Truck Accidents

Living comfortably in America today would not be possible without large trucks. To be sure, large trucks, including tractor-trailers and semi-trucks, are responsible for the transportation of goods across the country, bringing things like food, supplies, medications, clothes, and basic necessities to consumers in Alabama and elsewhere.

Regardless of the importance and necessity of large trucks, though, these vehicles present an increased risk of accident and injury on the roads. In fact, in a single year in Alabama alone, there were nearly 9,000 large trucks involved in accidents, resulting in more than 150 fatalities and thousands of non-fatal injuries.

If you or a loved one has been in a truck accident, you may be coping with serious injuries, large medical bills, and looming questions about the future. Our truck accident lawyers at the offices of Mann & Potter, P.C. can help you to understand your legal options, file your truck accident claim, and recoup the financial award that you need in order to move forward with your life.

Fault in Truck Accidents

Because Alabama is an at-fault car insurance state, anyone who is involved in an accident and suffers harm or property damage must turn to the at-fault driver’s liability insurance policy for compensation. As such, establishing fault in a truck accident is absolutely essential – if a plaintiff is found to be partially at fault for an accident, their ability to recover damages from the other party may be completely annihilated based on Alabama’s system of pure contributory negligence. One of the most important things that our truck accident lawyers will do for you is open an investigation into your case to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that your accident and injuries would not have occurred but for the negligence of another party.

Top Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are almost always preventable, and would not occur but for the fault of one of the parties involved. To be sure, some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:

• Driving distracted;
• Fatigued driving;
• Driver intoxication or impairment, including the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs;
• Aggressive driving;
• Speeding;
• Cargo shifts; and
• Vehicle defects, such as defective tires or brakes.

Liability for a Truck Accident

Once the cause of a truck accident has been identified, the next step is determining who is liable—or legally responsible—for the damages that have resulted. Parties who might be named in a truck accident lawsuit include:

• The truck driver;
• The trucking company;
• A third-party driver;
• A vehicle part manufacturing company; or
• The party responsible for cargo loading and securement.

Our lawyers will consider all potentially-liable parties and explore all available insurance options in order to increase your chances of recovering your full settlement amount.

Truck Accident Injuries and Damages

It is incredibly rare for those who are involved in a truck accident to walk away from the accident unscathed. Because of the massive weight of the larger vehicles that are involved in truck collisions, and the sheer amount of force that is then involved in the accident, smaller, passenger vehicles are often completely totaled or crushed. As such, occupants of those smaller vehicles may suffer devastating injuries and damages, including disabling and permanent injuries and impairment, high medical bills, the inability to return to work, a diminished quality of life, psychological harm, and a myriad of other losses and impediments to living a happy, healthy life. In particularly severe truck crashes, victims may suffer fatal injuries, leaving surviving loved ones with grief and questions about the future.

Filing a Truck Accident Claim in Alabama – Evidence and Deadlines

If you have been in a truck accident in Alabama, it’s important that you understand the types of evidence that you will need to bring forth a successful claim for damages, as well as the limit on the amount of time that you have to file your lawsuit.

Our lawyers will be responsible for gathering and organizing all evidence on your behalf, although we encourage you to participate in the process to the greatest degree possible and to provide us with any evidence and documentation you have at your initial consultation. Types of evidence that are valuable in a truck accident claim include:

• Truck driver’s logs;
• Truck servicing and maintenance reports;
• Police reports;
• Eyewitness reports;
• Doctors’ opinions;
• Medical reports;
• Truck black box (event data recorder) data;
• Testimony from friends and family;
• Accident reconstruction experts’ opinions;
• Vehicle design specialists’ opinions;
• Photos of the accident scene; and
• More.

Once evidence is gathered, fault is determined, and the amount of damages that you have suffered has been calculated, our lawyers will issue a demand letter to the relevant insurance companies. From there, negotiations will ensue – we are skilled negotiators who won’t back down or accept lowballed settlement offers. In the event that negotiations are unsuccessful and you are not offered the settlement that you deserve, we will consider litigation. If you decide to file a lawsuit, you must do so within two years’ time. Failure to file your suit within this time frame will serve as a permanent bar to recovery.

Let Our Lawyers Help You Recover the Settlement You Deserve After an Alabama Truck Accident

There are few things that may change your life more than being involved in a catastrophic truck accident. As you recover from your injuries and learn more about what your future will look like, our lawyers want to lend you the legal support and aid that you need. While nothing can truly give you back what has been taken or restore your life to the quality that it was before the accident, a large settlement can ensure that there are the financial resources necessary to pay for your medical bills, accommodate for your disability in the future, and support your costs of living.

When you call our Alabama truck accident lawyers, we will sit down with you to discuss your case and provide you with a free overview of your options and our professional legal opinion. You can call us today at 205-879-9661 to schedule your free consultation, send us a message telling us more about your case, or visit our Birmingham law office in person. We are also able to travel to your location if injuries preclude you from traveling to ours. Please reach us today to get started.