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If you get hurt in a collision with a large truck, you might think that your experience is not the same as it might have been if the crash involved passenger cars only, and you would be correct. This blog will talk about what makes a truck accident claim different from a car accident claim.
As you read through this article, you will understand why you will want to talk with a Los Angeles truck accident attorney about your case. When you have a lawyer on your side, you can focus on getting better while your attorney handles the complex issues found in these claims.
Truck Crashes Cause More Severe Injuries and Fatalities
Because of their size and weight, a crash that involves a tractor-trailer is more likely to cause severe injuries and fatalities than a collision between two cars. Catastrophic wounds and death claims usually result in much greater jury awards.
When there is more money at stake, the defendant’s liability insurance company will tend to be more aggressive in their defense of their insured, whether they insure the driver, the trucking company, or both. You should not have to battle a billion-dollar insurance company on your own, particularly when the insurance company has multiple lawyers working hard to find ways to deny your claim or pay you less money than you deserve.
Truckers Have to Follow Different Laws About How Many Hours They Can Drive
There are state and federal laws that apply to commercial truck drivers but not to people who drive their personal cars. For example, truckers are supposed to stop and rest after a specified number of hours of driving to prevent collisions from drowsy driving.
Under the law, the driver and trucking company have to keep logbooks of the hours driven. Your lawyer can help prevent the “disappearance” of this valuable accident after a collision.
Big Rig Drivers Also Have Different DUI Laws
People who operate tractor-trailers must have commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The legal limit for alcohol is significantly lower for a person with a CDL than a standard driver’s license to drive a passenger vehicle.
Multiple Defendants
Often, personal injury or wrongful death claims arising from tractor-trailer crashes involve more than one defendant, for example:
- The truck driver could get sued if their negligence caused the collision that injured or killed someone.
- The trucking firm could be liable for putting the trucker on the road if they were careless in their hiring or supervision of the driver or they encouraged the trucker to violate the laws that limit hours of service without adequate rest.
- The trucking company could get blamed for the accident if they did not maintain their trucks in safe, road-worthy condition.
- The mechanic shop could get sued if they performed sub-standard maintenance of the truck and that negligence caused or contributed to the collision.
- The loading company could be liable if their improper loading of the cargo caused the load to shift or slide during transit, resulting in the loss of control of the tractor-trailer that caused the crash.
A Los Angeles personal injury attorney can talk to you about your truck accident claim. You can reach out to us today for a free consultation.