All vehicle accidents can be devastating and life-changing, whether they involve cars, motorcycles, or semi-trucks. Property damage, serious injuries, high medical bills, and loss of life can result from any roadway accident.
Despite similar impacts, it’s essential to understand how truck accident claims differ from auto accident claims. The size of the vehicles and the complex legal system surrounding commercial trucks make it harder to recover from an 18-wheeler accident.
Why Truck Accident Claims Are Different
A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, roughly 20 times heavier than the average passenger car. As a result, truck accidents tend to be more severe and fatal than accidents that just involve cars. There are also multiple potentially liable parties in truck accidents, making it challenging to determine the identity of the at-fault party.
Additionally, the types of injuries from a semi-truck accident tend to be more severe than a car accident.
These injuries include:
- Brain trauma
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Burns
- Loss of limbs
- Facial and dental injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Fractures
- Lacerations
- Neck injuries
Recovering from a semi-truck accident can require extensive medical care and long-term rehabilitation, which can lead to costly medical bills. Generally speaking, more money is necessary to cover losses after a truck accident because the injuries are more severe than those in auto accident claims.
You can seek compensation to cover the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Long-term medical care
- Loss of future earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Identifying the Parties Involved in a Truck Accident Claim
A truck accident could include more liable parties than a car accident because trucking is a commercial industry. Parties that could be at fault in semi-truck accident claims include:
- The truck driver
- Trucking company
- Truck manufacturers
- Truck maintenance providers
- Cargo loading company
- Other motorist(s)
Understanding the Legal Process
Because of its complexity, a truck accident investigation can require more time, energy, and attention than a car accident investigation. It takes time to interview multiple drivers, collect evidence like maintenance records, and conduct a thorough crash investigation.
A skilled truck accident attorney can:
- Investigate your claim to determine fault and collect evidence
- Interview witnesses and evaluate their credibility
- Obtain data from the truck’s black box
- Engage accident reconstruction specialists
- Assess your injuries and assign a value to your losses
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- Manage communications with insurers and at-fault parties
- File a lawsuit within the statute of limitations and track vital deadlines
- Concisely present how you’ve been affected by the accident
- Vigorously represent you in court if necessary
Hiring a truck accident attorney can guide you down the path of recovering money to cover your medical bills and care.
Contact Our Phoenix Truck Accident Attorneys to Learn More
Working with an experienced truck accident attorney is essential when pursuing the compensation you need after you’ve been injured in a truck accident due to someone else’s actions. At Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer, we only concentrate on personal injury cases. Our legal team can vigorously investigate your truck accident, and we know how to protect you against insurance company tactics to reduce the value of your claim. Contact us today for your free consultation.
