Truck accidents often result in severe, life-altering injuries for other drivers. Many of these commercial crashes could have been prevented, which means compensation may be available.
If you or someone you care about sustained injuries in a truck accident, our Lake Havasu City truck accident lawyers are prepared to help.
The attorneys at Phillips Law Group have been committed to protecting the rights of Arizona accident victims for more than 27 years. To date, our team of legal professionals have successfully recovered more than $1 billion for over 155,000 injured victims. This track record includes a $4,000,000 recovery for a motorist who suffered a severe spinal cord injury and paralysis as well as $2,350,000 for another motorist who suffered a broken neck.
At Phillips Law, we do not charge any fees upfront if we represent your truck accident lawsuit. We are only paid if we succeed in obtaining compensation for your injuries.
Contact the Phillips Law Group team today. We are available 24/7 by online chat or by phone: 602-222-222
How Do I Know if I Am Eligible for Compensation?
Generally speaking, any truck accident case will require your attorney to establish four elements of negligence, including:
- Duty of care”“ The driver or other party responsible for the crash owed a duty to act reasonably to prevent harm to others on the road
- Breached duty of care”“ The at-fault driver violated his or her duty by not acting the way a reasonable person would have in a similar situation.
- Causation”“ Your injuries were directly caused by the responsible party’s breach of duty, and your injuries would likely not have occurred otherwise.
- Damage resulted”“ The breach of duty led to verifiable damages, including medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, property damage and more. Your attorney must provide proof for any damages claimed.
Our legal team at Phillips Law Group knows how to investigate and build a robust truck accident case.
What is My Truck Accident Case Worth?
A qualified truck accident attorney cannot assign a monetary amount to a personal injury claim before reviewing all the details that may have contributed to the accident and your injuries. However, there are typically certain damages that you may be eligible to recover, including:
- Past, present and ongoing medical expenses that are related to the accident
- Lost wages if your injuries kept you from working
- Any damage to your property may also be covered
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering or emotional distress
- Loss of your future earning capacity if you became disabled
We can discuss all of the elements of your case and determine whether you may have a valid claim for recovering compensation for the damages you incurred as a result of another’s negligence. Call us to schedule a free review of your claim. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your legal options and whether your case has merit.
Speak with one of our Lake Havasu City Truck Accident Lawyers to learn more: 602-222-222
Who Can Be Held Responsible for Your Injuries?
There are often multiple parties who not only share ownership of the commercial vehicle, but who may also share liability for the accident that caused your injuries.
Your attorney will need to investigate to determine who may be liable for your injuries. Parties often held liable for truck accidents include:
- Commercial vehicle (truck) owner”“ The owner is responsible for truck maintenance and making sure the vehicle is safe to operate.
- Trucking company”“ If a company fails to conduct an adequate background screening, provide proper training, or violates state or federal trucking regulations, it may share liability for your accident if your attorney can prove the violation contributed to the accident that caused your injuries.
- Maintenance company”“ If the components of a truck malfunctioned, and the repair or maintenance is outsourced to a third party, that company may also share liability for your crash, if that malfunction contributed to your accident.
- Manufacturers”“ If the crash is caused by a defective or malfunctioning component, the manufacturer of that part may be held liable.
- Cargo-loading companies”“ If a third-party company loaded cargo onto a truck improperly, a serious accident may follow.
If these or other parties were negligent and that negligence contributed to the accident that caused your injuries, you may be able to recover damages. Our legal team has decades of experience handling complex cases like these, and we are dedicated to getting fair compensation for our clients.
Should I Accept An Offer to Settle From The Insurance Company?
Any settlement offers from the insurance company soon after the accident are likely to worth much less than the full value of your claim.
Even though insurance companies may act like they are on your side, their ultimate goal is to make money, not to pay fair compensation for your injuries. They often accomplish this goal in different ways, such as offering lowball settlements to accident victims who are vulnerable, in need of money to pay their medical bills, and completely unaware of the full value of their claim. Insurers may also try to use information you tell them to discredit your claim.
What many injured victims do not know is that trucks and trucking companies often have multiple insurance policies covering everything from the contents of the vehicle to medical bills.
If you have a valid claim, you may be able to claim damages against some of these policies, including:
- Liability Insurance”“ The laws mandates truck drivers to have and maintain this coverage.
- Cargo Insurance”“ Sometimes haulage operators elect to insure transported goods.
- Uninsured Motorist / Underinsured Motorist Insurance”“ To avoid the risk of having too little coverage, many truck drivers add UM/UIM coverage to their policies.
- Motor-Carrier Insurance”“ This type of policy is often used with independent contractors.
Our qualified truck accident lawyers have been aggressively representing clients injured in truck accidents for decades. We are very familiar with the tactics insurance companies and others may use to try to intimidate accident victims into providing statements that can be used against them. We are prepared to handle communications with these insurance providers on your behalf and work tirelessly to recover maximum compensation for your injuries.
We are available to schedule your free claim review 24/7 by online chat or phone: 602-222-222
What Trucking Industry Safety Regulations May Apply?
There are a number of regulations that define the safe operation of a commercial truck, not just in the state of Arizona, but also under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Our Lake Havasu City and Kingman-area truck accident lawyers are here to review the specific of your situation to see if any of these regulations may have been violated or contributed to your crash.
Hours of Service
The FMCSA regulates thenumber of hoursa driver may operate a commercial truck:
- After working seven or eight consecutive days, truck drivers may not work more than 60-70 hours
- After being off-duty for 10 consecutive hours, a commercial driver may not drive more than 11 hours.
- After coming on duty and being off-duty for 10 consecutive hours, a driver may not operate his or her vehicle for more than 14 hours.
Arizona Legal Load Limits
- Overall width: eight feet, six inches
- Overall length: 65 feet long
- Allowable height: No more than 14 feet on the interstate routes and on secondary roads, the height cannot exceed 13 feet, six inches. Trucks needing an exception require a permit.
- The legal maximum gross weight of a truck is based on the number of axles:
- Five or more axles may not exceed 80,000 pounds
- A tandem axle truck with at least two rear axles must not exceed 34,000 pounds
- A single axle truck may not exceed 20,000 pounds
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Commercial truck drivers are tested for drug and alcohol multiple times, including:
- As part of the screening process before hiring
- Ongoing, during random annual screenings
- Any other time if there is a reasonable suspicion a driver is impaired or under the influence
- Following any serious accident
- If a driver returns to work after previously testing positive
Our truck accident lawyers at Phillips Law Group are well-versed in trucking industry regulations and how they may apply after an accident In Arizona.
How Long Do You Have To File A Case In Arizona?
The state deadline for filing a personal injury claims in Arizona is just two years from the date of the accident. While that may sound like a long time, it is worth mentioning that your attorney will need time to investigate the accident, gather evidence and build a strong argument on your behalf. Additionally, there are some instances where this deadline, or statute of limitations, may be different and may require you to file significantly sooner.
If you are not sure when your deadline is or whether it may have already passed, we encourage you to contact our office today to discuss your potential claim and legal options. If you miss the deadline, you may lose any ability to recover damages for your injuries.
Contact a Lake Havasu City Truck Accident Lawyer Today
Our qualified attorneys at Phillips Law Group have nearly 30 years of experience and have been representing injured accident victims throughout Arizona, including Mohave, Gila, Pima and other counties in the state. In that time, we have obtained more than $1 billion in compensation.
Founding partner, Jeffrey Phillips, has not only achieve favorable verdicts in several Arizona counties, but he is also a Top 10 member of the Trucking Trial Lawyers Association. This organization is composed of each state’s leading truck accident attorneys. Membership is obtained by invite only.
Have questions about your claim? Call 602-222-222 today.
Available 24/7