If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you might be eligible to recover compensation for your injuries and damage to your property. While the accident may have been caused by a truck driver’s reckless or negligent actions behind the wheel, responsibility for what happened to you likely does not end with the trucker. Having an attorney with experience with these types of cases is essential to recovering the compensation you deserve. You need an experienced advocate in your corner who can identify the person(s) responsible for your truck accident injuries.
Filing a lawsuit against the truck driver may seem like the most obvious course of action after an accident, but there are often multiple parties behind the scenes who may have contributed to the crash as well. One benefit of using a lawyer for a truck accident claim is knowing that an experienced attorney will know who should be held responsible. This is critical because it could mean the difference between recovering full compensation or something less. When you hire a lawyer for truck crash case, you can rest assured that the team at the Sloan Firm and investigators will ask the right questions and gather the information necessary to hold all liable parties accountable so that you can receive the compensation that you deserve.
In many cases, the trucking company that employed the driver may be held liable in addition to the truck driver, especially if the company failed to conduct proper background checks, license reviews, or failed to train the driver on the correct operation of the vehicle, among other possible liabilities. An experienced truck accident injury lawyer, such as those at the Sloan Firm, will know how to get a hold of this information to review it to determine if the trucking company may also be held liable.
Regulation of the Trucking Industry: Lawyer For Truck Crash Case
It takes only one careless act by a truck driver to change your life forever. Because of this, various laws exist to regulate the behavior of truck drivers and provide safety measures. In addition to following state laws (such as the statutes that set forth the Rules of the Road), commercial truck drivers are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). An experienced truck accident attorney, such as the lawyers at the Sloan Firm can help you determine which state laws and federal regulations may have been violated in the context of your accident.
Trucking Company Liability: Lawyer for Truck Accident Claims
In general, employers are responsible for the negligent actions of their employees. This includes trucking companies and the truck drivers they employ.
Before a truck driver is allowed to operate an 18-wheeler or other large commercial truck, trucking companies are required to take several precautions. Regulations make truck companies responsible for:
- Ensuring that every vehicle is equipped with the proper parts and meets nationwide standards
- Ensuring that all trucks and parts are, at a minimum, inspected annually
- Ensuring that truck drivers diligently inspect their vehicles – both the tractor and the trailer – before and after every trip
- Monitoring the hours of service (HOS) of truck drivers to minimize driver fatigue
- Preventing drivers from engaging in reckless or illegal behavior while driving
- Obtaining permits for the transportation of hazardous materials
Companies are supposed to check the driving records of individuals that they hire and provide proper training to drivers. Failure to do so may expose these companies to liability. In your case, a trucking company may be added as a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit, depending on the specific situation. This may be the case when, for example, a trucking company ignores hours of service limits and pressures truck drivers to travel for longer distances with fewer rest breaks. The Sloan Firm attorneys are knowledgeable on the current regulations and will get all the necessary facts and information to make sure all liable parties are held accountable.
Truck Driver Liability: Attorney for Truck Accident Case
Although truck drivers are also required to follow FMCSA safety standards and licensing requirements, many truck drivers still engage in behavior that could place other motorists in danger. In 2015 alone, over 400,000 truck accidents were reported to police. These accidents were caused by a number of factors, including truck driver negligence.
Examples of common truck driver errors include:
- Distracted driving, including but not limited to talking, texting, or surfing the Internet on a smartphone while driving
- Reckless driving or speeding
- Fatigued driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Failure to check blind spots
When you meet with an attorney at the Sloan Firm, they can review all of this information with you. Our attorneys are familiar with the common truck driver errors. This knowledge allows the Sloan Firm’s attorneys to investigate and ask questions so that you are able to get the compensation you deserve after your truck accident.
You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer to Know Who is Legally Responsible for Your Injuries.
Determining who is responsible for your accident will require an expert investigation. That is why hiring the right legal team will help strengthen your case. Contact the Sloan Firm with its years of experience handling truck accident and injury cases for help with your truck accident case.
After an accident, you should be allowed to put all of your energy toward your recovery and getting back to your life. However, building a convincing injury claim involves a significant amount of time and research. It could require the review of hundreds of pages of driver’s logs, licensing records, maintenance receipts, and internal company documents, among other records. Obtaining, organizing, and prioritizing the evidence that is needed to support your claim requires the efforts of an experienced truck accident attorney.
One benefit of contacting a lawyer for truck accident claims is that our team may uncover that the trucking company has more responsibility than the actual truck driver. Trucking companies are generally responsible for meeting regulations that apply to both the company’s actions and the actions of their employees within the scope of employment.
Other possible defendants may include other drivers, truck maintenance technicians, the truck manufacturer, the owner of the cargo, or others. You should consult with an attorney at the Sloan Firm to determine who else could be liable for your injuries.
The truck driver (and his/her insurance company) may attempt to blame you, other drivers, or road conditions for causing an accident. At the same time, the trucking company may attempt to minimize their liability for their employee’s actions and pressure you into accepting a low settlement offer. Your experienced attorney at the Sloan Firm will immediately recognize these tactics and will help ensure that you get the fair compensation that your claim is worth.
Get Help With Your Truck Accident Claim: Truck Accident Case Lawyer
If you have been injured in a truck accident, you need an advocate who will fight for your right to receive compensation for your injuries from all responsible parties. The personal injury attorneys at the Sloan Firm have years of experience handling truck accident cases and understand how to seek compensation from trucking companies and other liable parties, as well as their insurance carriers.
At the Sloan Firm, our truck accident injury attorneys are committed to helping our clients get justice and receive the compensation they may be owed after a truck accident. Contact us online or by phone today for a free and confidential consultation with a member of the Sloan Firm’s legal team.