If you have been injured in a truck accident, you need a Cherry Hill truck accident lawyer who understands the legal side. Semi-truck accidents are different from typical car collisions because of the severity and understanding liability and compensation. You should be aware of what to expect when pursuing a truck injury claim.
Heavy Truck Accident Statistics
In 2021, there were 144 fatal heavy truck accident injuries in Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. In 2020, there were only 110. There were 122 fatalities in 2019.
This shows an increase in deadly truck crashes in the state from 2020 to 2021. The number of fatal trucking accidents on Pennsylvania roads is rising. Nationally, heavy trucks accounted for 9% of total traffic fatalities in 2020 despite making up only 5% of all registered vehicles.
These statistics show the risks that trucks can present. A semi-truck accident attorney in Cherry Hill who is experienced in truck injury claims understands these hazards. You deserve to protect yourself legally if impacted by trucking negligence.
Gathering Evidence After a Truck Crash
After seeking any urgent medical care, take action to document evidence from the accident scene. Take plenty of photos capturing the vehicles involved and property damage from all angles. If possible, get witness contact information, which can help bring more evidence to your claim.
Save all paperwork related to medical treatment, lost income, insurance claims, and other costs resulting from the accident. Request a copy of the police report containing official details and statements about the factors that contributed to the collision. All of this evidence will help your claim.
An organized record of all accident evidence will increase your attorney’s ability to prove liability and damages. You should keep every piece of paperwork you have. Even if you think it is too small, it can help your case somehow.
Cherry Hill Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (215) 985-2424
Determining Liability in Semi-Truck Crashes
Liability in a truck accident claim depends on proving negligent actions that contributed to the crash. For truck drivers, this could include distracted or impaired driving. It could also be about disregarding safety regulations about rest or maintenance or driving recklessly.
Other parties, like an employer trucking company, may share liability if the driver lacks proper training. The employer could also be liable if there was inadequate vehicle maintenance. An attorney will pursue compensation from all responsible parties.
Identifying every liable party is critical to getting full compensation. Whether the employee and employer share the liability or if it is only one of them, you deserve your compensation. A semi-truck accident lawyer in Cherry Hill can help you get this.
The Importance of Truck Driver Logs
Commercial truck drivers must keep detailed driving logs tracking their duty hours. The logs should also show rest breaks, routes, and trip details. Their logs could prove if a driver violated regulations limiting driving hours, significantly increasing crash risk when fatigued.
Your attorney will analyze truck driver logs closely for infractions. They can use any discovered violations to establish negligence. Do not let an at-fault driver get out of accountability.
Federal hours of service regulations restrict drivers to 11 hours of driving per 14-hour shift. There is also a mandated 10+ hours of rest between shifts. Violating these rules demonstrates negligence that often contributes to accidents.
How Truck Accident Claims Differ from Car Crashes
Because semi trucks are so much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles, the crashes they cause lead to catastrophic injuries far more frequently. In severe truck collisions, spinal cord and brain trauma, organ damage, and fatalities are common. For example, if an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer collides with a small car, the physics involved results in devastating trauma for the smaller vehicle’s occupants.
Pursuing a truck injury claim involves extensive evidence gathering and negotiations with multiple insurance companies. Experienced attorneys have handled this complex process before and will not be intimidated by aggressive insurers. They will demand full policy limits if warranted and take the case to trial if offers are inadequate.
Dealing with the trucking company and revealing documentation of inadequate driver training or truck maintenance requires diligent investigation. Depositions of dispatchers, supervisors, and others may be needed. An attorney will do the legwork to prove liability.
Types of Potential Compensation
After a serious truck accident injury, the financial impacts can take over. This includes damages to cover medical expenses, both immediate and ongoing. Rehabilitative therapies, prescription medications, accessible transportation, and home healthcare aides may be necessary.
Lost income and reduced earning capacity are unfortunate outcomes if disabilities prevent returning to the same career. Benefits like health insurance must also be factored into the loss. You may also be entitled to monetary damages for pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and emotional distress.
Seeking fair compensation for truck accidents requires fighting aggressively against insurance companies. Insurers are known to only care about their bottom line and not so much the person injured. An attorney levels the playing field against the tactics.
Why a Cherry Hill Semi-Truck Accident Attorney Is Worth It
You may question if hiring an attorney is necessary. You may even assume you should pursue a truck injury claim directly with insurers. However, working with a Cherry Hill semi-truck accident lawyer offers significant advantages.
Attorneys have successfully handled truck crash cases and insurance negotiations before. They know how to prove liability. Not to mention, an attorney can maximize compensation by thoroughly accounting for all accident costs and impacts.
Lawyers act as your representative. This means you do not have to communicate directly with resistant insurance adjusters looking to minimize payouts. If fair compensation cannot be achieved through settlement, they will not hesitate to take your case to court.
Let Us Help You Prove Negligence so You Can Get Justice
Do not let a negligent truck driver or company avoid accountability. Protect your and your family’s recovery by working with a semi-truck accident lawyer in Cherry Hill. Demand Rand and contact us for a free consultation.
Call or text (215) 985-2424 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
