you’re entitled to. If you recently sustained injuries in a truck crash, contact us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.