Yuma Truck Accident Lawyers | Phillips Law Group

Truck crash injuries are often devastating, physically, financially and emotionally. Discussing your damages with an experienced legal team is extremely important.

The legal team at Phillips Law Group may be able to obtain compensation for you. We have obtained over $1 billion for thousands of personal injury clients. Jeffrey Phillips, our founding partner, is a Top 10 member of the Trucking Trial Lawyers Association. It is an exclusive invite-only group made up of accomplished truck accident lawyers within a state or region.

Call our Yuma truck accident attorneys at 1-800-706-3000 for more information on how we may be able to assist you. There are no upfront costs to you unless you are reimbursed for your losses. Contact us anytime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to set up your free consultation.

Call our team of legal experts today”¦

Do I Qualify for Compensation?

There are many important factors our attorneys may consider to determine if you have a case for compensation, including the four elements of negligence:

• The opposing party had a duty to act responsibly to help prevent you from being hurt in your vehicle.
• The opposing party breached this duty of care by not acting in a safe and reasonable way.
• Your injuries or losses were the direct result of the opposing party’s breach of duty, and not something else.
• The opposing party’s breach of duty caused you to suffer damages like medical expenses and lost wages.

Proving negligence can be very difficult, which is why we highly recommend contacting one of our experienced truck accident lawyers to review your situation.

How Much CompensationCould I be Eligible to Receive?

Since every case is different, the value depends on several things, including the damages suffered.

Economic Losses

Economic losses are the various out-of-pocket costs incurred due to an injury, including:

Non-Economic Losses

These are the physical and psychological problems accident victims often experience, such as:

Contact our firm to discuss the potential value of your claim by calling 1-800-706-3000 .

Advantages of Hiring a Truck Accident Attorney

If you hire our firm, our Yuma truck accident attorneys are prepared to aggressively pursue full compensation for your losses. This includes taking steps like investigating the accident, preserving evidence, studying medical records, dealing with insurance companies, and assessing non-economic harm. We can also help you properly document all your losses and keep you up to date on the status of your truck accident claim.

Most cases settle, but our Yuma lawyers always prepare each claim for a trial, because our goal is to obtain maximum compensation for your losses. If you work with a lawyer who rarely takes cases to trial or is unprepared to do so, you might be at a serious disadvantage.

Is There a Deadline for Filing an Injury Claim?

Arizona’s personal injury statute of limitations (Arizona Revised Statutes 12-542) states that you must file a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the date of your accident. If you do not, you may lose the right to file your claim.

However, there are some exceptions, which is why it is important to contact one of our Yuma truck accident lawyers as soon as possible. We can determine the deadline that may apply, if you have a valid case.

Talking to the Insurance Company

If an insurance company calls after the accident, be careful not to provide too much information. Discussing more than the basic details of the accident could be dangerous because you might say something that hurts your case without even realizing it.

You do not have to provide a recorded statement or try to explain the severity of your injuries. The insurance company wants you to do those things so they can try to deny or devalue your accident claim.

If a settlement is offered, it is probably worth much less than the full cost of your damages. The insurance company often offers a quick settlement to save itself money.

You can decline to speak to the insurance company until talking to one of our Yuma truck accident lawyers. We can deal with the insurance company on your behalf to protect your best interests.

Complete a complimentarycase assessment formnow or call us anytime at 1-800-706-3000 .

Who Can Be Held Accountable for My Injuries?

Determining who can be held liable for a truck accident can be difficult because multiple parties could be involved. This might include:

Truck Owners

If the accident was caused by a maintenance issue or another problem on the truck that should have been fixed, the owner could be liable.

Driver of the Truck

The driver of the truck is usually the one at fault. There are many examples of truck driver negligence that can result in accidents: consuming drugs or alcohol before driving, driving distracted, speeding, falling asleep at the wheel, tailgating other vehicles, etc.

Trucking Companies

Companies put a lot of pressure on their drivers to meet deadlines, causing drivers to speed or take other risks that put other drivers in danger. Trucking companies also take shortcuts in repair and maintenance of trucks, which can also potentially lead to accidents.

Manufacturer of the Truck or a Component on the Truck

If the vehicle or a component was poorly designed or manufactured improperly, it could increase the risk of a crash. Some of the issues that can result from defective products include tire blowouts and brake malfunction.

Freight Loading Organizations

If the trailer is too heavy, unbalanced, or overloaded, it can make the truck harder for the driver to control. The cargo-loading company could be held liable if these issues lead to an accident.

Our Scottdale truck accident attorneys know how to collect evidence and review an accident to determine the parties that may be liable.

Required Insurance Coverage for Commercial Vehicles

Under Arizona law, trucks must have minimum amounts of insurance coverage, depending on the cargo:

• Any trucks carrying hazardous materials are required to have at least $5,000,000
• Any trucks carrying oil are required to have at least $1,000,000
• Any trucks carrying general freight must have at least $750,000
• Any trucks carrying household goods must have at least $300,000

There are also federal truck insurance requirements for drivers who travel across state lines. Generally, a commercial truck is required to have at least $750,000 in liability coverage if carrying non-hazardous materials with a gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more. This covers injuries to victims and any property damage from the accident. This type of coverage may need to be as high as $5,000,000 if the cargo is hazardous.

Phillips Law Group’s Yuma truck accident lawyers have many years of experience reviewing insurance policies to determine the coverage that may apply to an accident.

Trucking Industry Regulations That May Apply to Accidents

The Arizona Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) set many rules for commercial truck drivers, trucking companies, and others involved in the trucking industry.

Width, Height and Weight

The overall width of a commercial vehicle in Arizona cannot exceed eight feet and six inches. On interstate highways, the maximum height of a truck cannot exceed 14 feet. On secondary roads, the maximum height of a truck cannot exceed 13 feet six inches. The maximum length of a truck cannot exceed 65 feet. Any truck exceeding these dimensions requires a permit to be on the road.

The maximum gross weight depends on the number of axles: 80,000 pounds is the maximum for five or more axles; a truck with one rear axle cannot exceed 20,000 pounds, and a truck with at least two rear axles cannot exceed 34,000 pounds.

Service Hours

The FMCSA limits the number of hours a driver can be on the road to help prevent drowsy driving:

• Truck drivers cannot exceed 60 or 70 hours after working seven or eight days in-a-row
• Truck drivers cannot exceed 11 hours after being off duty for 10 consecutive hours
• Truck drivers cannot exceed 14 hours after coming on duty and being off duty for 10 consecutive hours

Drug and Alcohol Testing

Trucking companies are required to test their drivers for drug and alcohol use. Some of the drugs tested for include marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines and methamphetamines.

Drivers are tested at different times:

There are so many regulations that could apply to your accident, which is why you need an experienced attorney to build a strong case.

Call one of our Yuma truck accident lawyers today at 1-800-706-3000 .

What to Do After an Accident

The first thing you should do after experiencing an accident is call the police. Wait for them to arrive and let them investigate the scene and create an accident report.

If it is safe, try to take photos before the police get to the scene of the accident. Try to get pictures of multiple angles of the scene of the accident, any injuries you may have sustained, and any damage to your vehicle. Photograph any information that will help identify the truck or trailer.

Try to exchange information with all people involved in the accident, including the driver (name and contact information and employer).

You can ask witnesses what they saw and take notes or record their statement, with their permission.

If you suffered even the slightest injury, it is extremely important to seek medical attention right away. If you fail to do so, the at-fault party and the insurance companies could try to use this against you.

Contact one of our Scottdale truck accident attorneys to discuss your claim.

Why Do Truck Accidents Occur?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted a study that identified the four most common mistakes by drivers that lead to accidents:

• Performance ”“ Drivers who are poorly trained or inexperienced often overcompensate or panic while driving.
• Decision ”“ This refers to drivers making dangerous decisions like tailgating, speeding or failing to check their blind spots.
• Recognition ”“ Drivers often do not recognize or react to hazards because they are distracted by the radio, GPS, eating or texting.
• Non-performance ”“ This refers to drivers who fall asleep while operating the truck.

No matter how your truck accident occurred, it is important to discuss it with a qualified attorney to find out if you may be eligible for compensation for your damages.

Contact our Yuma Truck Accident Attorneys Today

Schedule your free consultation today so we can determine if you may be eligible for compensation.

Many of our lawyers, including our founder Jeff Phillips, along with Timothy Tonkin are members of the American Association for Justice Leaders Forum. Jeff Phillips has obtained verdicts in several Arizona counties.

There is no obligation to hire our firm and no upfront costs if you do. We only receive payment if you receive compensation.

Our office is a short drive from Yuma, but if you cannot come to us, we can come to you. We can also be reached by phone, online contact form, or live chat.

Call us now at 1-800-706-3000 and we will be glad to answer any questions you may have.