What Does a Truck Accident Attorney Do?

It’s no secret that truck accidents are often much more serious than regular car accidents. According to recent data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), there are about 4,000 truck accident deaths in the US every year.

More than 80% of these deaths are occupants of a passenger vehicle, motorcyclists, bicyclists, or pedestrians. For this reason, it’s usually easy to find attorneys who exclusively work on truck accidents rather than just standard car accidents.

But what exactly do truck accident attorneys do? Here’s an overview of what a truck accident attorney does when working a case.

What an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney Looks For

When a truck accident attorney receives a case, the first thing they do is try to collect as much evidence as possible. However, the amount of evidence in truck accident cases usually exceeds that of any other auto accident. This is because of the number of parties that may be at fault.

One thing an attorney may look for immediately is evidence of federal trucking regulation violations. This is a common cause of accidents and is usually the result of a negligent trucking company or driver.

In fact, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) publishes statistics on all violations every quarter.

In 2021 alone, there were more than 8,900 federal and state violations by motor carriers throughout the United States. Many of these involved mishandling hazardous materials and unsafe driving practices.

In addition, the attorney may look for any signs of pressure placed on the driver from their employer. Since truck drivers are usually paid by the mile, they are sometimes encouraged to ignore certain regulations, leading to:

• Fatigued driving,
• Intoxicated or otherwise impaired driving,
• Improper loading,
• Inconsistent maintenance, and
• Poor route planning.

All of these factors may lead to an accident, even if the driver is confident in their abilities. As such, their employer may be liable for reinforcing said behavior.

Resources a Truck Accident Attorney May Use to Argue a Case

Truck accident attorneys have a variety of resources they use to show the negligence of the responsible party. Commonly, they may have access to expert witnesses that can provide detailed information about the accident or any injuries associated with it.

For example, they may hire an accident reconstruction specialist to recreate portions of the crash or a doctor to identify the long-term complications of an injury.

Negotiating with Insurance Companies

After a truck accident, one of the most difficult aspects of filing a claim is dealing with insurance providers. This is because the goal of adjustors is to minimize the cost for the insurance company. As a result, they try to get victims to admit fault or accept a low offer.

The benefit of hiring a truck accident attorney, like Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C., is that they handle communication and negotiations for the victim. This includes discussing any applicable damages with the adjustor and advocating on behalf of the person injured.

Just like investigating the cause of the accident, a truck accident attorney helps collect any evidence associated with damages. Whether a victim needs medical treatment, misses work, or requires vehicle repairs, the attorney helps calculate all of these losses.

In addition, they help determine any intangible losses the victim may suffer, such as lower quality of life or permanent disability. This is quite common in truck accidents since they usually involve severe injuries.

Conclusion

While all automobile accidents may seem the same at a surface level, some are more serious than others. In the case of truck accidents, litigation is often more complex and involves a multitude of factors.

Truck accident attorneys understand these complicated aspects of these crashes and usually handle them in a somewhat different way. The availability of expert testimony and the focus on accident evidence are some of the most notable differences.

However, these extra steps are necessary in many truck accident cases, especially if there is more than one party involved.