Who is a truck accident lawyer: Meaning and definition
A truck accident lawyer is a lawyer or attorney who specializes in dealing with truck accident cases that include negotiating with insurance companies and representing you in court. He is the legal resource to help you get compensation and justice if you have got injured due to the negligence of a truck driver.
What does a truck accident attorney do
Have you or one of your loved ones got injured due to negligence involving a truck? No doubt getting the right kind of treatment should be the first thing on your mind. But the next thing should be getting justice and compensation if it is not your fault. Here a truck accident lawyer could be of great help in making a strong case that wins a claim.
Here we will let you know what a truck accident lawyer can do for you.
Determines Liability
Determining liability in a truck accident case is difficult. You may think that the truck driver is the only person to be held accountable. But there could be more than one person to be held liable in this case. Apart from the truck driver, the trucking company, insurer, manufacturer, insurance company and cargo company can also be held liable for the accident.
A truck accident attorney with in-depth knowledge of federal and local law can determine whom to hold liable for the accident.
Preparing a Strong Case
After the truck accident, you have to present a strong claim before the insurance company and a compelling case in the concerned court. In both these situations, you need to have an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side.
Your attorney will collect different kinds of evidence to make your case compelling. He will collect police records, video footage, statements from witnesses and data from the truck's electronic devices to make your case strong.
In the next leg, he will visit the hospital to collect evidence of the loss of wages and medical expenses.
Insurance and Court Cases
The role of an accident lawyer does not end with determining the liability and collection of evidence, instead, he negotiates with the insurance companies to get a better settlement. If required he also moves to court to ensure justice for you. As we all know insurance companies are hard to please. Here an experienced lawyer on your side can make things easy for you.
Proving your Viewpoint in the Accident Case
Collecting documents and making a strong case is of no use unless it helps prove your point. A truck accident lawyer with good experience in negotiating with insurance companies and arguing in court is better positioned to do this.
Your lawyer will prove that the truck driver was not driving reasonably and he violated the duty of care.
How to choose the right truck accident lawyer
Finding the right truck accident lawyer is difficult given the complex nature of laws involving truck accidents. But you can find the right one following certain suggestion.
Estimate Your Legal Needs
You should set your goals and expectations from the case while hiring a truck accident lawyer. But even in doing so, you need to consult a lawyer who will give you a perspective on your case. He is the one to guide you on whether you should go for settlement or trial.
Decide whether you want to go for settlement or trial and hire a lawyer accordingly.
Experience is Important
Every lawyer studies the same law book but it is the experience that sets them apart. The injuries and losses that occurred due to truck accidents are far higher than those of normal auto or car accidents. So, you should go for a lawyer who has experience in handling truck accident cases.
Success Rate
Experience is important but the success rate is important too. You should know how many truck accident cases he has handled and with what success. Always go for an attorney with a high success rate but don't get overwhelmed by a tall success rate. To do it better, you can talk to the former clients of the truck accident lawyer under consideration.
Negotiation Skills
When someone meets a truck accident, the insurance companies negotiate with you so that the matter can be resolved fast out of court. But initially, the amount offered is very small. As your lawyer is talking on your behalf, he should be experienced enough to get you adequate compensation.
His Workload
While hiring a construction accident lawyer, do know how busy is he. Will they be able to pay proper attention to your case? There are times when attorneys have several cases to handle and they are not able to pay proper attention to your case. Having a moderate number of cases is good. It is a sign of success. But lawyers with an exorbitant number of cases cannot do justice to you. Refrain from them.
Budget
Budget is a major consideration when choosing a truck accident lawyer or any other kind of lawyer. You must know how much they charge for your case.
Here it is worth noting that most truck accident lawyers charge on a contingency basis. That means they will not charge you unless they win your case. If they win, they charge a certain percentage of the claim amount.
Your Comfort Level
Though is not a very tangible trait, you must enjoy a comfort level with your attorney. As he is going to be a part of your team dealing with the recovery process, you may need to call him during unsocial hours.
Having trust in him is another factor as you confide the smallest of details to him and he needs to use it to your advantage.
Communication Skills
One of the major things to consider while choosing a truck accident lawyer is communication skills. Is he able to communicate things simply and lucidly or he is sticking to legal jargon?
Does he communicate the development in your case or is he keeping it to himself? A good truck accident lawyer has a good mechanism to communicate the development in your case. He should keep you informed when there is a significant change in the status of your case.
Ask from People
Despite the advent of rating websites, the old method of asking for a recommendation has not gone obsolete. Asking people for references is still a good way to hire a truck accident attorney. If someone in your circle has gone through a truck accident in past or handled it for someone, then he is better positioned to help you.
Seek Online References
With the availability of several online listing portals, review websites, and social media, it has become a tad easy to know about lawyers these days. You can leverage these resources to check ideal truck accident lawyers near you. There are various websites like Google and Yelp offering listings and reviews about truck accident lawyers. Just search truck accident lawyers in my area and you will be served with various options.
Distance from You
As you need to visit your truck accident lawyer frequently, your lawyer should be conveniently located. The recent advances in technology have made finding a nearby lawyer easier. Your just type truck accident lawyers near me and you will be given several options. But here is a word of caution. Not every lawyer is equally good, so know about them while deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
There could be several questions related to truck accident lawyers. Here we try to answer them one by one.
Who pays for the truck insurance claims?
Truck companies are safeguarded with insurance coverage. And any accident occurred due to the negligence of their drivers is covered with it. Most truck accidents happen due to negligent driving, insufficient training and low maintenance among others.
What one should do after a truck accident?
Meeting with a truck accident is an unfortunate thing. But you should get to your senses after it as you must take a few steps. These are as follows.
- Call the police
- Get the contact details of the driver
- Collect details of the trucking company
- Collect information about witnesses
- Seek medical help
- Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer
What types of damages do truck accident lawyers help the victim recover?
With the help of a truck accident lawyer, a victim can get damages for various things that include.
- Medical expenses
- Loss of wages
- Lost chances of earning
- Emotional suffering
- Pain in the affected area
- Wrongful death
- Damages done to vehicles
What kind of evidence a truck accident lawyer collects?
Evidence is vital for making a strong case when you meet a truck accident.
- He clicks pictures of the accident site
- Meets witnesses and records their statements.
- Analyses camera footage
- Assesses vehicle damage
- Know about the client's medical expenses
Who can I sue in case of a trucking accident?
As you meet an accident, you might have questions like whom to sue for the accident. You can sue whoever is at the fault for the accident. They could be
- The driver of the truck
- Owner or trucking company
- Manufacturer of the truck
- Maintenance firm
- Government officials (for bad road conditions)
Is hiring a truck accident lawyer worth it?
Hiring a truck accident lawyer is completely worth it as he safeguards your legal rights and negotiates a better deal with insurance companies. He proves his worthiness in more than one way.
A lawyer knows well what to say and what to not say to before insurance companies to make a strong case.
What is the meaning of negligence in a truck accident?
While driving a driver should be careful toward others. He should practice diligence to avoid inflicting harm to other people and vehicles on the road. When a truck driver fails to exercise this diligence and makes an accident then it is defined as negligence and he can be held liable for damages.
How much do truck accident lawyers charge?
When you meet a truck accident, you need to hire a lawyer. These are personal injury lawyers who work on these cases. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. That means they charge a certain amount of settlement if you win the case. The contingency fee varies from one law firm to another.
Truck accident cases are very serious in nature. Why?
Trucks are big-sized vehicles with a mass of more than 10000 pounds. At a high velocity, it creates a big momentum as momentum is a multiplication of mass and velocity. It is why the impact created is very high and so is the damage.
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