Call A Cincinnati Truck Accidents Attorney For Experienced Help
Truck accidents tend to be devastating. The sheer size difference between a semi truck and a car means that life-changing injuries or death are almost a guarantee. Survivors are often left unable to work, with medical bills that can total hundreds of thousands of dollars. Those who do not survive leave a hole in their family that can never be filled.
At Merk & Gile, Injury Attorneys, our truck accident attorneys recognize that many truck crashes are the result of negligence and could have been avoided. They simply should not have happened. When they do, we strive to hold negligent parties accountable and to get full compensation for survivors and surviving family members.
The Different Types Of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can occur in many ways, often resulting from various factors. Here are some common types of truck accidents:
- Underride accidents: When a smaller vehicle slides under the rear or side of a truck’s trailer
- Jackknife accidents: When the truck trailer swings outward from the cab, often due to sudden braking or losing control, causing the trailer to skid
- Tire blowouts: The sudden bursting of the truck’s tires can be due to overloading, poor maintenance or road debris
- Blind spot accidents: Involving failures to look before merging or changing lanes
- Lost cargo loads: When cargo being transported by a truck spills onto the roadway or surrounding area
No matter the cause of your truck accident, speak with a truck accident attorney. Our attorneys can help determine fault and file a claim against the accountable party(s).
How Do Truck Accident Claims Differ From Other Auto Claims?
Truck accidents present unique challenges and complexities than standard auto accidents. Here are several key differences that distinguish truck accident claims from other auto claims:
- Severity of injuries: Due to the size and mass disparity between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles, collisions involving trucks result in more severe injuries or fatalities.
- Different technical evidence: Truck accidents have different technical evidence than passenger cars, such as electronic logging device (ELD) data, black box data and surveillance footage.
- Regulatory compliance issues: Commercial trucks are subject to more extensive federal and state regulations than other vehicles. That requires higher due diligence when it comes to safety.
- Higher insurance coverage: Commercial trucks are insured for higher liability limits than standard passenger vehicles due to the increased potential for severe injuries and property damage.
Victims of truck accidents should seek experienced legal representation to help ensure their rights are protected and they receive the compensation they deserve.
Who Should Be Held Accountable For The Truck Wreck?
One of the first steps in any trucking accident claim that our lawyers handle is to determine who was at fault and who should be the target. This is not always as simple as it may seem.
Some investigation may be necessary to learn exactly what went wrong. Investigation may go beyond reviewing the accident report and interviewing witnesses and could involve issues that are specific to these types of cases such as reviewing data preserved in the truck’s electronic data recorder that could show details about speed and braking. This could, for example, provide concrete evidence that a truck driver was speeding or failed to brake in time to prevent the accident.
Will the claim be against the negligent truck driver who was speeding, driving distracted, driving under the influence or otherwise being careless? Or will it be against the truck company that employs the driver? What if the driver is self-employed or a contractor? These are all questions that we must answer.
To make matters even more complicated, these cases may involve poorly maintained or defective trucks. Perhaps the truck accident was caused by a tire blowout that could have been prevented had the tires been replaced on schedule. Perhaps the tires were defective in the first place. We come to truck accident cases and all other motor vehicle wreck cases with the knowledge to delve into these issues and build a strong case in support of getting you the compensation you need.
Contact Us For A Free Consultation About Your Truck Crash Case
Fighting for the injured is not just our job; it’s our passion. Find out firsthand by calling us at 513-838-2511 or by sending us an email. The consultation is free.