Up against the commercial trucking industry, truck accident victims often face a much more difficult legal process than car accident victims. If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, it’s important to understand the complexities you may encounter when seeking compensation for your suffering.
Trucks Carry High Insurance Policies
Commercial trucks are driven by hired drivers carrying expensive cargo, meaning the risk — and therefore the insurance policy — is greater. With coverage far more than what you have on your own vehicle, the trucking company and its insurer will go to great lengths to avoid paying you what’s owed.
If the trucking company has taken shortcuts, like using a discount insurance company or not obtaining the required amount of insurance, you may have damages beyond the compensation they can provide. Kelleher Law’s experienced truck accident attorneys will fight to get you the money you deserve.
Trucks Are Stringently Regulated
Commercial trucks travel long distances, often across state lines. Because of this, they’re required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation. These two agencies apply hundreds of regulations to truck drivers and trucking companies, including:
Regular truck maintenance- Annual truck inspections
- Restricted driver hours
- Commercial licenses for all drivers
- Continuing education for all drivers
- Driver drug and alcohol testing
- Secure cargo specifications
- Driver logbooks
Our truck accident attorneys are well-versed in the latest standards. We may be able to prove that a truck driver or the trucking company didn’t comply with these or other rules, strengthening your case.
Trucks Can Inflict Severe Damages
The average car weighs 5,000 pounds, while the legal weight for a commercial truck is 80,000 pounds — before any oversize or overweight permits. When trucks and cars collide, accidents can be fatal. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 4,000 people died in truck accidents last year. Sixty-eight percent of those who died were occupants of passenger vehicles. If you’re the victim of a truck accident, you may have life-altering medical issues, including:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Back and/or neck injury
- Paralysis
- Disfigurement
- Burns
You’re entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Truck Accidents Have Different Causes Than Car Accidents
With much longer dimensions than the average car, commercial trucks have a wider turning radius, longer stop times and take up more of the lane. Common causes of truck accidents include these and the following factors:
Bad weather: If truck drivers don’t pull off and wait for inclement weather to pass, their trucks may jackknife.
Inexperienced drivers: A trucking company may have hired drivers who don’t hold proper licensing or haven’t been properly trained. They may also put drivers on the road who haven’t spent enough time behind the wheel.
Driver fatigue: Truck drivers have to meet certain deadlines, and many are paid by the mile. This pressure can cause them to stay on the road longer than is safe or legally allowed.
Unfamiliar roads: Truck drivers may be traveling in new areas and attempt to make last-minute maneuvers that could lead to accidents.
Our attorneys can help you determine the cause of a trucking accident, as well as who is at fault.
Both Truck & Car Accidents Require Experienced Attorneys
While truck accidents are often more complicated than car accidents, both can leave victims suffering from injuries and other damages. Trusting your health and well-being to third parties and the insurance companies may lead to you getting less than you deserve. Work with an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney to get fair compensation.
Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers in Ft. Meyers, FL
Kelleher Law serves clients in Ft. Meyers, Cape Coral, Naples and nearby areas of Southwest Florida. If you’ve been the victim of a truck or car accident, call us at 833-546-3675 for a free case evaluation. We provide 24/7 phone evaluations and won’t seek payment unless your case is successful.
