Every day, millions of vehicles and commercial trucks share Alabama’s roads. These large, heavy trucks pose a significant threat to other motorists. Those who survive truck accidents may experience long-term pain, emotional suffering, and difficulties with work, insurance, and medical bills.
Learn how common injuries in truck accidents in Huntsville, Alabama can affect your life. If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident, contact Petro Accident and Injury Attorney immediately.
Why Do I Need a Truck Accident Lawyer in Huntsville?
You need the assistance of a truck accident lawyer if you’ve been injured in a collision involving a truck. Truck accident claims can be more complicated than auto accident claims, so when hiring a truck accident attorney, you should look for someone familiar with the complexities of truck accident cases.
The personal injury attorneys at Petro Accident and Injury Attorney are ready and able to guide you through your legal options and obtain the compensation you deserve. Although you may not believe you need a lawyer, it is in your best interest to retain our Huntsville truck accident lawyer for several reasons.
Multiple Rules and Regulations Govern the Trucking Industry
The trucking industry is extremely regulated by federal and state agencies. Before a driver is allowed on the road, he or she must pass tests for sleep apnea and truck driver behavior. This may make it more difficult to establish negligence as the cause of the collision.
There May Be Additional Involved Parties
If you sustain some of the common injuries in truck accidents in Alabama, you may be eligible for compensation from the party at fault. To receive compensation, however, you must demonstrate that the responsible party breached their duty of care, resulting in your physical or emotional harm.
In the majority of instances, the trucking company is liable for the damages. Occasionally, however, it may fall to another party.
Insurance Companies Aren’t on Your Side
The insurer of the trucking company is not on your side. They will take all possible measures to minimize their potential liability and safeguard their bottom line. They can make lowball offers or drag out your personal injury claim for years to convince you to accept less. Our Huntsville truck accident lawyer will negotiate a fair settlement with insurance companies on your behalf.
Complex Discussions
Filing a claim for a trucking accident is difficult, time-consuming, and fraught with ongoing legal issues and paperwork. Depending on the severity of your accident-related injuries, you may be unable to participate in these intricate proceedings and negotiations. Having our personal injury attorney on your side can alleviate some of your stress, making your recovery easier.
Stronger Legal Strategy
Truck accidents are never identical. Every case requires a unique approach. Our Huntsville truck accident lawyer can tailor a legal strategy to your specific case to ensure the best possible results.
What Makes Alabama Truck Crashes Unique?
When a car and a truck collide, the sheer size and weight of a truck can make a significant difference. These factors make truck accidents more factually and legally complex than standard vehicle collisions. The differences between truck accidents and other motor vehicle collisions include the following:
- More severe injuries, particularly for occupants of smaller vehicles involved in the collision.
- An accident investigation with a greater degree of complexity.
- Complex trucking industry regulations and laws.
- Limits on commercial auto insurance company policies are higher than on private auto insurance policies.
- Multiple insurance policies, in which “stacking” of coverage may be applicable.
- The trucking industry comprises multiple entities, including truck drivers, trucking companies, freight companies, truck maintenance companies, and truck manufacturers. These parties may be responsible for some of the common injuries in truck accidents in Huntsville, Alabama that you sustained.
What Are the Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Hunstville?
The majority of truck collisions are caused by driver error, either you or the truck driver. Many of these incidents can be avoided. These are the leading causes of the most common injuries in truck accidents in Huntsville, Alabama:
Exhausted Driving
Truck driving is a high-stress, high-pressure occupation. Frequently, trucking companies require drivers to deliver goods to a specific location in a short amount of time. This indicates that they are driving long distances with limited breaks and rest. Occasionally, the number of miles to be driven necessitates multiple days on the road, and the drivers have insufficient sleep (and even less quality sleep).
As a result, they lose concentration and coordination and are slower to react to road situations, not to mention the risk of falling asleep behind the wheel. There are laws and regulations governing the number of hours a trucker can drive in one shift, the amount of sleep required, and the timing of rest breaks. However, many companies disregard these regulations, and driver fatigue remains a significant issue.
Inattentive Driving
Distracted driving is a problem everywhere, and it is just as problematic on local roads as it is on interstates. Distracted driving is any behavior that diverts the driver’s attention from the primary task of driving. Long-distance travel can be tedious. This could prompt a truck driver to risk texting, looking at their phone, eating, or engaging in some other activity that diverts the driver’s attention and eyes from the road.
Intoxicated Driving
It may not occur to you that trucking has a high rate of alcohol and drug abuse, but it does. Several truck drivers use amphetamines and cocaine to stay awake while driving.
Speeding and Overtaking
Occasionally, a driver can’t complete delivery within the time allotted by their employer, but they may attempt to do so anyway. Due to the pressure to meet strict deadlines, a driver may exceed the speed limit of their truck or the speed limit on the road.
Insufficient Training and Maintenance
There are regulations and requirements regarding the number of training hours a commercial vehicle driver must complete. However, some drivers manage to get on the road despite not meeting these standards.
If the driver is not properly trained to handle hazardous conditions, they endanger themselves and other drivers. In addition, the trucking company is required to inspect each truck before it hits the road, but this rarely occurs. There are costs associated with maintenance, and it takes time — time that companies recognize could be better spent making deliveries.
Incorrect Cargo Loading
Each shipment must adhere to weight, size, length, width, and height restrictions. If the truck is carrying hazardous materials, the handling requirements are even more stringent. Nonetheless, errors can cause a load to make a truck too heavy or prone to tipping over.
What Are the Common Truck Accident Injuries in Huntsville, AL?
Collisions between passenger cars and trucks typically result in more severe injuries than collisions involving two or more passenger cars. You must receive the funds necessary to cover your ongoing and future medical and life care expenses, as the effects of a truck accident can sometimes be permanent.
These are some of the most common injuries in truck accidents in Alabama.
Back and Neck Injuries
Your back and neck are composed of small, fragile bones and ligaments that are susceptible to injury upon impact. Whiplash can occur when the head and neck snap forward while the torso remains stationary. It is an injury that may not manifest immediately, but you may experience pain and other symptoms hours or days following an accident.
Spinal Cord Damage
A spinal cord injury may cause partial, temporary, or permanent paralysis of the lower extremities and torso. Your spine is the information superhighway of your body. Its nerves transmit messages from your brain to every other part of your body. If your spine is injured, there is typically no simple solution. It may require months or years of treatment, surgery, physical therapy, and the use of assistive devices, or you may be permanently disabled.
Brain and Head Injuries
Mild head injuries include bruising that heals on its own or a mild concussion. However, traumatic brain injury can have lasting consequences.
Burns
Due to its size, a truck often causes more damage upon collision than a car, and there is a high risk of rupturing fuel tanks. A fire can rapidly spread and consume both the truck and the surrounding passenger vehicles. A driver or passenger in a nearby vehicle could sustain painful and permanent disfigurement-causing burns.
Amputation and Disfigurement
Amputation or disfigurement may result from the impact itself or another injury, such as a severe burn. In the event of a truck accident, amputation may occur as a result of crushing. You will likely need ongoing medical care, and you may also need adaptive devices such as prosthetics to function in daily life. You may also require caretakers to assist with daily needs, and these costs can quickly add up.
Internal Injuries
Even if you are fortunate enough to avoid a spinal injury or a head injury, you may still sustain serious internal injuries. Although airbags are designed to protect passengers, their strong force can cause blunt abdominal trauma. Your bladder, spleen, liver, pancreas, or kidneys may sustain damage.
Torso and rib injuries are also some of the common injuries in truck accidents in Alabama. They are not internal injuries in and of themselves, but damage to these areas can be dangerous because they surround vital organs. A rib fracture may puncture a lung or cause other internal damage.
Lacerations, Bruising, Fractured Bones, and Cuts
When you hear that someone suffered “minor cuts and bruises” in an accident, you may believe they escaped unscathed. Even though cuts and bruises are less severe than head and spine injuries, they can still require treatment and result in permanent damage.
In the event of a collision, shattered glass, sharp metal, and unrestrained objects inside your vehicle can cause cuts. A cut may cause a disfiguring scar or even a life-threatening infection. A truck accident typically involves blunt force trauma, which can result in broken or shattered bones for other drivers. Typically, this is a painful but treatable injury.
Wrongful Death
Sadly, a significant number of highway fatalities are caused by commercial trucks. When a loved one is killed in a truck accident, you may feel as though your entire world is collapsing. In addition, it is difficult to deal with the deceased’s medical and funeral expenses, as well as the loss of financial support.
Although no amount of money can bring your loved one back, receiving compensation can help you pay for these costs so you can focus on healing.
What Are the Things I Can Do Following My Truck Accident in Alabama?
The force of a collision with a truck causes the occupants of smaller vehicles to frequently sustain significantly more severe injuries. In addition, multiple parties within the trucking industry may be partially liable for the truck accident. After a truck accident, you should take these steps to protect your legal rights and options.
- Ensure That Everyone is Safe. After an accident, it is essential to check on the safety of all parties involved. If someone sustained one of the common injuries in truck accidents in Huntsville, Alabama mentioned above, immediately dial 911.
- Notify the Police. Even if there are no injuries, the police should investigate the accident and create a report. The accident report may be an essential piece of evidence in a truck accident claim.
- Collect Information. Collect information from all parties involved, including their names, addresses, insurance companies, truck driver’s employer, and vehicle information.
- Take Photographs. If you can do so, use your cellphone to take photos or videos. The images should depict the positions of the vehicles involved in the collision, any damage sustained by the vehicles, skid marks, road and traffic conditions, as well as lighting and weather conditions.
- Avoid Admitting or Making Accusations of Fault. Do not admit fault, apologize for an accident, or state who you believe to be at fault. Any statement you make can be construed negatively.
- Determine Eyewitnesses. Collect the names and contact information of any accident witnesses who were present.
- Obtain Medical Care. Even if you do not believe you were injured in the accident, you should have a quick checkup with a doctor.
- Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer. Our Huntsville truck accident lawyer at Petro Accident and Injury Attorney can protect your rights and interests. Contact us now.
Who Can Be Held Liable for the Injuries You Sustained in a Huntsville Truck Accident?
Liability is frequently determined by demonstrating that the defendant’s negligent actions directly caused the accident and the resulting injuries. In such cases, proving negligence is especially difficult, which is why you need our Huntsville truck accident lawyer on your side.
In general, there are a few possible parties who may be liable for the common injuries in truck accidents in Huntsville, Alabama that you sustained. Although this varies from case to case, among those who may be held liable are:
Truck Drivers
The truck driver is possibly the most obvious person who may be liable in a truck accident. Negligence on the part of the truck driver is frequently easy to prove for an experienced personal injury attorney and can result from factors such as driving too fast to control the truck, not adhering to regulations regarding rest breaks while driving long distances, or the use of drugs while operating a truck.
Trucking Firm
Depending on the specifics of an accident, the company that employs the driver and maintains the truck may be held responsible. If, for instance, the truck’s brakes or other equipment were not properly maintained, the trucking company may have been negligent and responsible for your injuries. We may also be able to demonstrate that a trucking company was aware of a driver’s negligent behavior, which could subject them to liability.
Manufacturer of the Truck
This is likely the most difficult form of liability to prove, but it should be considered in many cases. If the manufacturer of a truck or one of its suppliers is negligent and a mechanical failure causes an accident, they may be responsible for your injuries.
Before attempting to hold a manufacturer liable for your injuries, you should have a competent personal injury attorney examine the details of your case and determine the likelihood of proving negligence.
Third-Party
In some cases, another party may be responsible for your injuries if they caused the accident. For instance, if a truck driver had to avoid a pedestrian who walked into the middle of the road, causing him or her to collide with your vehicle, the pedestrian may be liable.
The term “negligence” encompasses anyone who acts unreasonably and causes an accident. Therefore, it is necessary to consider all relevant factors to determine who is liable.
How Alabama Laws May Affect Your Truck Accident Claim?
Consider the impact of state laws on truck accident claims. In Alabama, truck accident claims must be filed within two years. You may believe that this is an excessive amount of time, but insurance companies frequently drag out the process to avoid payment. The negligent party may also prolong the process to avoid paying damages.
There are a variety of truck accident types, and each has its own set of obstacles. Our Huntsville truck accident lawyer can assist. We are prepared to overcome the challenges associated with timely personal injury case filing.
What Possible Compensations Can You Get for Your Injuries in an Alabama Truck Accident?
When you are injured in a truck accident in Huntsville, Alabama, or elsewhere in the state, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. The following types of damages may be available for you in the event of a truck accident:
- Truck accident-related medical expenses, including hospital bills, surgery, doctor’s office visits, physical or occupational therapy, prescription medication, prosthetics, mobility equipment, and home modifications to accommodate injuries or disabilities.
- If you are unable to work or have lost earning potential, you may incur a loss of wages and loss of future income.
- The physical and mental anguish caused by your injuries is pain and suffering.
- Loss of quality of life, including disabilities or disfigurement resulting from your injuries, the inability to perform tasks of daily living, or the inability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed.
- Loss of consortium compensates a spouse for the loss of close companionship and social interaction.
Additionally, you may be eligible for compensation for property damage. This can cover the cost of repairs or the cash value of a totaled vehicle.
Call Our Seasoned Huntsville Truck Accident Lawyer Today
Our knowledge, expertise, and experience at Petro Accident and Injury Attorney allow us all to bring symmetry to negotiations and take the initiative. Our tenacious legal team will ensure you receive the best legal services. We will assist you in locating suitable medical care as well.
If you suffered common injuries in truck accidents in Huntsville, Alabama, we would fight to help you obtain the compensation you deserve, including damages for medical expenses, loss of earning capacity (lost wages), pain and suffering, and other losses.
Regardless of the circumstances, you can rely on us at Petro Accident and Injury Attorney to provide powerful, comprehensive, and personalized firm representation. Please contact our Huntsville truck accident lawyer to learn about how we can assist you. We provide clients with tranquility so they can concentrate on healing.
