Common Causes of Truck Accident
Truck accidents are caused by negligence. Negligence is defined as a breach to the duty of care drivers owe to each other on the road. With truck accidents, it’s more than that–as parties other than the driver can cause accidents. For example, a trucking company may overschedule a driver, making them fatigued or exhausted. If this causes an accident, the trucking company is also liable, as they’ve also breached the duty that they owe to those driving alongside their employees.
Common causes of truck accidents include:
- Driver negligence. Driving while under the influence, fatigued or exhausted driving, reckless driving, speeding, road rage, following too closely, improper turns, unsafe lane changes.
- Employer negligence. Overscheduling drivers, not performing drug tests, hiring inexperienced drivers, not properly maintaining trucks.
- Loader negligence. Not properly loading vehicles, overloading or underloading vehicles.
- Renter negligence. Not properly maintaining vehicles they rent out to trucking companies, not replacing recalled parts.
- Manufacturer negligence. Not recalling defective parts, not properly testing parts to check for potential malfunctions.
What To Do After A Truck Accident
It’s alright (and normal) to feel an abundance of stress and even panic after being involved in a truck accident. Adrenaline is high, and it can feel difficult to make decisions or take action. However, it’s imperative that you fight through the stress and panic and accomplish as many of these steps (or have a friend help you) as possible. After a truck accident, you should do the following if you’re able to stay at the scene. If you need to seek immediate medical attention, do so.
- Call the police to start the process of filing a police report. A police report is an integral part of your claim’s documentation and can help provide solid evidence in your favor.
- Take photos and videos of the scene. Make sure you take pictures of your vehicle, the truck, and the surrounding area. Skid marks and other environmental changes can tell a much larger story. You should also notate any security cameras or surrounding businesses that may have security cameras. This will help with streamlining the process later in your case.
- Talk to witnesses while you’re waiting for the police to arrive and gather their contact information. Encourage them to stick around and speak to the police if they can.
- Once you’ve spoken to the police and shared your side of the story, you’ll need to seek immediate medical attention. From the scene, you should go immediately to the hospital to receive treatment.
- Contact an experienced truck accident attorney as soon as possible and before you speak with the insurance companies. Doing so will ensure that you don’t make any mistakes. For example, insurance companies may try to get you to sign documents agreeing not to file a lawsuit in exchange for a small settlement. Once you’ve hired an attorney, they’ll speak to the insurance company on your behalf.
What Type Of Damages Can I Receive From Semi Truck Accident Claim?
Truck accidents are costly, resulting in high upfront costs and future costs for long term care. We understand that these costs are a huge stresser for truck accident victims, but we’re here to help. While we can’t give you an estimate of the total compensation you’ll receive without reviewing your case, we can educate you on the types of damages you can recover. It may be more than you think.
You can receive compensation for economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. Economic damages cover things like medical bills (for doctors visits, ER or hospital visits, surgery costs, physical therapy, specialists, and more), past and future lost wages, in-home care, durable medical equipment (like wheelchairs or other mobility aids), costs for altering your home for wheelchairs and other equipment you may need, and more.
Non-economic damages cover losses that don’t have an associated monetary value, such as loss of earning capacity, scarring and disfigurement, loss of consortium, pain and suffering, and disability.
Punitive damages aren’t always given out, but they’re used as a way to further damage the at-fault party. For example, if this is the second time a trucking company has been at-fault for an accident, they’ll award you punitive damages as a way to punish the company and dissuade them from making the same mistakes again in the future.
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