Truck Accident Lawyers in Fairfield, Alabama

If you get a sinking feeling when you’re driving next to a tractor-trailer on the highway, you’re not alone. There’s a good reason that many people, when stuck next to an 18-wheeler, immediately slow down or speed up to get out of the way. Thanks to their size and shape, these trucks can cause massive amounts of damage. What would be a minor mistake for any other driver can be catastrophic for a truck driver.

Those who are injured in truck accidents often incur tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and other expenses. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, find out if you’re entitled to compensation by calling Mann & Potter at 205-879-9661.

Why You Need a Fairfield, AL Truck Accident Attorney

From your point of view, your truck accident claim is open and shut. The truck driver was obviously negligent, so why do you need an attorney to handle your claim? The insurance companies calling you seem willing to settle. They may even tell you that what they are offering is the most they can give and that hiring an attorney will cut into that amount. Knowing that you might wonder if hiring a lawyer is worth it.

The answer: yes, hiring a truck accident lawyer in Fairfield, AL is worth your time. The liable party’s insurance company has a vested interest in keeping you from retaining legal counsel. They know that truck accidents are often catastrophic and cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. They know that if you get an attorney, you’ll figure out just how much your claim is worth and refuse to settle for less.

The insurance company’s goal is to get you to settle for a low amount and close out the claim before it goes any further. They aren’t acting in your best interests, so you should not take any advice from them.

The fact is that truck accident claims are much more complex than claims for other types of vehicle collisions. If you are in a crash with another passenger vehicle, negotiations will occur between your attorney and their insurance company. It’s usually pretty straightforward. With a truck accident, though, many other parties are involved.

They might include the driver’s insurance company, the trucking company’s owner, their business insurance provider, the owner of the load being transported, and the company responsible for loading the truck. Everyone wants to shift the blame to someone other than themselves, even if that means that you’re stuck running in circles trying to get your bills paid.

Additionally, there are many types of evidence available in truck accidents that aren’t available in other types of collisions. Trucking logs have valuable information about maintenance checks performed on the truck, breaks and refueling stops, and more. The truck’s black box can tell you whether or not the driver was driving safely, speeding up and slowing down erratically, or driving for too long without a break.

An attorney with extensive experience handling these types of cases can manage the challenges of a truck accident claim, fight for the compensation you’re owed, and properly use the evidence available to support your claim.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

Identifying the cause of a truck accident makes it much easier to figure out who the liable party is. In turn, you can more easily pursue full and fair compensation. While everything depends on the details of your crash, common causes of truck collisions include:

• Distractions, including cellphones, food or drink, or lost items in the truck
• Impaired driving
• Fatigued driving
• Unsafe road conditions
• Poor truck maintenance
• Faulty truck components
• Inexperienced driving

These lead to a wide range of truck accidents, including:

• Jackknife accidents, where the tractor and trailer split at a 90-degree angle and slide along the highway. The driver typically loses control of the truck, and the truck may even flip over.
• Underride accidents, which happen when a vehicle behind a truck gets stuck underneath the back of the truck. These accidents often cause catastrophic or fatal injuries.
• Rear-end collisions occur when a truck strikes the back of another vehicle
• Sideswipe accidents often happen when a vehicle is in a truck’s blind spot and the truck driver changes lanes

Common Injuries

Injuries vary, depending on the severity and type of accident you are involved in. In general, truck accident injuries are more severe than injuries caused by passenger vehicle collisions. Commonly injuries that occur in trucking accidents include:

• Broken bones
• Lacerations, cuts, scrapes, and bruises
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Organ damage
• Internal bleeding
• Whiplash
• Concussions
• Amputations
• PTSD and other mental health concerns
• Death

How to Get the Compensation You Deserve

Getting full and fair compensation after a trucking accident starts with hiring a Fairfield, AL truck accident lawyer. Our team will immediately get to work gathering evidence, getting the details of your accident, and investigating potentially liable parties. We will also calculate how much your injuries are worth and use that number to guide us during negotiations.

The amount you receive is largely determined by the severity of your injuries and how well negotiations go. Most claims are settled without ever going to court, but in rare cases, truck accident claims do require litigation. You may receive compensation for:

• Medical bills
• Future medical expenses if you have severe injuries
• Lost wages
• Lost future income if your injuries will prevent you from working
• Property damage
• Mental anguish
• Pain and suffering

As you work through the claim process, keep track of all expenses incurred due to your accident. This includes copays, prescription medication costs, trips to and from doctors’ appointments, and services you need to outsource due to your injury. The more evidence you have of your injuries and their impact on your life, the easier it will be for your attorney to argue for a fair settlement.

Choose Mann & Potter for Your Accident Claim

The team at Mann & Potter understands that a truck accident can have a ripple effect on every part of your life. We want to help you get what you deserve after an accident leaves you with serious injuries. To set up a time to talk about your accident and make a plan, call us at 205-879-9661 or reach out to us online.