Being involved in a truck accident can be terrifying. Such accidents often result in both physical and emotional trauma. If you have been injured in a serious accident involving a truck, you likely have legal recourse to pursue compensation for your pain and suffering.
We understand that you may be anxious to settle your truck accident claim as quickly as possible. However, semi-trailers, tractor-trailers, and other large trucks are often commercial vehicles, and the damage caused in such an immense accident tends to be more catastrophic than in a car-on-car collision. Therefore, litigating a truck accident claim is often more complicated and time-consuming than with other cases.
You do not need to feel overwhelmed, though, by the process of filing a truck accident claim. The experienced and compassionate personal injury attorneys at Phillips Law Group are here to help you. As one of Arizona’s largest consumer law firms, we are committed to aggressively defending the rights of our clients. We can handle your truck accident claim from beginning to end so that you are free to focus on your recovery.
Working with us is risk-free. We provide our legal services on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no upfront legal fees for our work, and you only have to pay us if and when we recover fair compensation on your behalf.
We encourage you to contact a truck accident lawyer at Phillips Law Group as soon as possible. The sooner we review your case, the sooner we can put our legal resources to work for you. You can call us or fill out our online form to speak with a member of our legal team.
Common Causes of Truck Accident Claims
As with any kind of vehicle crash, the following can lead to a semi-truck accident:
Additionally, there is increased risk of a truck accident when a poorly packed load shifts in a turn. This could cause the vehicle to tip over.
Why a Truck Accident Claim May Take Longer to Settle
Settling a claim after a truck accident can take a while for multiple reasons. Commercial trucks, tractor-trailers, and semi-trucks are required to follow federally mandated safety guidelines, so a thorough investigation into all major truck accidents is required by law. Thus, reasons for a delayed truck accident settlement can include the following.
Investigating liability
Determining who is at fault for a truck accident often takes significantly longer than with your typical car accident. There are likely multiple parties involved and, consequently, more factors to weigh.
Before settling a truck accident claim, investigators must determine whether or not:
- The truck driver followed all industry rules and regulations
- Any other drivers were at fault, or partially at fault, for the accident
- The trucking company properly maintained the vehicle
- The trucking company followed all industry rules and regulations
- Any additional parties could be liable, such as a mechanic, or even a bartender who overserved the driver
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has put in place a considerable number of regulations for both truck drivers and trucking companies. These limit how many hours in a row a truck driver can legally be behind the wheel, for example, as well as how many hours of rest he or she must take before driving.
Furthermore, the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration has set truck size and weight standards. Establishing the facts of the case and determining whether applicable rules and regulations were met by the truck driver and by the trucking company requires time and in-depth investigation.
Severity of the accident
Due to the larger size and weight of such a vehicle, an accident involving a truck is often more serious than an accident involving only passenger vehicles. A regular compact sedan is simply no match for a semi-truck.
Truck accidents are generally more devastating, resulting in greater vehicle damage and serious injuries than typical car accidents. The more severe the accident, the less straightforward the investigation usually is, thus requiring additional time to document and evaluate the evidence.
Insurance coverage
Semi-truck and tractor-trailers are required to carry proper insurance coverage. This, too, can be complicated with truck accidents. There may be different insurance coverage for the truck driver, the truck cab, the trailer, and the load the truck is carrying.
Trucking companies often use large insurance companies with the resources to aggressively fight any accident claims. The goal of such companies is to significantly minimize the value of your claim or to avoid restitution altogether. Attaining a reasonable and fair settlement from a commercial trucking company often takes additional time and fortitude.
Medical treatment
If you were injured in a truck accident, the extent of your injuries and your need for ongoing medical treatment can impact the length of time it takes to settle your claim.
It may be tempting to try to settle your truck accident claim quickly in order to put the incident behind you and move on with your life as soon as possible. Unfortunately, a hasty settlement is not usually in your best interests. Settling prematurely when you have sustained serious injuries may result in your being awarded less than the actual value of your claim, leaving you with uncompensated losses down the road.
Settlement negotiation
The settlement negotiation itself can delay the settlement of a truck accident claim. All of the above factors will impact the process: liability, the severity of the accident, insurance coverage, and medical treatment, among others.
Truck settlement negotiations when the victim suffered significant damages can be drawn out and enter several phases before a mutually acceptable compensation agreement is reached.
A skilled personal injury lawyer is an invaluable asset in settlement negotiations. Your attorney can serve as your voice and advocate in order to attain the best possible results.
Turn to Phillips Law Group to Settle Your Truck Accident Claim
Truck accidents typically involve multiple factors and take longer to settle than an accident involving passenger vehicles. Every accident is different, and the time it takes to reach a settlement agreement can vary greatly, from a few months to even a few years.
Nonetheless, having a trusted legal representative on your side can greatly reduce the stress involved with filing and negotiating an accident claim. Hiring a personal injury attorney at Phillips Law Group can assist you with your truck accident claim in multiple ways:
- Giving you reliable legal advice
- Gathering evidence on your behalf
- Ensuring all legal deadlines are met
- Calculating your losses and future costs
- Negotiating with the liable parties and insurance companies
- Protecting you from a hasty and unfair settlement
- Representing you in court if necessary
If you have been seriously injured in a truck accident, you are likely suffering physically and feeling shaken emotionally. We realize that you may feel anxious and intimidated by the steps that must be taken to establish and pursue an accident claim. The personal injury attorneys at Phillips Law Group can support you during this difficult time.
Our firm has been in practice since 1993, our personal injury attorneys have dedicated their careers to defending the rights of accident victims throughout Arizona. With decades of combined experience, the passionate and committed legal team at Phillips Law Group has recovered hundreds of millions in compensation on behalf of our clients.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident, please don’t wait. Call Phillips Law Group today, for a free, no-obligation case review. You can call us or fill out our online form to speak with one of our attorneys.
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