How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Hire an experienced Baltimore truck accident lawyer near you.
When you’ve been in an auto accident with an 18-wheeler, tractor-trailer, semi, big rig or other large commercial truck in Baltimore – the outcome for your small passenger car, truck or SUV is usually not very good. You or your passengers do not have a fighting chance due to the momentum caused by the size and speed of that 18-wheeler. The large size of these trucks can result in innocent victims suffering life-changing injuries if they are involved in a truck crash of this nature.
Fully loaded tractor-trailers and other big commercial trucks can weight up to 80,000.00 pounds, stand 13.5 feet tall, and measure in at a length of 70-80 feet – giving them a massive size advantage over the average passenger vehicle. Every year there are thousands of people seriously injured or killed in fatal truck accidents, with occupants of other cars, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists making up the large majority of the total deaths. Sadly, many of these accidents are due to the irresponsible actions of a negligent truck driver or a negligent trucking company.
The hauler’s insurance company is going to immediately make you an offer to settle the matter quickly and relatively inexpensively (to them.) Your job is to ensure that you and your passengers’ needs are taken care of and the expenses accrued and likely to accrue in the future are also covered.
Never make an agreement with a commercial insurer like this without first talking to a Baltimore truck accident lawyer. Our truck accident attorneys work on a contingency basis – this means if you don’t win – we don’t get paid. We can help you fight for the compensation you deserve if you have suffered injuries in a truck accident through no fault of your own.
Why are cases involving truck accidents so complicated?
When you’ve been badly injured or a family member dies in a tractor-trailer collision, the process of filing a claim for injuries or your vehicle damages can be extremely complex and overwhelming. That’s because liability might fall on multiple different parties, including:
- The truck driver
- The trucking Company
- The owner of the truck
- The owner of the trailer
- The company responsible for loading the trailer
- A broker
- The truck manufacturer
- Another driver or party involved in the crash
Even if you do figure out who or what caused your truck collision, you’re still in a tough spot if
you try to take on a large trucking company all by yourself. With so much at stake, trucking companies often have teams of attorneys ready to protect their best interests and to make sure you don’t get a truck accident settlement.
What to do after a truck accident.
Getting in a truck accident with an 18-wheeler, tractor-trailer, semi, big rig or other large commercial vehicle can be a very scary experience, but one of the most important things you can do after a truck wreck is keep calm. After that, you should:
- Call 911 – If you or anyone else has been injured and needs an ambulance, inform that dispatcher right away. If not, calmly tell the dispatcher that you were in a truck crash and give them your exact location. When police arrive, tell the truth about what happened and keep to the facts. Afterwards, you can obtain a copy of the police accident report for a fee from the police department who responded to your 911 call.
- Get important information – Get the trucker’s name, address, phone number, license information, name and address of their trucking company/employer, and insurance information. If there were other vehicles involved in the truck accident, get their contact and insurance details as well. Do not argue about fault with anyone or say anything that could be misunderstood as admitting fault, such as “I’m sorry” or “I didn’t see you.”
- Take detailed pictures – You’ll want to be thorough with the pictures that you take so that you can paint a clear picture of the accident crash scene. Take pictures from different angles, show all damage and visible injuries, capture images of any tire marks, street signs, traffic signals, road hazards, construction, and anything else that might be relevant to your accident claim.
- Notify your insurance company – Call your car insurance company to report the accident, but don’t get into too many specifics and stick with the facts based on what you know. If an adjuster wants you to give a recorded statement, politely decline and refer them to your Baltimore truck accident attorney. Do not answer any questions from other insurance companies, the trucking company, or any other lawyers. Anything you say could be used against you to challenge or deny your injury or vehicle damage claim.
- Consult with a Baltimore truck accident attorney – An experienced truck accident attorney will be able to handle every aspect of your claim, from investigating the trucking company to negotiating with the insurance company on your behalf.
Baltimore truck accident lawyer Larry B. Litt and his legal team can meet with you, answer your questions, discuss your legal options, and help you figure out the best way to recover the highest amount of compensation possible with your truck accident settlement. Act fast to protect your rights. The sooner we can meet with you, the sooner we can get started on your case.
How do you determine liability in a Baltimore truck crash?
If you were injured in a truck crash that wasn’t your fault, an experienced truck accident attorney should be able to determine liability by:
- Launching an investigation into your truck crash
- Studying the police accident report
- Finding and interviewing eyewitnesses
- Examining the 18-wheeler’s “black box” data
- Reviewing the truck driver’s hours of service
- Conducting a comprehensive investigation into the trucking company
- Consulting with truck accident reconstruction experts
Common injuries of commercial truck accidents.
With a higher weight and size compared to your average personal vehicle, the injuries a truck can cause when they crash are usually more severe than those you would find after a normal car wreck. Common injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Crushed or broken bones
- Neck and back traumatic injury
- Herniated discs
- Organ damage and internal bleeding
- Severe burns
It doesn’t take long for the medical bills, prescription receipts and other medical costs to stack up for the above injuries, and very quickly, they can become more than the average person can afford to pay. Pair this with the fact that most of these crashes result in loss of earnings and potential loss of future earnings, and it can leave victims in a really tough spot.
If potential future earnings have been affected through a long-term injury or disability following a truck collision, the damages awarded will have to be enough to cover the lifetime suffering of the victim.
Causes of truck crashes in Baltimore.
A truck collision is not always the fault of the truck driver. Often, a truck accident will occur because a truck company prioritized profits over critical vehicle maintenance, with a fault on the truck causing the accident as a result. This is not acceptable. These companies should not be allowed to get away with causing serious injuries because of their negligence.
There are a variety of reasons why a truck accident can occur, some of the more common truck crashes include:
- Equipment malfunction – A truck wreck may occur because of a faulty part. It is the responsibility of the trucking company to sufficiently maintain their trucks. Sometimes, however, an injury claim can result in a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the parts.
- Distracted driving – A truck collision can occur because of a driver being distracted and not paying their full attention to the road. Often, cell phones are to blame for truck accident caused by distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue – A truck crash caused by tiredness may be the fault of the truck driver. Although, truck companies do place an immense amount of pressure on their drivers to travel for long distances with very little rest time. A driver may feel pressured into driving despite feeling tired and unwell.
- Excessive speed – A driver is responsible for the speed of which their truck travels. Although it is important to note, once again, that trucking companies put pressure on drivers to meet strict and unreasonable deadlines. These deadlines can pressure a driver into feeling the need to speed above the legal limit.
- Defective tires – A truck accident caused by defective tires is usually the fault of the tire manufacturer or distributor. In this case, a lawsuit may be filed against either of them or the truck company if they were aware that the tires were not to standard and potentially defective.
- Overloaded freight – This is a leading cause of truck crashes. Companies will overload their trucks to try and maximize their profits, despite the risk that they may cause an accident.
Conclusion
Through caring and compassionate legal representation that’s been proven to get positive results, the Law Offices of Larry B. Litt proudly stands up for clients in Baltimore who have been injured due to trucker or trucking company negligence. Whether you were involved in a terrifying auto collision with a large commercial vehicle or you were hurt in some other type of truck crash, our law firm can fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Call us today at 443-844-1528, or email us at carol@littaccidentlaw.com for a free consultation with one of our experienced Baltimore truck accident attorneys.