Tractor trailer accidents often involve very heavy trucks moving at a very fast rate, striking a smaller vehicle. The risk of injuries and significant financial loss is very high. When you are the victim of such an accident, you may feel it is obvious that the truck company is responsible for what happened to you. That does not always happen, though.
Hiring a tractor trailer lawyer to represent you in an accident claim is crucial to protecting your right to full and fair compensation. If you do not act soon enough to hire an attorney, you could put your accident claim at risk. Remember that no one is advocating for you more than your legal team.
Consider the following six reasons why having a Philadelphia tractor trailer lawyer is so critical in nearly all types of cases.
#1: They Know the Truck Regulations
In many truck accidents, the cause comes back to violations of truck regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These rules are critical for your attorney to know. They govern all aspects of providing trucking service. These truck rules include:
- How the vehicle owner must maintain the vehicle and logs that document this upkeep
- The rules on who can drive the vehicle are based on the size and function of the truck and the completion of a commercial driver’s license
- The specific rules related to hours of service and breaks that truck drivers must take to remain safe and not fatigued when behind the wheel.
Your tractor trailer attorney has ample experience in these key areas. They know not only what the laws are but also the requirements of trucking companies to maintain logs and documentation of their adherence to those laws.
#2: Truck Insurance Companies Are Aggressive
It is also important to remember that truck accident lawyers have to go up against highly aggressive insurance adjusters who are working tirelessly to reduce your right to any compensation. The insurance company is likely to do all they can to reduce the risk of paying more than they should.
Because of this, you need a truck accident lawyer who has ample experience to fight for your recovery of damages by obtaining the necessary evidence to hold the insurance company accountable. You also want an attorney who will not let the insurance company reduce their responsibility to you in providing fair treatment.
#3: The Evidence You Need Is Not Always Accessible
In some situations, the evidence you need to hold the trucking company responsible is not readily available. Remember that the truck driver and trucking company do not have to prove they are innocent. You have to have the evidence necessary to prove they owe you. If you do not know where to look for that evidence or you do not know of a violation of your rights, no one is going to tell you.
Truck accident attorneys will be able to obtain electronic device logs and compliance records. They will be able to require medical evaluations of the truck driver if there is some reason to believe the driver was intoxicated. These are more challenging types of evidence to obtain but critical to proving your losses.
#4: Your Attorney Knows How to Value Your Losses
Another complexity in this process is having the evidence to demonstrate your financial losses in the case. Some types of losses are easy to document, such as medical bills or lost time at work. However, other losses, such as pain and suffering, as well as losses related to long-term recovery or quality of life issues, are not. Your attorney knows how to find evidence to back up your claims.
#5: There May Be More Than One Responsible Party
Many times, victims just want their losses paid out, and they are less focused on determining who is responsible. The truck driver is often responsible, but there could be other parties responsible as well. That could increase your ability to recover fair damages.
Your lawyer will help determine if other parties could be responsible, at least in part. That may be the company loading the cargo, the truck company that hired an untrained driver, or a third party who failed to maintain the vehicle.
#6: Truck Accident Attorneys Know How to Negotiate
At the end of the day, you deserve fair compensation for all of your losses. Your attorney is working solely to support those rights. When you seek out legal guidance from an attorney, you have a powerful negotiator by your side who will hold those responsible for the accident accountable. They are aggressive negotiators working on your behalf.
Find out what your legal rights are today. Contact Kwartler Manus now for a free consultation to discuss your case and the losses you have. Let us build a strong case for you.