If the insurance company is calling you about an accident involving a big-rig or 18-wheeler, DISCONTINUE. Accident victims all too frequently let insurance claims representatives decide how their reimbursement will be handled.
However, a claims representative’s role is to reduce the expenses that insurance companies are responsible for. Their objective is not to restore health to accident victims. In fact, it’s not uncommon for their obligations to the insurance company. They work for to be at odds with what’s best for you and your family.
Therefore, before moving forward, it is imperative that you consult with a lawyer skilled in handling cases of this nature. Even if you choose not to hire a lawyer. The initial session may be crucial to your capacity to comprehend. The issues at hand, at least from a fundamental point of view.
A collision with a lorry, lorry or 18-wheeler is among the most horrific things that may happen on the road. Too many of these truck collisions result in fatalities or severe, long-term physical impairments. Which entails significant monetary losses, high medical costs, and a challenging rehabilitation process.
The truck accident attorneys at The Barber Law Firm are available for a FREE consultation. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a truck accident and is thinking about taking legal action.
Every day, accidents involving big trucks happen. In the US, there are close to 500,000 incidents involving heavy trucks. In reality, one out of every eight traffic fatalities is the consequence of a collision with a heavy truck. Which is involved in about 5,000 accidents involving semi-trailer trucks. Unsurprisingly, passengers of the vehicles hit by tractor-trailers account for the majority of injuries and fatalities in truck accidents. Due to the advantage of a considerably larger vehicle to protect them in a collision. Truck drivers frequently walk away unhurt.
Kris Barber, a Dallas semi-tractor-trailer accident attorney, defends 18-wheeler accident victims who have suffered severe physical harm as a result of the carelessness of a tractor trailer, truck, or other driver. These victims’ relatives and friends may also be represented.
WHY SELECT THE LAW FIRM OF BARBER?
It’s crucial to get legal counsel from a qualified personal injury lawyer who has a lot of experience representing truck accident victims if you or someone you know has been hurt in a tractor-trailer collision. Tractor-trailer cases aren’t your typical personal injury lawsuits; these cases have a lot more moving pieces, like administrative rules and the potential for several defendants who may be liable for your injuries.
Kris Barber, a Dallas truck accident attorney, has the necessary skills to represent you in cases involving injuries from accidents like:
1) Injuries that require surgery, staples, or sutures;
2) Traumatic brain injury (“TBI”), such as those brought on by a lack of oxygen;
3) Serious burns that leave behind large, long-lasting scars;
4) Mental suffering and distress;
5) Injuries brought on by collisions with motorists who were intoxicated, impaired, or otherwise under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
6) Death is the worst-case scenario.
FORMS OF COMPENSATION FOR TRAILER ACCIDENT VICTIMS
You already know that no amount of money can make a person whole after being involved in a truck accident, if you or someone you love has experienced one. However, receiving compensation may assist to reduce some of the financial stress that can result after a truck accident. The following can be financially compensated through a personal injury claim, commonly known as “damages”:
- medical costs such as those associated with hospital stays, surgeries, and the purchase of equipment necessary for treating injuries;
- if you are chronically incapacitated, the expenditures of long-term care and rehabilitation;
- income you’ve lost from being unable to work since your injury, as well as any earnings potential you’ve lost if you’re unable to work again permanently;
- physical discomfort you experienced both during and following your accident; and
- emotional damage brought on by your truck accident, including melancholy, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.
DO NOT BELIEVE THAT AN INSURANCE COMPANY IS ON YOUR SIDE.
After a truck collision, either your own or the truck driver’s insurance company is likely to contact you shortly. It’s crucial to exercise caution while speaking with an insurance company, regardless of how sympathetic the person on the other end of the queue may sound. Keep the following advice in mind whenever you interact with an insurance provider:
Recognise that your calls may be recorded. The purpose of these recorded phone calls is not “training and quality assurance,” as some insurance agents may claim; rather, it is to allow them to use your own words against you in the event that you trip up and say something that could be construed as incriminating.
Without the approval of an attorney, never sign any documents. A pile of papers will probably arrive once an insurance company calls you. No matter how innocent-looking the document may seem, make sure to have an attorney review it before you sign. Insurance firms enjoy hiding dangerous provisions in the small print so that confused victims may sign away their rights.
TRUCK DRIVER ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
Truck drivers must abide by all standard driving laws when they are on the road. In order to improve the safety of other drivers on the road, truck drivers are also subject to various laws and ordinances that govern almost every element of their work, including:
- mandating the acquisition of a commercial driver’s licence (“CDL”) for all drivers of heavy trucks;
- lowering the threshold at which driving while intoxicated is regarded;
- securing goods securely and limiting the commodities that a truck is allowed to transport; and
- tractor-trailer maintenance on a regular basis.
THE RISK OF TRUCKING DRIVER FRIGIDITY
All of the aforementioned rules are intended to safeguard both truckers and other motorists who use the road with tractor trailers. Many truck safety advocates, though, are sceptical about the effectiveness of these guidelines.
Truck driver weariness, in the opinion of safety experts, is a more urgent issue. Drivers are now permitted to drive for 11 hours following 10 straight hours off-duty, thanks to new regulations adopted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of the United States Department of Transportation.
Additionally, after 10 hours off-duty, drivers are not permitted to drive beyond the 14th hour after reporting for duty. Similar to current regulations, drivers are not permitted to operate a vehicle after 60 or 70 hours, respectively, of consecutive on-duty time in a period of seven or eight days. The driver may resume this on-duty cycle after at least 34 hours off-duty in a row.
Short-haul truck drivers, or those who regularly return to their place of dispatch after each duty tour and are then freed from duty, are permitted to work an additional 16 hours of on-duty time once every seven consecutive days. The 16-hour exception accommodates valid business requirements without compromising security.
After eight hours of off-duty time, the present regulation permits 10 hours of driving during a 15-hour on-duty period. Additionally, drivers are not permitted to operate a vehicle after 15 hours on duty in a weekday, 60 hours in a row or 70 hours in a row.
However, drivers frequently carry on despite caution advising against it because they are under pressure to deliver their loads. In the previous month, one in five long-distance truck drivers admitted to dozing off behind the wheel.
AVOID DELAYING UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE
Regardless of the specifics of your truck accident, you should get legal counsel as soon as possible since there is a limited window of time in which to do so. Almost always, there is a deadline from the accident date by which a lawsuit must be filed.
To ensure that you do not forfeit your right to potential compensation, you should get in touch with an expert truck accident lawyer as soon as you decide to pursue a claim for the injuries you received in your accident.
If you lose, don’t pay
Don’t let the worry that you won’t be able to afford legal representation keep you from getting the help you need and deserve to get compensation for the injuries you never should have endured if you were harmed in an accident involving a tractor-trailer or other large truck.
If our legal team accepts your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we will only be compensated if we are successful in recovering damages for your injuries.
A TRUCK ACCIDENT LEFT YOU HURT? WE ARE READY TO ASSIST
It’s crucial to think about your legal options if a tractor-trailer or other large truck accident resulted in your injuries or the death of a loved one in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
Many truckers work for major companies, which might prioritise the delivery of their products over your safety. The personal injury lawyers at The Barber Law Firm are ready to make sure that every truck accident claim puts your legal rights first.