When are truck accidents a legal issue?
A collision with a large vehicle like a cement mixer, auto carrier, or 18-wheeler can be a terrifying event that leaves you with devastating injuries. What can be even more painful is the process of settling a claim with a well-resourced trucking company.
And with the number of collisions and fatalities up in the last years (according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) it’s more important than ever to have an ally.
Despite many trucking businesses boasting enormous financial resources and powerful legal teams, the law is clear that if their negligence led to your injury, they’re liable for damages.
How can Formica Law Group help?
Formica Law Group has been helping victims of truck accidents in Los Angeles get the compensation they need for years, providing the money necessary to cover medical expenses, vehicle replacement, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If you want to bring a claim against a trucking company, you need a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer with experience in litigation. Trucking companies and their insurers have the financial resources to force lengthy trials, which many attorneys aren’t prepared for. Stefano Formica has a proven record of success litigating truck accident cases, which can discourage even the largest company from stringing you along, leading to a faster settlement.
Contact us for a free consultation.
FAQs
Who is liable in a truck accident?
If a big rig collides with your vehicle, your immediate reaction may be to blame the truck driver. While negligent driving may be the cause of some California truck accidents, in many instances, the trucking company is also to blame. Here’s why:
– Overworked drivers: Many trucking companies lack a large enough workforce to fulfill all of their obligations, so they push their drivers to work longer hours. These fatigued truck drivers are prone to carelessness and bad decisions that put other drivers at risk.
– Unrealistic goals: In addition to long hours, many trucking employers enact unrealistic schedules that force drivers to rush from destination to destination. This undue stress can force drivers into risky behavior that can cause truck accidents in Los Angeles.
– Poor maintenance: Some trucking companies cut corners when it comes to regular truck maintenance, which may lead to faulty brakes, malfunctioning lights, or poorly maintained tires. This kind of vehicle neglect can make trucking companies liable if an accident occurs.
It takes a highly accomplished investigative and legal team to discover these kinds of issues, and trucking companies may go to great lengths to conceal them. That’s why you should hire a truck accident lawyer with years of experience holding parties accountable to ensure all liable parties are held responsible.
What should I do after a truck accident?
If you’re able to, here are some steps you can take immediately after an accident that may help your legal case.
– Seek medical assistance: If you or someone else is injured, you should immediately call 911 for emergency medical assistance. Regardless of whether you feel hurt or not, you should get checked out by a physician as soon as you can. Injuries may not appear immediately, and you should have a health care professional document all your injuries to safeguard your legal case.
– Call the police: You want the police to oversee the accident, especially if the truck driver was driving under the influence or engaged in other risky behavior. You also need a police report to satisfy insurance companies and the courts.
– Gather witnesses’ contact information: It is very important that you secure the testimony of any eyewitnesses, so collect names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of as many witnesses as possible.
– Document the scene of the accident: In addition to writing down the time, location, and driving conditions of the truck accident, try to take as many photos as possible of all vehicles involved, tire tracks, traffic lights and cameras, property damage, and debris.
– Don’t engage: Other than your insurance and contact information, don’t say too much to the other drivers. When recounting the accident t
How are truck accident cases won?
In order to win a truck accident case, you will need to prove that the driver or trucking company was negligent and this negligence caused the accident. The simplest way to prove negligence is to provide evidence that they were in violation of a state or federal regulation.
To obtain this evidence, your legal team may search out and use the following kinds of documents to secure a large settlement or trial award:
– Driver logs
– Bills of lading
– Weight tickets
– Delivery documents
– Dispatch instructions
– Company manuals and policies
What could be included in my settlement?
If you suffered personal injury or property damage due to the negligence of a truck driver or his employer, you may pursue a claim against them. This claim may include compensation for some or all of the following:
– Medical bills
– Physical therapy
– Loss of wages
– Reduction of future wages due to disability
– Pain and suffering
– Emotional distress
– Loss of consortium
Because truck accidents so often produce catastrophic injuries or death, truck owners are legally required to have insurance with higher liability limits than passenger vehicles. Not only does this almost guarantee that a truck will be insured, it often means a settlement from a truck accident will be much larger.
