Multiple factors complicate truck accident injury claims
A crash with a big rig on a California highway can produce serious injuries among passenger vehicle occupants. The sheer size and weight of commercial trucks increase the force of impact. Although truck accident victims might apply the same personal injury laws to collect damages as car accident victims, the cases possess greater complexity.
Identifying the responsible party in a truck accident might become difficult when drivers operate trucks owned by separate companies. The cargo could possibly belong to a third party, which adds another layer of complication. When ownership and responsibility lack clarity, the assignment of liability could become contentious.
Liability might also hinge upon the violation of trucking regulations. A driver exceeding the maximum number of hours behind the wheel might support a claim of trucker fatigue, but the injured party needs to access this information to bring it up during a personal injury claim. Similarly, some trucks record information that could indicate the speed that the truck was traveling at the time of the accident.
Trucking companies and their insurers typically work to deny or limit accident claims. Victims can expect these entities to discredit or discount accusations about who caused the accident.
Because a victim of a truck accident might have severe injuries that require a long and costly recovery time, the responsible parties have strong motivation to fight a claim. The representation of an attorney might counteract these efforts and relieve a victim of the need to navigate unfamiliar insurance and legal systems alone. An attorney might find evidence of trucking company negligence after investigating truck data, truck driver logs and police reports. This information could support an insurance claim or lawsuit. Ultimately, legal services may shield the person from accepting a low settlement out of desperation as medical bills pile up.
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