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Sacramento Truck Accident Lawyer
Any automobile crash has the potential to be devastating, but accidents involving large commercial trucks tend to be particularly serious. These vehicles can weigh up to 40 tons and sometimes carry hazardous materials, so when one collides with a passenger car, it’s common to see severe and even fatal injuries.
If you’ve experienced this kind of devastation yourself, resulting in injuries or the sudden loss of a loved one to a commercial truck accident, we are here to help.
When you reach out to our law firm, you will get the legal assistance you need from a caring, skilled truck accident lawyer in Sacramento. At The Weinberger Law Firm, we understand how long it can take to emotionally heal from a tragic accident with a big rig.
Not only are you likely still reliving those scary moments from the crash, but you are also dealing with severe injuries and mounting medical costs. Let us lighten your load by handling your truck accident claim so you’re on your way to collecting the compensation you’re entitled to after a crash.
During your initial consultation with our Sacramento truck accident lawyer, you will have a chance to explain the details of the collision, ensuring we realize the full extent of the losses you’ve suffered. Whether your main concern is getting reimbursed for your medical bills or getting the money you need to bury your loved one after a crash with an 18-wheeler, we’re here to help. Contact our law firm today to schedule your free consultation.
What Causes Most Commercial Truck Accidents?
One of the most important parts of a truck accident investigation is finding out what caused the crash. This will play a big role in determining who is liable, which is necessary before any truck accident claims can move forward. Some causes behind truck accidents are similar to what you’d find in a regular car crash investigation since truck drivers are human and might therefore make the same careless mistakes that drivers of smaller vehicles do on the road.
For instance, speeding or reckless driving might lead to a tragic collision between an 18-wheeler and a smaller car. Drunk or drugged driving on the part of the truck driver can have the same devastating results. In addition, it might turn out that the truck driver was distracted behind the wheel, possibly because they were eating, texting, or browsing social media on a cell phone, or trying to grab an object that fell on the floor of the truck.
While any driver can make these mistakes on the road, not every driver is operating a vehicle that weighs several tons and possibly contains dangerous cargo. This is why collisions involving big rigs are often more serious than crashes between two or smaller vehicles.
As such, commercial truck drivers are supposed to be held to a higher standard than other drivers, so it’s important to bring a personal injury claim against the at-fault party if you believe a truck driver was negligent behind the wheel.
Additionally, there are some accident causes that are unique to truck drivers, since they spend a lot more time on the road than the average person and are driving for an employer, not for themselves. For instance, poor driver training can lead to serious accidents like an override or under ride accident, since inexperienced drivers are not familiar with how to safely operate large commercial vehicles. They might not know how to maneuver a big rig on the road or in a parking lot, use the truck’s safety features, or properly load cargo, increasing the chances of a serious crash.
Some causes of truck accidents is equipment failure since the driver or their employer did not have the truck properly inspected or repaired. As a result, the brakes might fail, or important safety features might not work when necessary.
Finally, driver fatigue is an unfortunately common reason behind Sacramento truck accidents, largely because truck drivers may feel pressure from their employer to drive longer stretches than they safely can. The result is that they could fall asleep at the wheel and drift into the next lane or even into oncoming traffic, causing fatal head-on or sideswipe crashes.
If you think any of the above causes led to your truck accident, it’s important to talk to a Sacramento truck accident lawyer to learn what your legal rights are as you pursue a claim. Even if you’re not sure what led to the crash, you should get legal help from a skilled Sacramento truck accident attorney who can guide you through a truck accident lawsuit.
You deserve a chance to get the compensation you will need to pay for your medical bills, missed wages, and other expenses you’re facing as a result of the crash.
Who May Be Held Liable for Truck Accidents in Sacramento?
One detail that sets truck accidents apart from crashes with passenger cars is the number of people who can be held liable. As mentioned above, the employer of the truck driver may be at least partially at fault for a collision, especially if it’s clear that the trucking company pressured employees to ignore safety regulations and drive while drowsy or neglected to complete proper vehicle maintenance.
Depending on what led to the crash, additional people besides the driver and their employer could be held liable. For instance, if someone loaded the cargo wrong, a tire blowout, or missed a defective part when inspecting the truck, and this issue contributed to the crash, you can include them in your truck accident claim.
An experienced truck accident lawyer in Sacramento can tell you which individuals may be considered responsible for the crash. Once you and your personal injury lawyer go over the details and determine who is liable, you can move to the next step in the legal process, which typically involves identifying the damages you’re entitled to. Contact The Weinberger Law Firm to get started on your insurance claim as soon as possible.
What Should You Do After You’re Injured in a Truck Accident?
When an 18-wheeler collides with your car, you’re likely to suffer serious or even permanent injuries. Your wounds will probably require emergency care and possibly surgery, which can get expensive. But it’s important to try to push your concerns about the costs of care aside for now and get the treatment your doctors recommend. You can always get reimbursed for these expenses when you file a truck accident claim and get your settlement.
In fact, getting compensated for your medical bills is often the main reason to file an insurance claim after a devastating crash. Unless you have thousands of dollars set aside to pay for your treatment, you will likely struggle to pay off these bills over the next few months, so you should let a lawyer help ensure that the at-fault party’s insurance company is responsible for them instead.
Most common injuries from truck accidents will require a trip to the emergency room and a few follow-up doctor appointments at the very least. Some might even result in years of medication and physical therapy, or possibly lifelong medical care to reduce your pain. You should not have to pay for these costs on your own. Filing a claim for these and other common truck accident injuries is important:
Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Neck injuries, including whiplash
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Burns
- Limb loss
- Spinal cord injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Nerve damage
- Chest injuries
- Leg injuries
No matter the type or extent of your wounds, you deserve to get help paying your medical bills after a truck driver collided with your vehicle. At The Weinberger Law Firm, we have years of experience representing injured truck accident victims who are entitled to compensation to pay for their medical care and more. Come to our office for a free truck accident case evaluation to learn what damages we can help you pursue.
What Damages Can You Seek in Your Claim?
Getting compensated for your medical costs is crucial, but your claim should also request money for additional expenses. These can range quite a bit depending on how the accident has affected your life. When you meet with a Sacramento truck accident attorney, be prepared to discuss your actual bills as a result of the crash. Your lawyer will request economic damages based on these bills.
For example, if you had to take two weeks off of work to recover from your truck accident injuries, your claim will request compensation for those lost wages. Similarly, if you needed car repairs, the claim should request sufficient money for property damage.
If a family member lost their life in the crash, you can request enough money to pay for their funeral and any income they would have brought in if they were still alive. You should not have to deal with financial problems after losing a loved one or being seriously injured, which is why the right truck accident lawyer will help you collect compensation for your actual expenses.
Your lawyer will also calculate non-economic damages for your truck accident case. This means you have a chance to get compensation for more than just your bills, allowing you to have some breathing room as you emotionally recover from the crash.
Examples of non-economic damages include mental anguish, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. When you meet with your truck accident lawyer in Sacramento, you can discuss the damages you’re entitled to with your claim.
Why Do You Need a Sacramento Truck Accident Lawyer’s Help?
If you’re still healing from your crash with a tractor-trailer, now is not the time to call the truck driver’s insurance company and ask for compensation. Not only will this take a lot of time and energy you don’t have after a crash, but you also won’t get the amount you deserve. Insurance companies do their best to keep their money, not give it to injured victims. But skilled Sacramento truck accident lawyers know how to get their clients the money they need.
At The Weinberger Law Firm, we know what evidence to review before initiating an insurance claim. Our legal team can request everything from police reports and truck driver logs to onboard computers and toxicology results.
This information will help us determine who is at fault and how much compensation you’re entitled to. We will handle the claim with the insurance company and go to court with a lawsuit if necessary. To find out more about our truck accident lawyer Sacramento for accident victims, contact our Sacramento law offices at 916-520-0476.
