As vital to the country’s transportation and commerce infrastructure as they are, commercial tractor-trailers also present a serious risk to everyone else around them if they are not operated carefully. Truck drivers who engage in irresponsible behavior behind the wheel—and trucking companies that encourage or compel such behavior—may be held financially liable for the immense financial and personal harm that they cause through an ensuing accident.
However, getting a positive outcome out of this type of civil claim as a plaintiff can be tremendously difficult without a knowledgeable personal injury attorney’s support. Once retained, a dedicated Laurel truck accident lawyer could explain all your recovery options in a confidential setting, guide you through the process of constructing a strong settlement demand or lawsuit, and work to minimize the impact that procedural rules and restrictions have on your pursuit of recovery.
Recoverable Damages in a Truck Crash Claim
Unfortunately, the disparity in both size and weight between commercial trucks and the typical commuter car generally means that the occupants of the smaller vehicle(s) involved in a truck accident suffer much more significant harm. In light of this, both settlements and civil court verdicts in these types of cases are often very high in value, as they must account not only for short-term losses like emergency medical bills and car replacement costs but also long-term—and sometimes permanent—losses of earning capacity, consortium, and enjoyment of personal opportunities.
If a truck crash stemming from negligence results in fatal injuries to someone else involved, surviving family members of the deceased may have grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim and seek compensation for funeral and burial expenses, lost companionship, lost financial support, and other damages. A Laurel truck accident attorney could go into detail during a private consultation about what damages a particular situation might allow recovery for.
Who Could Bear Liability for a Truck Wreck in Laurel?
Establishing fault for an auto accident involving a commercial vehicle can be a surprisingly complex proceeding depending on the circumstances. While truck accidents can bear direct responsibility for causing a crash through their own reckless or careless actions, they are not always the best parties to name as defendants in ensuing civil claims.
In many situations, a truck crash victim could hold the company that employed a negligent truck driver vicariously liable for the harm their employer caused. Alternatively, trucking companies are sometimes directly liable for accidents of this nature, either because they failed to maintain safe hiring practices or forced their drivers to disobey federal trucking regulations in an attempt to save money.
Still other truck accidents may stem not from a truck driver or trucking company’s actions, but from negligent upkeep on a commercial truck by a third-party mechanic, improper loading of cargo by a supplier, or even reckless or careless driving by the operator of another vehicle on the road. Guidance from a truck crash lawyer in Laurel is often critically important to identifying the appropriate defendant(s) for a claim of this nature based on the unique circumstances leading up to a plaintiff’s injuries.
Speak with a Laurel Truck Accident Attorney Today
Even if it seems obvious who is to blame for causing an accident involving a tractor-trailer, you should think twice before trying to pursue a civil claim over that wreck without professional legal representation. There is no shortage of legal and procedural issues that could sidetrack your pursuit of compensation, and negotiating with insurance providers and defense attorneys without legal counsel of your own will almost always put you at a substantial disadvantage.
Retaining a Laurel truck accident lawyer to help with your case could make all the difference in how that case ultimately concludes. Schedule a consultation by calling today.
