Truck Accident Attorneys in Homewood, Alabama
Truck accidents are a growing problem in the United States. As the country becomes more dependent on 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, and other commercial vehicles to deliver essential goods, drivers are under more and more pressure to complete trips in less time. This leads to an environment where highways are full of fatigued or overworked truck drivers. When an accident occurs, those in the smaller vehicle often bear the brunt of the injuries and property damage.
If you’ve been injured in a Homewood, AL truck accident, it’s important to discuss your case with a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Call Mann & Potter at 205-879-9661 to schedule a consultation now.
Why You Need a Truck Accident Attorney
While hiring a personal injury attorney is always recommended after an accident, it is especially crucial after a truck accident. When you are hurt in a truck accident, you are immediately put in a position where you are going up against people with much more money and a much larger legal team than you can imagine.
A lot of parties could be involved in truck accident claims, including the driver, the driver’s employer, the car insurance provider, the owner of the cargo, and the employer’s legal team. Everyone involved has one goal: to absolve themselves of liability and avoid paying compensation to any injured parties. This doesn’t mean they’ll help you figure out who is liable and who should pay your compensation. It just means they will do whatever it takes to avoid paying out of their own pockets.
Furthermore, truck driving is a highly regulated field. Drivers are subject to statutes on state and federal levels. Violations of these statutes could imply liability or strengthen your case. When you consider these factors, it’s clear that you need an attorney with extensive experience in truck accident cases.
Your attorney can immediately begin gathering evidence, requesting necessary paperwork and documentation, and building a case on your behalf. This is crucial, since the other side’s legal team will also start building their case right away. Everyone on the other side of your case has people representing them, so you need an attorney whose only concern is your best interests.
Truck accidents can be incredibly expensive when compared to accidents involving passenger vehicles. A fully loaded tractor-trailer can cause an enormous amount of damage, both in terms of property damage and bodily injury.
Until you get a full medical work-up, it’s impossible for you to know how much the accident will cost you. Because of this, it is likely that any offer made by the insurance company will be far too low. With an attorney on your side, you can avoid the trap of a low settlement that doesn’t fully cover your losses.
Types of Truck Accidents
Because of their massive size and unusual shape, trucks can cause serious or fatal accidents that close down entire highways. Some of the most common types of truck collisions include:
- Jackknife accidents. Jackknife accidents occur when a trailer folds in against the tractor of the truck, creating the shape of a jackknife. It typically happens when the driver loses control of the vehicle and the trailer swings out. These accidents often block multiple highway lanes. In some situations, the truck can actually roll over.
- Underride accidents. Underride accidents are among the most dangerous types of truck collisions. They typically happen when a driver behind a truck does not pay attention and fails to stop in time. They crash into the back of the truck and the front of their car gets caught under the back of the truck. Victims often suffer death, amputations, or spinal cord damage.
- Rear-end crashes. Rear-end collisions, while often minor in nature when involving two passenger vehicles, can cause totaled vehicles and fatalities when a truck is involved. These accidents may occur when a truck driver does not stop in time or observe a proper following distance.
- Side-impact collisions. Trucks have enormous blind spots, which is why most tractor-trailers have signs warning drivers to move ahead of or behind the truck. If a truck driver switches lanes without checking their blind spot completely, they can crash into the side of a car.
Building a Truck Accident Case
There are numerous types of evidence that might be available in a Homewood, AL truck accident case. Of course, you can use the same types of evidence you would use in any vehicle accident, including:
- Pictures and video footage of the crash scene
- Police report
- Eyewitness testimonies
- Repair estimates
- Medical reports
However, you also have many other types of evidence available to you. A specialist may be able to examine the truck’s cargo load to determine whether or not the truck was properly loaded.
Your attorney can get the truck driver’s driving logs to see whether or not they followed federal laws and took mandatory breaks. They may also ask for the truck’s black box, which includes information about the speed of the truck, the driver’s braking patterns, and other driving habits. This may provide information about whether the driver was speeding, driving while distracted, or otherwise driving unsafely.
By gathering this evidence and analyzing it, your attorney can begin to determine who is liable for the accident and your injuries. Possible liable parties include the driver, the trucking company, the owner of the truck, and the owner of the cargo load.
How We Fight for the Compensation You Deserve
Once we’ve figured out who is liable for your injuries, we’ll begin pushing for the compensation you are owed. This is where the evidence is extremely helpful. By proving that the liable party is responsible for your injuries and property damage, we can put pressure on them to give you the compensation you are due. Depending on the circumstances of your crash, you may receive compensation for:
- Medical bills and future expenses
- Lost wages and lost future income
- Property damage
- Disability and disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
Trucking insurance policies have substantially higher limits than personal auto insurance policies due to the amount of damage a truck accident can cause. This may allow you to pursue full compensation for everything you lost in the truck accident.
We’re Here for You—Call Mann & Potter Today
You shouldn’t have to face the stress and uncertainty of a trucking accident alone. At Mann & Potter, we are committed to helping every client fight for what they deserve. Take the first step now by calling us at 205-879-9661 or contacting us online.
