If you’ve been in an accident with a large truck, you may not know when you should hire a truck accident lawyer. This dangerous profession accounts for thousands of deaths every year and even more injuries. If you’ve experienced property or bodily damage from a semi-truck, here are some reasons you should hire a truck accident lawyer.
A truck accident lawyer can determine who was at fault.
Determining who is at fault can be difficult. It’s rare that an accident is 100% one person's fault, and even if it’s a small percentage your fault, this can impact your damage recovery. An experienced attorney knows how to prove fault, even in instances when there are several vehicles involved. It may be the only way for you to recover a portion of your damages and pay for things like medical bills or repairs on your vehicle.
A truck accident lawyer can identify potential defendants.
When a commercial truck is involved, there may be more than one defendant. Other defendants can include the trucking company, the driver’s employer, and insurance companies. In a case like this, it’s important to assign proper liability to each responsible party, so you’re sure to recover enough money to pay for your damages.
A truck accident lawyer can use discovery to help you.
Discovery is the period of time which both sides are required to disclose facts and documents related to the case. An individual may not know exactly what documents to request, which means this gives the opposite party the chance to hide detrimental evidence in the case. A truck accident lawyer knows what to request and how to your advantage.
A truck accident lawyer knows the laws specific to the trucking industry.
Knowing federal, state, and local laws can be difficult, especially since the law is often made up of cases that change the law called “precedent.” The only way to know each of these is to spend hours and hours studying, which is something that a truck accident lawyer has done. Additionally, these legal professionals know things such as driver request requirements, maximum truck weight, and proper truck maintenance. This information could mean a bigger settlement for your damages.
A truck accident lawyer can negotiate effectively with the other party.
When you get in an accident with a trucking company, you’ll be going up against a team of lawyers designed to give you the smallest settlement possible. An experienced truck accident lawyer knows how to negotiate with the other side. He or she knows if a settlement is the best option, or if it should go to court. Not only will you get a fair settlement, but you’ll spend much less time dealing with the accident than if you went to court.
