Truck Rollover Accident Lawyers

Hiring a Truck Accident Attorney in Your Area

It is no secret that America’s economy depends on the commercial trucking industry to transport the items and goods that are used daily. In 2019, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that there were 13,085,643 registered large trucks on the road. There were 510,000 large trucks involved in collisions in 2019, unfortunately 4,479 of these large truck crashes were fatal. 158,000 people were injured, minor to serious injuries included, in semi truck accidents on the roads of America in 2019.

Driving on the roads in any automobile comes with inherent risk. No matter how safe and diligent you are, you have no control over other motorists or things such as the weather. Sharing the roads with large commercial trucks makes things even riskier, but it is a necessary part of life for drivers on the highways and interstates in the United States. While the risk rises daily with the increase in drivers, agencies such as the FMCSA are doing everything they can to keep big truck crashes from occurring.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a semi truck rollover accident, you may want to consider seeking legal representation. Some people find it difficult to know where to even begin when it comes to looking for a personal injury lawyer. LegalFinders was created to help connect accident victims with truck accident lawyers with years of experience in their area. If you are in need of the services of a personal injury attorney, allow LegalFinders to assist you today!

What Should You Do If You Have Been Involved in a Truck Collision?

The immediate aftermath of any auto accident can be chaotic and confusing. If you have been involved in an accident involving a big rig, the chaos can be even more overwhelming. It can be very difficult to process your next steps through the fog of shock but there are a few things you can do to make sure that you and your loved ones are safe.

1. Get to a safe spot. If you have been involved in a rollover accident with a tractor trailer, you are most likely on a busy street or a highway. If you are not severely injured, try and move to the side of the road where you can call emergency services. Do not try to move someone who is injured unless there is an immediate risk of fire or something else equally dangerous or fatal.
2. Call emergency services. In the United States, the number you call in case of an emergency is 911. If you have been involved in a semi-truck accident, the dispatcher will know exactly what services you will need – typically police officers, fire trucks and emergency medical technicians will be sent to the scene.
   •  It is very important that you receive medical attention from the EMTs. Adrenaline can often mask serious and severe injuries that can be worsened if you move. EMTs are experienced in accident trauma and they will know what to look for. EMTs can determine if your injuries require immediate treatment such as surgery, or if your normal medical provider can handle your injuries.
   • You will need the police report that is generated for this wreck. If you are planning on or considering hiring a personal injury attorney, it is important to get a copy of the police report. The police report is helpful because it determines who was at fault in the car wreck and will be extremely useful for both your insurance company and your personal injury case.
3. Collect evidence as soon as possible. If you can, you need to immediately start gathering evidence. This can include pictures of the automobiles involved, the scene, and anything in the area that could have contributed to the accident. Videos and/or recordings of your statement and witness statements will also be valuable for your future truck accident lawyer. 
   • You will also need to get any medical bills that have been generated as a result of the accident. The police report of the accident and anything else that may be related to the accident will need to be saved, copied and passed on to your personal injury attorney in case you decide to take legal action. You will also need pictures or documentation of any property damage, such as damage to your vehicle, prior to getting any repairs. 
4. Contact your insurance company. It is so very helpful to get the ball rolling with your insurance company as soon as you possibly can. You cannot receive any compensation until your insurance company has settled the claim. When you call your insurance company, you will need your insurance policy information and any evidence you have gathered regarding the accident – photos, videos, reports, witness statements, bills, etc. This will help your insurance company decide who was at fault.
5. Use LegalFinders to find your personal injury attorney. If you have been involved in a tractor trailer collision, you need to seriously contemplate hiring a personal injury attorney. From handling important deadlines to knowing the ins and outs of your state’s accident laws, a personal injury lawyer will make this whole process easier for you. Even if your insurance company is assisting with claims relating to the accident, a personal injury attorney can help you receive full compensation for any damage or injury that you sustained. Insurance coverage is an important component in getting immediate recovery and getting you back on your feet in the short term. But the insurance company is generally looking to only cover the minimum level of compensation, while an attorney can help secure the best outcome you are entitled to in the long run. 

Although motor vehicle accidents of any kind can be life-altering, accidents with semi-trucks can be even worse. There can be a long road of recovery ahead of you that you need to focus on. LegalFinders can help you connect with a personal injury lawyer in your area that will make your load lighter.

 

What Are Some of the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents?

Every day, passenger vehicles and big rigs share the highways of America. These highways are vital to the American economy and the consumers who depend on the products that are delivered over the thousands of miles of road. Unfortunately, it is no surprise that accidents occur between large commercial trucks and smaller vehicles. There are many different reasons that accidents occur, below are a few examples of common causes of truck accidents:

• Blind spots – many motorists do not realize that the blind spot on a large commercial truck is much, much larger than a regular passenger vehicle’s. This means that for a greater amount of time, a smaller vehicle is going to be invisible to a truck driver.
• Speeding – big rigs are not able to stop as quickly as passenger cars. That means that if a big rig exceeds the speed limit and then must stop quickly, the possibility of a truck crash increases greatly.
• Failure to yield the right of way – as previously stated, large trucks cannot come to a stop quickly. Therefore, if a smaller vehicle fails to yield the right of way when they are supposed to, the probability of experiencing a collision becomes greater.
• Failure to keep enough distance between vehicles – when you learn how to drive, one of the first things they teach you is to keep enough space between you and the car in front of you in case they brake suddenly. This is especially important when it comes to driving around large commercial trucks.
• Distracted driving – if either driver is distracted from what they are supposed to be focused on, such as texting instead of watching the road, they can easily drift into the wrong lane, fail to stop at a light or a sign and more.

When you take the test for your driver’s license, you are agreeing to obey the rules of the road. Motorists need to understand how important it is that they learn to share the road with each other. From long-haul truckers trying to make a run to the van full of family headed on vacation, everyone is responsible for doing their part to make America’s roads safer.

What Types of Injuries Are Common After a Semi Truck Rollover Accident?

The human body is intricate and can be very delicate and fragile. If you have ever seen a person standing next to a big rig, you can understand how catastrophic injuries can occur in tractor-trailer accidents. While there is a wide range of injuries that can occur from vehicle accidents, the following are some of the most commonly encountered:

• Bumps, contusions and scrapes
• Cuts and lacerations
• Broken, fractured and dislocated bones
• Concussions
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage or ruptured organs
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Comas
• Death

It is common to feel sore after a car accident in the days following the collision. It is important to keep an eye on yourself and go to the doctor if you notice anything that is not normal for your body. Some injuries are not always immediately noticeable and can take days to appear. If you are concerned, always seek medical attention.

You will need to make sure you keep track of all the medical expenses that arise due to your truck accident injuries. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or even killed in a semi truck rollover accident, you should seriously consider seeking legal representation. LegalFinders can help you set up a free consultation with a law firm near you!

 

Should You Hire a Personal Injury Attorney for Your Rollover Accident?

Considering the possibility of hiring a personal injury lawyer can be a very important and also very personal decision to make. Many people never consider finding themselves in a situation in which hiring a personal injury attorney is necessary. However, if you do happen to find yourself in this position, there are a few things you can take into consideration:

1. Free case evaluation – Most law firms will offer to briefly look over your case and let you know what your options are. This free, low-pressure consultation is so helpful for deciding if this is the step you want to take next.
2. Important deadlines – Every state has a time limit, known as the statute of limitations, in which you can file a case or a lawsuit against someone. This clock starts ticking as soon as the accident occurs, so it is very important to keep up with the dates and deadlines. Hiring a personal injury attorney is very helpful for these deadlines. It is literally their job to keep up with it, so you know you will not miss anything important.
3. Truck accident law – While each state has laws regarding truck accidents that occur within their state lines, a personal injury attorney that specializes in truck accidents will have the unique knowledge of the laws specific to your state. Because truck accidents are moving incidents that occur while traveling the highway, there may be other states involved if the accident occurred outside your home state while you were traveling away from home, or if the trucking company is located in another state. There may be the option to file in another state that has jurisdiction over the case. Depending on the laws between states, one state may be a more favorable forum to file your claim to give you the best possible outcome. An attorney will know the best place to file your claim and the important filing deadlines for that state.
4. Property damage compensation – not only can you receive compensation for injuries and medical treatment received due to a commercial truck accident, but you can also hire a truck accident attorney to help recover the cost of replacing or repairing any property that was damaged as a result of the collision.
5. Insurance companies – If you are having a difficult time with an insurance company, either yours or the other driver’s, a personal injury attorney will be able to, by law, get them to cooperate. It is the goal of a personal injury attorney to make sure that you receive the compensation that you are entitled to for your truck accident claim.
6. Wrongful death claims – In the tragic event that a loved one is killed as the result of a truck driver’s negligence, a personal injury attorney will be able to take care of the legal portion so that you and your family can spend this time grieving and not worrying about filing deadlines.

While no one wants to find themselves in a situation where hiring a legal team to represent you in a truck accident case, it is comforting to know that there are law firms in your area with years of experience who are ready and willing to take on your case. LegalFinders is here to help you get started!

LegalFinders was created to help connect accident victims of all kinds find personal injury attorneys in their area. With access to testimonials from people who have successfully used each law firm’s services and their honest feedback, you will find the process of finding a legal team much easier.

 

How Is the Trucking Industry Working to Prevent Semi-truck Accidents?

America depends and relies upon the trucking industry. In 2017 alone the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported 561,000 active motor carriers, 12,000 passenger carriers and five million active commercial drivers. It is paramount that commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles learn to share the road safely.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the governmental agency in charge of the safety guidelines and the enforcement of the guidelines that trucking companies must abide by. Their goal is to maintain the safety of the roads by developing new techniques as technology progresses and the continual upgrading of America’s infrastructure.

So, what is being done to ensure that trucking companies prevent driver error and truck accidents? Below are a few of the steps the FMCSA is taking to prevent commercial vehicle accidents:

1. Hours of service – this refers to how many hours a commercial truck driver is allowed to operate a commercial vehicle and specifies how long a driver must rest and take a break for. This is one way the FMCSA is making sure driver fatigue does not cause a truck accident.
2. Commercial Driver’s License – Truck drivers are required, by law, to have a Commercial Driver’s License. Driving a commercial vehicle is much different and more difficult than driving an ordinary passenger vehicle. This ensures that drivers have passed a test that covers a multitude of skills in order to be driving on the road.
3. Random Testing – Commercial Truck Drivers are subject to random drug and alcohol tests to ensure that they remain sober and clear-headed while they are operating these big and powerful automobiles.
4. Black box – This device carefully records all input via sensors from the vehicle. This data is usually uploaded to a trucking company’s records. In the event that there is an accident, this data can be retrieved by the trucking company or law enforcement. The previous 5-10 seconds of data before a wreck can be brought up so that a clearer picture of what happened can be formed.
5. Inspections – Frequent inspections by law enforcement ensure that commercial vehicles that are not safe to be on the road are removed until they can be proven to be compliant. Improperly strapped cargo, broken lights, dragging debris, etc. are all things that can get a truck driver pulled over and usually fined.

Federal regulations are designed to keep everyone, both passenger vehicle drivers and commercial truck drivers, safe. Trucking companies are frequently inspected to ensure that they are properly managing their drivers and fleet so that truck accidents and truck accident lawsuits can be avoided.

However, it is important to remember that if you are in an accident involving a commercial truck company, you have a legal right to file a lawsuit if the trucking company has been proven to be neglectful and their driver is the liable party. The trucking company may have been directly negligent in hiring an unqualified driver with a poor driving record or failed to adequately train the driver to ensure others were safe on the road.

Even if the trucking company was not directly negligent, they can be held vicariously liable for the negligence of the driver if the driver was an employee of the company and was working within the scope of their employment at the time of the accident. The judge may even assign additional compensatory damages against the trucking company if they feel that your pain and suffering are worth more. Punitive damages are extra damages beyond your actual economic losses that can be tacked on in the event that the trucking company engaged in malicious or incredibly reckless behavior that caused the accident.

 

LegalFinders: Connecting Truck Accident Victims With Personal Injury Attorneys

If you or a family member have experienced the trauma of being involved in a semi truck rollover accident, you may need some help with the next steps. Hiring a personal injury attorney can be the best decision you make. From help with insurance companies, medical expenses and bills, to police reports and court filings – there are many, many reasons to hire a personal injury attorney following a truck accident.

The aftermath of a truck accident is usually chaotic and overwhelming. Emotions are all over the place, stress is through the roof and you could be injured on top of everything. You should not be expected to have to handle everything yourself – and you are not! LegalFinders was designed with you in mind! Hundreds of attorneys and law firms from your area are at your fingertips! When you find an attorney you believe matches your needs the best, you can find everything you need at LegalFinders. Their contact information including phone number and address is available alongside honest reviews and testimonials.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a semi truck rollover accident, do not let the worry and stress add up. Allow yourself the assistance of a personal injury attorney to handle and keep track of your injury claim so that you can rest and recover. If you are ready to get back to your life, use LegalFinders today!