Any auto accident can be incredibly dangerous, but truck accidents are on an entirely other level. Truck accident victims deal with severe and often lifelong injuries, and the parties responsible should have to pay fair compensation.
An attorney can help you figure out the extent of your damages and how much they are worth in your lawsuit. Many damages are directly related to the money you spent because of the accident, while others are based on subjective yet painful experiences. Truck accidents are often caused by truck driver negligence, although other drivers on the road might also share some liability. Common factors include speeding, fatigued drivers, and unsafe road conditions. While truck drivers are often at the heart of truck accident cases, other parties might also be responsible. Other drivers or even the trucking company that hired the trucker might be implicated in your case.
Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 to arrange an evaluation of your case for no charge with our experienced truck accident lawyers.
Recoverable Damages in Tuscaloosa Truck Accident Cases
Truck accidents tend to be associated with serious injuries. Any auto accident carries the risk of injuries, but trucks are so incredibly large, heavy, and fast that injuries tend to be more severe. Many truck accident victims live with serious long-term complications because of their injuries.
Severe injuries might include back and spinal cord injuries, head injuries, skull fractures, brain damage, nerve damage, and internal injuries. Even less serious injuries like cuts, bruising, and minor fractures can be very painful and expensive to treat. Medical bills in truck accident cases tend to be very high and are some of the biggest factors in economic damages.
Other economic factors include the value of your totaled vehicle, lost personal belongings, and lost income. You rely on your vehicle on a near daily basis, and replacing it might be necessary but costly. On top of that, your injuries might prevent you from returning to work, costing you income and making paying for your bills even harder. Finally, you might have lost important personal items like phones, computers, or jewelry in the accident.
Your non-economic damages might also be considerable. For example, physical pain and emotional anguish are difficult experiences to live through, and you should be fairly compensated. Even though pain and suffering are not necessarily related to money, we can argue for the most compensation possible.
How Truck Accidents Can Occur in Tuscaloosa
Truck accidents often stem from truck driver negligence, although other drivers on the road might contribute to the accident. Run-of-the-mill traffic violations often cause truck accidents even though drivers tend to disregard them as commonplace and nonserious.
One of the most common traffic violations, speeding, is also one of the most dangerous when it comes to truck accidents. Trucks are large and tremendously heavy. When trucks are moving at high rates of speed, they cannot stop on a dime. Truck drivers have to be extremely careful about speed because if another vehicle cuts them off, they might be unable to stop.
Truckers are known for making long trips and driving many hours at a time. As such, fatigued driving is a huge problem in the trucking industry. Although many companies have implemented requirements for drivers to take regularly scheduled breaks and rests, many drivers do not. Often, truckers are pushed by their employers to complete long trips as quickly as possible, and they skip breaks and lose sleep. Tired truckers might doze off behind the wheel and cause massive accidents.
Unsafe road conditions are an unfortunate reality that all drivers must adjust for. While it is dangerous enough when ordinary drivers fail to consider low visibility or slick roads, it is extremely risky when truck drivers do it. Driving in rain, fog, or snow makes for terrible conditions, and truck drivers who do not drive defensively in these conditions might be liable for an accident.
Liability for Tuscaloosa Truck Accidents
One important aspect of your case your attorney can help you sort out is whom to sue for damages. Suing the right person is crucial. If the wrong person is named or not included in the lawsuit, your case might be delayed, and you might have to go without the compensation you need for longer. While truck drivers are often at the center of these cases, their employers and other parties might share liability.
The Truck Driver
The driver of the truck is often considered the central defendant in truck accident lawsuits because their negligence is often the direct and proximate cause of the collision. Proving that the truck driver is responsible for the accident might require evidence from the scene, including photos, videos, and data recorded by the truck’s monitoring system, similar to the “black box” on planes.
Witnesses might also be needed to testify regarding how the trucker was negligent. For example, another driver might come forward and testify that they saw the truck driver dangerously speeding right before the crash.
Truck drivers should have plenty of insurance to help cover the costs of your damages. Not only might they have personal auto insurance, but they should have professional auto insurance since they are driving for a living. There are usually special forms of insurance specifically for trucks and truck drivers that you can use to get compensation.
The Trucking Company
By virtue of the employer-employee relationship, the trucking company that the truck driver works for might also be liable for your damages. Employers can be held vicariously liable for an employee’s negligence if that behavior is encompassed within the employee’s normal job functions.
Essentially, if the trucker caused the crash while in furtherance of their ordinary job duties, they and their employer might be liable for damages This is important to consider as trucking companies tend to have greater insurance coverage and might be better able to pay for your damages or offer larger settlements.
Other Liable Parties
Other drivers on the road sometimes play a role in causing truck accidents. While the trucker’s negligence might still be a major factor, other drivers’ negligent behavior might also be significant. For example, the truck driver might be recklessly speeding when they have to swerve to avoid hitting a car that failed to signal when changing lanes. As a result, the truck strikes your car, causing a major accident. In such a case, both the trucker and the other driver might be liable.
Call Our Tuscaloosa Truck Accident Attorneys for Assistance
Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 to arrange an assessment of your case for no charge with our experienced truck accident attorneys.
