Truck accident claims aren’t the same as car accident claims. They are more challenging to manage because they require a deeper investigation to determine who’s truly at fault. Other complicated factors are legislation that’s specific to trucks and companies that have legal teams ready to fight.
More than one party
When you’re in a car accident with another passenger vehicle, you’re only dealing with one guilty party. Truck accidents, however, are more complex than that. You’re dealing with the trucking company, the loading company, manufacturers of the truck parts and service providers in addition to the truck driver. It takes an investigation to determine who’s at fault. The driver might not have any liability if the person who loaded the truck made a mistake that resulted in the contents spilling.
Trucking laws
There are trucking laws in addition to car accident laws that further complicate these cases. Truck drivers have federal Hours of Service regulations to follow that mandate how long they can drive without taking a break. In the past, logging hours were done with pen and paper. Most trucking companies now use ELDs (electronic logging devices) to automatically record when the driver is driving.
Trucking companies
Truck companies usually have lawyers ready to defend them. If you say anything that suggests you are to blame for the accident, then those lawyers will use that against you. You can keep yourself safe from false accusations after an accident by not posting about it on social media, refusing to directly speak with the other side and keeping accurate records on your pain and suffering along with medical costs. Gathering as much evidence as possible after the accident helps with your claim as well. Unfortunately, truck accidents often hospitalize the driver in the passenger vehicle, so you might not be able to gather evidence at the scene. You can have your emergency contact take photos for you that you can use to support your claims.
Massive size difference
The maximum weight of an 18-wheeler without special permits is 80,000 pounds. Compare that to the average 5,000-pounds passenger vehicle, and you can understand why truck accidents are often devastating for the passenger vehicle.
Though trucking accident claims are more complex, there is hope. Make sure you have all ducks in a row and remain patient, and your chances of succeeding will be high.
