When a truck is involved in an accident, the consequences can be devastating. In fact, truck accidents often result in permanently life-altering or fatal outcomes, including the loss of the ability to work or to enjoy life.
While life may never be the same for victims or their loved ones after a commercial truck wreck, getting compensation from the at-fault party can give you the financial resources you need to cope and get necessary treatments.
The Troy truck accident lawyers at Christensen Law will fight to get you fair compensation if you were injured due to a truck driver or trucking company’s negligence. Get started on the road to justice by calling our compassionate team of lawyers.
Christensen Law’s Michigan Truck Accident Lawyers Get Record-Setting Results
Our Michigan personal injury lawyers understand what the victims of truck accidents and their survivors experience in the aftermath of a crash. We have secured millions of dollars in settlements and court awards on behalf of victims of negligence in Michigan, including the largest ever personal injury verdict in Michigan in a truck accident claim.
Christensen Law secured $17.8 million in damages after a 36-year-old woman was rear-ended by a cement truck. The accident happened because the driver was reading paperwork while driving 50 miles per hour. Because the driver was distracted, he collided with the plaintiff’s vehicle, forcing her into a utility pole.
The plaintiff suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to have three spinal fusion surgeries. She is now facing a lifetime of pain after having screws and plates implanted in her spine. The jury awarded damages for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering after an eight-day trial. While compensation can never truly make up for everything our client went through and continues to deal with, it still helped with expenses and acknowledged her difficulties.
How Negligence Causes Truck Accidents in Troy, MI
For a successful truck accident claim in Michigan, your injury attorney will need to prove negligence on the truck driver or trucking company’s behalf. While mechanical failures do sometimes occur, the vast majority of truck crashes happen due to driver negligence behind the wheel of these complex vehicles. Some common negligent actions include:
Distracted Driving
Truckers eating, texting, or otherwise distracted while attempting to navigate and split focus is an extremely common cause of collisions with injury-causing impact. Slow reaction times due to these distractions leave little room for error near smaller passenger vehicles.
Fatigued Driving
Drowsy truck driving also has major implications, as these vehicles require precise control to avoid incident. Violating hour of service regulations to overwork and pushing physical limits leave truckers susceptible to lapses behind the giant wheel.
Poor Cargo Loading
Improperly secured cargo that suddenly shifts mid-transit can cause loss of control incidents. Enforcement of weight limits and balance regulations seek to protect against these problems arising.
Unsafe Speeds
The immense momentum of a loaded tractor-trailer means speeding can transform minor situations into major collisions in an instance around other motorists.
In the wake of catastrophic truck crashes caused clearly by negligence, trucking companies often fail to take full financial responsibility for harm inflicted by their drivers. Call our team so our experienced trial attorneys can hold all liable parties accountable.
What Damages Can a Troy Truck Accident Lawyer Help You Recover?
A truck accident lawyer serving Troy crash victims could potentially help clients recover compensation across many categories of accident damages, including:
- Medical expenses – Both current and future medical costs like emergency response, hospital bills, rehab, at-home nursing care, and prescription medications necessitated by crash injuries. Compensation for lifetime expenses is possible with a permanent disability.
- Income loss – Reimbursing lost wages if injuries prevent an accident victim from working – either temporarily or indefinitely. This includes calculating reduced future earnings from disabilities or diminished work capacity as well.
- Property losses – Repairs or replacement costs for any personal vehicles or property damaged in the incident.
- Pain and suffering – Monetary compensation for enduring often severe physical discomfort, trauma, emotional distress, grief, reduced quality of life, and loss of enjoyment related to former activities.
- Loss of consortium – Damages awarded to the spouse of an injured victim for the loss of companionship or income stemming from injuries to their partner.
A Troy truck accident lawyer can quantify even hard to substantiate categories like pain and suffering with evidence and expert testimony. We can passionately fight to help clients recoup fair compensation so you can cover the costs of medical treatment and care.
The Deadline to File a Claim After a Truck Accident in Troy
According to Michigan’s statute of limitations, the victims of truck accidents in Troy generally have three years to file a claim for compensation. The three-year clock typically starts ticking on the day the crash occurs. This means the sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can get to work gathering evidence to build your case.
There are some scenarios where the statute clock may be pushed back, and s Troy truck accident attorney can fully assess to confirm a claim’s timeliness.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident Claim in Troy
There are multiple potentially liable parties who injured victims can pursue legal action and financial compensation against following a truck crash occurring in Troy, Michigan. These include:
- Truck driver – The truck’s driver may be held liable in a truck accident claim in Michigan if they are found to be driving under the influence, driving while distracted, or otherwise behaving negligently while behind the wheel.
- Trucking company – The trucking firm that employs the driver and is responsible for property maintenance, safety compliance, and driver oversight and training can be sued directly or have driver negligence imputed onto them.
- Another driver – The trucking company or truck driver can share negligence with one or more other drivers in a multi-vehicle accident.
- Property owners or local government – If a truck loses control and leaves roads due to known poorly maintained shoulders, missing run-off guards, or sharp slope angles on private adjacent land, those property owners might share some degree of liability under state statutes. If the land or road issues were under a government’s jurisdiction, this party could be held liable.
Don’t leave money on the table because you didn’t hold all responsible parties accountable. A Troy truck accident lawyer will identify all potentially negligent parties in your accident to make sure you get compensation from every party that contributed to your injuries.
How a Troy Truck Accident Attorney Can Help You During the Claims Process
A truck accident attorney from a firm serving Troy can provide invaluable help through the extensive claims process by:
- Conducting investigations: We gather police reports, take witness statements, photograph scenes, secure vehicle telemetry, obtain company records, and research safety compliance – building leverage to negotiate optimal settlements.
- Navigating complex laws: Attorneys clarify how intricate trucking regulations, corporate liability intricacies, indemnity contracts between companies, and negligence proof requirements apply to strengthen claims against multiple parties.
- Managing paperwork burdens: From documenting medical expenses, employment reports for wage losses incurred, property valuations, to insurance policy details, lawyers alleviate administrative hassles victims face trying to self-substantiate losses.
- Communicating with insurers: Truck accident attorneys are well-versed in dealing with adjusters seeking to minimize payouts, pushing for full scope of coverage from various policies that may be involved, backed by irrefutable proof demands.
- Avoiding victim blame: Trucking firms often resort to accusations surrounding victim fault to offset liabilities. Companies may try to say you were more at fault than you actually were in an attempt to reduce the amount paid out to you. A dedicated legal team protects against these pressure tactics.
By leveraging years navigating complex truck crash claims, a Troy truck accident attorney has the hands-on experience and tenacity to secure financial resources crash victims require to recover.
Get a Free Consultation With a Troy Truck Accident Lawyer
In the aftermath of a truck collision, the path toward justice may seem uncertain. The
Troy truck accident attorneys at Christensen Law have helped local victims find clarity in the confusion. By aggressively investigating to uncover every liable party and fighting for maximum compensation, we bring answers and hope back within reach.
With compassionate legal experts in your corner leveraging broad expertise in local truck insurance statutes, you can make informed choices during difficult times and gain the pivotal resources necessary to reclaim your life.
Christensen Law simplifies the process of filing a truck accident claim in Michigan from incident to resolution. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.
