Tuscaloosa Truck Accident Lawyer
Those who have been involved in truck accidents often report the most intense fear they’ve ever experienced. While any vehicle collision is frightening, the experience of a vehicle 20 times heavier and larger than your own coming at you is traumatic. Truck accidents are far more likely to be severe or fatal than other types of vehicle collisions, leading to more complex personal injury cases and larger payouts.
If you have been involved in a Tuscaloosa truck accident, you deserve strong legal representation. For more personalized advice regarding your case and your options, call Mann & Potter at 205-879-9661 to schedule an appointment.
Why Truck Accidents Are More Serious Than Car Accidents
When you compare them to car crashes, truck accidents tend to cause far more damage and bodily injury. Here’s why:
- A truck’s size and shape is fundamentally different from that of a car. The tractor and trailer components of most semi-trucks can make crashes more severe. A jackknife accident, in which the trailer of a truck swings out to the side and folds in toward the tractor, can block entire highways and cause multi-car pileups. Furthermore, the tall height and relatively narrow width of trucks puts them at serious risk of rollover accidents. The weight of a full tractor-trailer could lead to multiple fatalities in a rollover crash. The risk of fatal or severe injury is significantly higher in a truck accident, which is one reason to be cautious near tractor-trailers on the road.
- Many more people are involved in a truck accident. A number of parties may get involved in a truck accident case, delaying the investigation and making it harder for victims to get the compensation they deserve. In a typical passenger vehicle accident, the only involved parties are the drivers, their insurance companies, and their attorneys if they choose to hire legal counsel. In a Tuscaloosa truck accident case, other involved parties may include the truck leasing company, cargo shippers, truck loaders, the company that owns the truck, and the company that employs the truck driver.
- Much more money is at stake. Trucks tend to have extremely high insurance coverage limits, due in large part to the amount of damage they can cause in a single accident. This means that there is more money available to pay for injuries. This is often a boon to victims, who find themselves with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt. However, this also means that victims may have to fight harder to get what they deserve.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
After your Tuscaloosa tractor-trailer accident, your attorney will begin investigating the accident and its causes. Common truck accident triggers include:
- Driver fatigue or impairment
- Driver inexperience
- Inadequate training
- Improper lane changes or turn signal usage
- Failure to account for longer stopping distance
- Defective or malfunctioning equipment or truck components
- Poor weather
- Overloaded truck
- Inattentive driving
- Failure to drive at a proper speed for conditions
- Driver distractions
Fighting for Compensation
Your fight for compensation begins immediately after the accident, whether you know it or not. Representatives of the trucker and the trucking company may respond to the scene of the crash to begin their own investigation, as there are many parties who want to absolve themselves of blame and liability.
This is why you need to hire an attorney as soon as possible after a Tuscaloosa crash. Your truck accident attorney can conduct their own investigation, analyze available evidence, and determine who should pay for the injuries and property damage you have suffered.
Depending on the severity of the crash, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses if your injuries are severe enough to require ongoing care
- Lost wages
- Lost income potential if your ability to work is impacted by the crash
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
How We Can Help
Choosing the right Tuscaloosa truck accident lawyer is key to the success of your case. After a crash, a number of parties conduct their own independent investigations to determine their role in the crash. They all have the goal of pushing blame onto other parties and claiming that they do not have to pay any compensation.
None of these parties have your best interests in mind. They will help you seek compensation only so far as their efforts also help them prove their own client innocent. You need a representative whose sole purpose is to represent you and protect your right to compensation.
At Mann & Potter, we begin building your case by investigating the accident. Generally, there is much more evidence available in a truck accident than in other types of crashes. Trucks have electronic monitoring devices that hold valuable information about driving speed, braking patterns, lane swerving, and more.
Truck drivers also keep logs regarding break times, hours worked, vehicle maintenance, and vehicle stops. Our team can look for discrepancies and any rule violations that may have put the driver at risk of driving while fatigued.
We will also handle negotiations with all involved parties. Our investigation may find that one or more parties have some share of liability for your injuries and property damage. We know how challenging negotiating with multiple parties can be, but our large body of experience puts us in an ideal position to fight aggressively for you.
Our goal is to get the compensation you are rightfully owed. If the involved parties aren’t willing to play fair, we are ready to take your case to court and build an airtight case that proves how much compensation you deserve.
Find Out How Mann & Potter Can Help
We know that you are likely scared and uncertain of what comes next. A truck accident can be traumatizing and difficult to heal from, but you do not have to do it alone. Let us handle your legal concerns while you concentrate on the tough work of recuperation. To get started and discuss your next steps, contact Mann & Potter online or give us a call at 205-879-9661.
