Every year, thousands of accidents involving commercial trucks occur on America’s interstate highways, causing millions of dollars in damages and catastrophic harm to those unfortunate enough to be involved. To make matters worse, pursuing civil recovery after a truck crash can be especially complicated when the driver and/or truck involved have a massive multi-state corporation backing them up.
Fortunately, help may be available from a seasoned nationwide truck accident lawyer. With a qualified personal injury attorney representing your best interests, you could have a much better chance of achieving the financial restitution you need without running afoul of any legal regulations or procedural roadblocks along the way. Reach out to our firm to determine whether we could help in your interstate truck crash case.
Under federal law, tractor-trailers traveling on interstate highways can weigh a maximum of 80,000 pounds between the cab, the trailer, and all the cargo loaded into the latter. Unfortunately, a fraction of that weight is more than enough to cause devastating damage to any smaller vehicle the truck collides with, and the more mass that is involved in a crash, the more dire the repercussions of that incident are likely to be for the people involved.
Even comparatively “minor” injuries stemming from truck crashes like lacerations requiring stitches, soft tissue injuries such as ligament tears, and multiple bone fractures can require months of expensive medical treatment and lead to substantial losses in income and personal opportunities during the long recovery process. In more serious interstate trucking accidents, injuries like internal organ damage, spinal cord trauma, brain damage, and limb crushing or amputation injuries may result in permanent disability and/or disfigurement no matter how quickly an injured person seeks the best possible medical care.
A comprehensive lawsuit or settlement demand following a truck crash on interstate highways must therefore account for both short- and long-term damages, including various non-economic (subjective) losses that might be difficult to establish a definitive financial value for. An experienced nationwide trucking accident attorney’s guidance can be essential to accurately evaluating damages like lost consortium, physical pain, and lost enjoyment of life, as well as to demanding compensation for all losses through a comprehensive civil claim.
Another way in which truck accidents often make for complex civil litigation is the number of different individuals and entities that could bear liability for a single collision. While truck drivers can be held responsible for causing wrecks through their own negligence, liability for trucking collisions is often shared by the company that employs the negligent driver.
An example of when a trucking company may be held liable for an accident would be an employer forcing drivers to disobey federal trucking laws to save time on routes and increase profits. Likewise, a lawyer experienced with interstate truck crash cases could potentially help pursue compensation from third parties who contributed to a commercial vehicle wreck, such as a mechanic who failed to replace faulty brakes or a supplier that did not ensure cargo was secured in a trailer prior to transit.
No matter what state it happens in or how many vehicles it involves, any traffic accident involving a commercial vehicle has the potential to cause life-changing harm to every person involved and nearby. After a wreck like this, pursuing financial compensation through a civil settlement or lawsuit may be your best means of protecting both your short-term financial security and your long-term prospects for a productive and happy life.
Get in touch with a nationwide truck accident lawyer to determine whether we could help you.
