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Get The Help You Deserve After an 18-Wheeler Accident
A truck collision results in one death or serious injury every sixteen minutes. More than 90,000 people are injured annually by 18-wheelers in particular, and 4,965 people are thought to have died in 18-wheeler incidents in 2020 alone. Large truck fatalities have increased over the past ten years, despite the trucking industry’s persistent demands for laxer safety rules.
See a knowledgeable 18-wheeler accident attorney if you or a loved one has been hurt or died in an 18-wheeler accident. For a free case evaluation, give Munley Law, one of the top truck accident attorneys in the country, a call today.
Our legal practice is committed to representing victims of truck accidents, including those involving 18-wheeler commercial vehicles. We have fought trucking firms for years, winning lawsuits on behalf of individuals like you who were injured in truck accidents. We wish to put in the effort to assist you, and we have the means and knowledge to take on these businesses. The consultation is free of charge, and we only get paid if we prevail in your case.
Why Do I Need to Hire a Lawyer for My 18-Wheeler Crash Case?
If you or someone you care about was in an 18-wheeler truck accident, you may feel that the event’s costs and injuries are clear-cut and that you did nothing wrong. You may be wondering why you would require legal representation.
A car collision and an 18-wheeler crash are not the same thing. Serious injuries from 18-wheeler crashes may require months or even years to heal. Trucking accidents might include more than one party, whereas vehicle accidents just involve you and the other driver.
Here are a few other reasons why hiring a lawyer is beneficial for your 18-wheeler accident claim.
Trucking Companies Regularly Deny Responsibility
Trucking businesses are experienced in the best ways to avoid taking liability for accidents caused by its 18-wheel truck drivers and to minimize the costs involved, as thousands of accidents occur each year. After an accident, the majority of trucking companies will send representatives to the scene in a matter of hours or minutes. These delegates will endeavor to gather proof in an effort to minimize or refute any allegations you might have against them.
With decades of combined experience, our lawyers are regarded as the nation’s premier legal team for truck accident cases. Our attorneys have received a lot of settlements and verdicts against 18-wheeler trucking companies. When you hire one of our attorneys, the trucking company will know they are up against the best and most experienced 18-wheeler truck crash firm in the nation.
18-Wheeler Truck Collision Cases Are Complicated
Litigation involving truck accidents is inherently complex due to the nature of 18-wheelers, auto accidents, and medical issues. These instances involve intricate ideas from the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, federal shipping rules, driving standards, and economics. Accident victims will have to establish their case to a jury by outlining what happened using these intricate scientific and industry-specific concepts and principles when a claim based on an 18-wheeler collision gets to trial.
At Munley Law, our team has over 60 years of experience in the trucking industry, the science of truck accidents, and the most effective negotiation and trial strategies to achieve significant results for our clients.. We have built a team that understands how to use field experts, graphics, witnesses, and technologies in order to explain why victims like you deserve to be compensated
Getting the Award You Are Entitled to Require a Lot of Resources
Due to their large financial and human resources, trucking and insurance corporations frequently coerce accident victims into leaving or accepting settlements that are substantially less than fair. To fight for the compensation you deserve as an 18-wheel accident victim, you will have to match the trucking and insurance firms’ enormous financial resources. To present your case to a jury, our attorneys can collaborate with specialists to testify at trial and employ the newest technologies.
Semi-truck commercial vehicle 18 wheeler on highway with overpass
How Much Compensation Could I Receive for My 18 Wheeler Accident Claim?
Serious injuries from eighteen-wheeler collisions typically necessitate a lengthy recuperation period. A victim of a truck accident may incur medical costs, missed income, psychological distress, and potential burial costs, among other financial damages.
You may be eligible for both non-economic and economic damages if your injury claim is successful.
Economic damages refer to any financial losses that you accrued after the accident. Examples of economic damages include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages and earning potential
- Funeral costs
- Property damage
Non-economic damages can compensate you for any non-financial losses that you experienced. Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment or consortium
Regretfully, insurance rarely pays for every one of these costs. Moving ahead, your best bet is to consult with an 18-wheeler accident attorney.
Why Are 18-Wheeler Accidents So Catastrophic?
Compared to most other vehicle categories, eighteen-wheelers are far more risky. Among the explanations for this are:
- Heavy Loads – With a full load, an 18-wheel truck weighs 80,000 pounds, which is 400 tons. To put that number into perspective, the average car weighs about 2,700 pounds, which is just over 1 ton. That means that 18-wheelers are 400 times heavier than most of the cars that they share the road with. When 18-wheel trucks collide with other motor vehicles, their massive weight often causes serious injuries, incredible property damage, and tragic deaths.
- Biggest Automobiles on the Road: Eighteen-wheelers can carry up to four trailers and have a maximum length of 176 feet! This implies that the 18-wheel truck that is following you on the freeway is more than ten times longer than the typical automobile and longer than half of a football field. When driving through tight streets, merges, steep curves in the road, and highway exits, it might be challenging for drivers to avoid crashes. Their enormous size also increases the risk of careless driving, such as speeding. The energy required for an 18-wheeler vehicle traveling at 70 miles per hour is double that of one traveling at 50 miles per hour.
- Demand Greater Space and Time to Stop: An 18-wheeler needs roughly 40% more time and space to stop completely or to slow down than a car does. Many drivers of motor vehicles who follow 18-wheelers are unaware of the recommended gap between their vehicle and the enormous truck in front of them.
- Large Blind Spots: An 18-wheeler’s rear glass is absent, unlike that of a car, hatchback, SUV, minivan, or pickup truck. Because of the enormous size of the truck and trailer, 18-wheeler truck drivers are forced to rely on their rearview mirrors to see what is behind them. However, these mirrors have significant blind areas.
What Should I Do After an 18-Wheeler Truck Accident?A skilled lawyer will gather the proof required to support your accident claim, deal with the insurance provider on your behalf, advocate for you in court, and see to it that you receive the just compensation.
- Keep your cool and stay in your car at the accident scene unless you really must get out for safety. Do not leave the site and dial 911.
- Make a note of everyone’s name, address, and phone number—especially that of the witnesses. Note the names and badge numbers of any law enforcement officials looking into the collision.
- Capture images and record video of the cars and casualties present in the area. Make sure you have the employer’s details from the truck driver.
- Even if you didn’t believe you were hurt in the collision, get medical help. It’s possible that injuries won’t show up for hours or days following the collision.
- Notify your insurance provider right away to initiate the claim procedure. Keep your conversations with your insurance provider to the facts of the case and do not admit fault.
- Do not discuss the accident with anyone except the police or your insurance agent. You are not required to give a statement to anyone but the police and your insurance company.
- Obtain a copy of the police accident report. Apply the same logic to an insurance company’s property damage appraisal. Your lawyer will have a better understanding of the value of your claim thanks to both reports.
- Make a note of every appointment you have with medical professionals. Put all of your discomfort, symptoms, and diagnosis in writing. Obtain copies of all prescriptions, treatments, test results, and other medical records.
- Enumerate every expense you pay out of pocket as a result of your semi truck accident or while you are injured.
- Note any absences from work or other activities that you were unable to participate in due to your injuries.
- Consult your 18-wheeler accident attorney before to speaking with the opposing party’s insurance provider. Recall that the only people you should talk to about the accident are your insurance company, the police, and your lawyer.
- Until you have a consultation with one of our knowledgeable attorneys, do not accept any settlement offers.
- Overloaded or incorrectly laden trailers: It is the shippers’ duty to ensure that the cargo is fastened securely. Unsecured cargo has the potential to tumble out of the trailer during transport, colliding with other cars and resulting in an accident. Additionally, the vehicle won’t be correctly balanced if the 18-wheeler is overloaded. The truck can overturn on the road with just one abrupt turn.
- Tired driving: Truck drivers need to meet their deadlines. Additionally, they have stringent guidelines known as hours of service. These rules are in place to prevent fatigued truck drivers from operating their vehicles, which could result in an accident. Unfortunately, a lot of these drivers will disobey the law because they are under pressure from the trucking firm to reach an arbitrary deadline, which will result in tired driving.
- Under the influence of alcohol or drugs: Operating an 18-wheeler while intoxicated is prohibited and poses a serious risk to drivers. When driving, they must always be on the lookout. But with only one drink, their reaction time may slow down. When you combine it with the extra time a large rig needs to come to a complete stop, the outcomes can be disastrous.
- Distracted driving: While operating a vehicle, truck drivers often spend alone hours staring at the road. In addition to using their phones, they can easily become sidetracked when eating, use the navigation system, or tinkering with the radio.
- Speeding: An 18-wheeler may jackknife on the road if the driver turns a corner too quickly or brakes hard after traveling too fast. This implies that the truck’s front end will come to a stop, but the trailer will continue to move behind the car, dragging any cars with it.
- Unfavorable weather: Rain, sleet, snow, and fog can all make it difficult for cars to see and drive on the road. Even though they may believe they are less susceptible to inclement weather, truck drivers are not immune to accidents.
- Failure to carry out necessary maintenance and inspections: The truck owner is in charge of keeping the 18-wheeler maintained and checking it for issues on a regular basis. But a lot of owners disregard routine examinations. This may cause tire blowouts and worn brakes, among other signs of wear and tear on the car. Furthermore, whoever was in charge of the truck’s upkeep may be held accountable if something was put on it incorrectly, such the wrong kind of tire.
- Manufacturing defects: Sometimes the accident was not caused by the driver but by the truck’s manufacturer. Vehicle defects are common causes of any type of traffic accident. When there is a defect in the manufacturing of the vehicle that results in an accident, the manufacturer could be held responsible.
- Truck driver
- Trucking company
- Owner of the truck/trailer
- Third party manufacturers
- Facility responsible for loading the truck
- Any group responsible for the contents of the trailer
- The following parties may be parties to an 18-wheeler crash lawsuit:
- Q: Who Can You Sue in an 18-Wheeler Crash Case?
- An initial job for your attorney specializing in 18-wheeler accidents will be to determine what actions and circumstances led to your collision. There are several reasons why 18-wheeler accidents occur, including:
- Frequently Asked Questions in 18-Wheeler Crash Cases
- With two attorneys who have chaired the American Association for Justice Trucking Litigation Group, we are the only legal company in the country. Only a small number of attorneys have obtained National Board of Trial Advocacy board certification in Truck Accident Law, including Marion and Daniel Munley. Our 18-wheeler accident lawyers achieve unprecedented outcomes because that’s what our clients are entitled to.
- Although many law firms say they handle matters involving truck accidents, very few have the experience and knowledge necessary to effectively defend victims of truck accidents. Accidents involving massive 18-wheelers and commercial trucks should only ever be handled by attorneys who have a track record of successfully suing major transportation firms. The best lawyer for the position needs to be well-versed in the laws, technology, insurance, and procedures pertaining to the trucking sector.
- Here is what truck accident victims need to do in the days after an 18-wheeler crash:
- Actions you may take right away to assist following an 18-wheeler collision protect your future truck accident claim:
- The first and most crucial thing to do following an accident is to contact a knowledgeable attorney for 18-wheeler crashes as soon as you can. To take on big trucking businesses, you will need to have experience. These businesses have an abundance of resources, including legal teams and other specialists ready to take on any litigation that is brought against them. The comfort that comes with having legal representation at your side aids in your recuperation.
