Phenix City Truck Accident Attorney

Truck accidents are some of the worst motor vehicle collisions. When a tractor-trailer or other heavy truck gets into a wreck with a passenger vehicle, those in the smaller vehicle often bear the brunt. Even when people survive these accidents, the injuries they are left with often last for months and, in many cases, years. In some cases, truck crash victims are left to deal with disabilities for their entire lives.

Due to their severity, truck accident injuries are usually very costly to treat. When someone else is at fault, victims of truck crashes can seek compensation for all their losses through a personal injury lawsuit. However, a lawsuit can quickly become complicated, particularly when going up against a huge trucking company and insurers who are trying to protect high-limit policies. Let the seasoned personal injury attorneys at Bence Law Firm, LLC, handle your case. A Phenix City truck accident lawyer is committed to holding the responsible parties accountable in these cases and securing you the financial damages you deserve.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Phenix City

While devastating injuries can result from any type of accident, truck accidents are especially likely to cause serious and catastrophic injuries. These accidents often happen on interstates and highways where vehicles are moving at fast speeds, and the heavy loads semi-trucks carry mean there can be an incredible force of impact when there is a wreck. Some common injuries truck accident victims may find themselves dealing with include:

Traumatic brain injuries: This can include concussions from the force of the impact as well as penetration injuries if a piece of debris from the accident hits the skull. Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most devastating and can result in lifelong deficits and impact the victim’s ability to navigate daily life. These injuries often also take months to heal, which can mean a significant loss of income from time off of work.
Spinal and neck injuries: The spinal column is responsible for a large portion of motor function throughout the body, and an injury to this area can cause paralysis, numbness, and other problems. In a truck accident, a spinal injury can result from the victim being twisted by the force or from a crush injury from a piece of the vehicle.
Orthopedic injuries: This involves any injuries to the bones or joints, such as broken limbs, crushed bones, or dislocations. In some cases, these injuries can be so severe that an amputation is necessary to preserve the victim’s life.
Burns: Many tractor-trailers carry hazardous materials, such as fuel, that are extremely flammable. When an accident happens, it’s possible for the tank to rupture, causing a leak that can easily ignite. If someone is unable to move due to an injury or being trapped in the car, this can result in serious second- and third-degree burns.
Lacerations: Truck accidents generally involve a lot of debris, and this means that it’s common for victims to have deep cuts and lacerations that can cause major blood loss or require plastic surgery to fix.

In some horrible cases, victims have even lost their lives in truck accidents, with injuries that were too severe to recover from. This changes the focus from a personal injury case to a wrongful death case, but an experienced truck accident lawyer can still offer legal assistance and counsel with this process.

What Safety Rules Do Truckers Have to Follow When Driving?

Truck drivers and trucking companies have an entirely different set of regulations they must follow. Trucks are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and they must undergo regular inspections. Truck drivers must take frequent breaks, maintain logbooks, and drivers must have a certain type of license to drive an 18-wheeler.

These are just a few of the regulations mandated. Understanding these regulations and Alabama truck accident statistics is often a large part of truck accident cases. Another major factor is the number of different parties who may be responsible for the crash and liable for paying compensation to the victim.

Types of Evidence Truck Accident Lawyers Can Use in Court

Evidence is critical to any personal injury claim, as the burden of proof lies with the plaintiff in civil matters. Truck accident attorneys use many types of evidence to support their cases, such as:

The police report. The responding officers will create a police report that provides important details, such as the weather and road conditions at the time of the accident, as well as any immediately visible evidence, such as skid marks.
Photos and videos of the scene before or after the accident. The responding officers will take photos of the scene, but you may also be able to get video or photo evidence from traffic cams or the dashcams of other vehicles.
Witness statements. Statements from other drivers who witnessed the crash can help support your claim that the truck driver was negligent or erred in some way.
Truck driver records. This can include driving records, hours logged, medical histories, and any drug or alcohol test conducted after the accident.
Black box data. Most semi-trucks now have black boxes that can provide information such as how fast the driver was going or when they last stopped for one of their mandatory rest breaks.

Semi-Truck Collision Claims Process in Phenix City, AL

There are many complications in a truck accident that can pose a challenge when trying to claim compensation for injuries and other losses.

One of the biggest complications of truck accidents is the serious injuries they cause. Typically, before filing a personal injury lawsuit to claim compensation, accident victims must have reached, or be close to reaching, maximum medical improvement. This is so they know how much to ask for in medical bills and other expenses. This can take a very long time in the case of a truck accident, though, as the injuries are often devastating and can change a person’s life forever.

Passenger vehicles are no match for the weight and size of a tractor-trailer. When the two crash into each other, the passenger vehicle sustains a great deal of damage. In many cases, these vehicles are totaled, as the amount of damage is so great that the car is not worth fixing. This means the accident victim is not only left with severe injuries but also without a vehicle. At a time when they are trying to get to doctor’s appointments and more, they now don’t even have a vehicle that can get them there.

Due to the size and nature of commercial trucks, in addition to the fact that they often travel throughout many states, trucking companies are required to purchase large insurance policies. In fact, the average insurance policy on a truck is often as much as 50 times more than the insurance on a smaller vehicle.

Truck insurance policies often have limits in the millions of dollars, an amount the insurance company will surely try to avoid paying. They will send their best adjusters out to investigate the accident in order to shift blame for the accident onto the victims. If they are successful, they may reduce the settlement or even deny the claim altogether. A Phenix City truck accident attorney can stick up for you and your rights and ensure that greedy insurance companies do not bully you into accepting an unfair settlement.

Tractor-Trailer Truck Collision Liability in Phenix City

After a truck accident, many accident victims assume the young truck driver is to blame. This is often true. If the driver was speeding, ignored posted signs, changed lanes illegally, failed to yield, or did any number of other things that are against the law, they could potentially be held liable for the accident. However, the trucker often isn’t the only one liable for the crash.

Sometimes, when a truck accident lawyer in Phenix City, Alabama, investigates a crash, they’ll find that the trucking company is also liable. Trucking companies are responsible for their employees, including their truck drivers. They must ensure that a driver is experienced and capable of driving a truck safely and properly. They must also provide proper training. Trucking companies can be held liable for any injuries that result from an accident caused by their drivers.

In some accident cases, neither the truck driver nor the trucking company is to blame for the accident. If the accident was caused by a defective part on the truck, the truck manufacturer or the manufacturer of the faulty part can be held liable. For example, if the brakes on a truck were faulty by design and the truck could not stop in time and hit someone, the injured parties may hold the manufacturer responsible.

In addition to these potentially liable parties, a cargo company that loaded and secured freight improperly can also be held responsible for a crash. If the load falls off the truck, it can cause a serious accident. Improperly secured cargo can shift and cause a truck to wreck. Anyone who loads cargo onto a truck must ensure it is loaded and secured properly so no one becomes hurt by it. When they fail to do so, those injured may hold them liable for any accidents that result.

Can You File a Lawsuit If You Were Partially at Fault?

Because car accidents don’t always happen for just one reason, it’s common for victims to wonder how being partially at fault may impact their ability to seek compensation. Alabama is a contributory negligence state, which means that being partially at fault for an accident could mean that you aren’t able to pursue legal action through the court system. However, this is something a truck accident victim should discuss with their attorney.

It’s not unusual for victims to believe that they somehow played a role in the accident only to find out through the investigation by police and the insurance companies that this wasn’t the case. Never admit — or even hint — that you may have been at fault for an accident. An attorney can help you understand how to discuss these matters with the insurance companies and how the circumstances of the accident may affect your legal options.

Contact a Phenix City Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Anyone who has been in a severe wreck that wasn’t their fault needs a Phenix City truck accident lawyer to help them take their case to court and give them the best chance of winning. Contact the Bence Law Firm, LLC, at 334-489-1951 and our team will give you one-on-one attention and a free consultation about your rights and options to learn more about our legal services.