Being involved in a trucking accident is a harrowing experience. Trucking accidents are deadly, and deaths resulting from trucking accidents rose by 52% between 2009 and 2017.
For those on the receiving end, what follows is a convoluted legal case involving multiple insurance companies and legal action against multiple parties.
If you were involved in a trucking accident, it’s vital that you move fast. Trucking companies aren’t keen on paying hefty compensation fees to their victims.
Read on to learn how to select a truck accident lawyer, safe in the knowledge that you’re in good hands.
When Should You Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
You might think that a trucking accident is just another type of road accident.
It’s not.
A truck accident case differs from a “regular” car accident in many ways. It goes without saying that truck collisions are more dangerous: They cause more damage to the cars they hit and greater injury to drivers.
Time is of the essence when filing a claim. Evidence is fleeting and the window you have to file a claim and receive compensation closes quickly.
What Makes Truck Accidents Different
Undoubtedly, the most significant element that sets a truck accident apart is the complexity of the cases.
When filing a claim, most of the time you’re going up against a trucking company and not merely another driver. And that has profound implications.
You might end up suing both the driver and the company itself. In fact, trucking accidents can involve a lot more parties than that, such as:
- The shipping company
- The loading company
- The truck manufacturer
- The maintenance company
In other words, truck accident cases involve multiple insurance companies, which makes everything a lot more complicated. To make matters worse, the trucking companies themselves have aggressive armies of lawyers at their disposal.
Those teams of lawyers are keen on stopping their clients from paying out large settlements – and that’s why it’s vital to hire a truck accident lawyer in the event of a collision.
Types of Truck Accident Claims
No two truck accident claims are the same – but there are common types of cases to know about. Accidents are caused by all kinds of factors that relate to training, truck maintenance, safety regulations, and more.
In general, the types of cases fall into the following categories:
- Overloaded trucks and cargo spills
- Driver negligence
- Driver fatigue
- Equipment failure
- Poor driver training
- Trucking blind spots
A qualified truck accident lawyer knows best how to advise on the type of claim to file – and who to file it against.
How To Select a Truck Accident Lawyer
You know by now that there’s a wealth of options for lawyers to hire, whether you’re looking through a phonebook or browsing the internet.
Finding the right lawyer for you isn’t about the amount you pay (although that’s a factor). Finding the right lawyer is about closure, peace of mind, and getting the compensation you deserve.
There are four crucial factors in selecting the right lawyer for your needs: proven experience, recommendations, costs, and communication.
And if you’d rather skip the research and contact a truck accident lawyer right away, go to alphaaccidentlawyers.com to book a free consultation with proven industry experts.
Proven Experience With Trucking Accidents
As we’ve already stated, trucking accidents are very different from car accidents. It’s not enough for your lawyer to have experience with auto cases.
Every state has unique trucking laws and regulations (such as hours of service), and damages and injuries tend to be a lot worse. Trucks pose different hazards to other road vehicles, so be sure to ask your potential attorney what their background in trucking accidents looks like.
Referrals and Recommendations
Referrals and recommendations from past clients are listed on a law firm’s website and you should treat with suspicion any firm that doesn’t list them at all.
But sometimes you want a more honest opinion that isn’t cherry-picked from a list of successful cases.
So, a great way of learning more about your lawyers is by reading online reviews. Google Reviews and websites like Trustpilot and Yelp offer honest insight from past clients and they aren’t curated by the firms they represent, so you’ll know you can trust what you’re reading.
Cost and Contingency Fees
You need to understand the difference between upfront costs, out-of-pocket fees, and contingency fees when comparing lawyer fees, and it’s not as complicated as it sounds.
Upfront costs are what you pay out of your own pocket However, in personal injury cases, these upfront fees tend to be low, and that’s because of the contingency.
Contingency fees are a percentage of what you receive in your final settlement and tend to start at around 30% of your compensation. The contingency rises should a case go to trial (so read the fine print), but the contingency also means you won’t have to pay anything if you don’t win your case.
You will have to cover out-of-pocket expenses, which may include any of the following:
- Court filing fees
- Expert witness fees
- Copying fees
Communication
Let’s face it: If you’re reading this, you’re probably not a lawyer. Legalese is difficult to comprehend at the best of times and in the wake of an accident with severe ramifications, the last thing you want to be doing is butting heads with your attorney.
Your attorney should be adept at simplifying terms and cutting through the jargon to explain everything to you. A good truck accident attorney will never leave you in the dark and will update you on every change in your case.
So, to ensure you receive the best service, make sure you ask about the process of keeping you informed. In most cases, a team of paralegals handles things like collecting documents and informing their clients of updates to cases – so don’t be surprised if most of your communication is handled via them.
Find a Truck Accident Lawyer Today
It’s no easy task to select a truck accident lawyer in the aftermath of a trucking accident, but the most important takeaway is this:
Find an attorney with proven experience in trucking accidents who takes you seriously, communicates in simple terms, and keeps you updated on the status of your compensation. You’ll have peace of mind and be secure in the knowledge that you will get the compensation you deserve.
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