You could pursue compensation from a truck driver who hit you and their fleet owner or manager if they were on duty at the time of the accident. Our experienced lawyers will handle every detail of your truck accident claim from beginning to end.
Our knowledgeable truck accident attorneys will investigate the accident, gather evidence, and review your medical documents, ensuring we have all the facts for maximum compensation. Plus, we work on contingency, which means you don’t have to worry about affording legal representation.
If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, call us today for a free consultation or complete our online form.
Truck Collisions Can Be Caused by Multiple Factors
According to truck accident statistics, speeding is the leading factor for driver-related fatal trucking crashes. However, most collisions were caused by more than one factor.
For example, truck drivers under 21 present a higher risk of accidents due to inexperience. However, employers are responsible for offering proper training and safe working conditions to all employees. A lawyer can help identify all the at-fault parties in a trucking accident.
Moreover, in light of recent Indiana bus stop accidents, all motorists are advised to pay special attention to school bus safety measures.
Despite the progress in truck accident prevention, trucking collisions still lead to high fatalities. A compassionate lawyer can help the surviving loved ones seek justice and claim damages for their loss.
Indiana Truck Accident Causes
The risks of commercial vehicle operator fatigue are well known. Commercial drivers often face long hours behind the wheel, with little rest between shifts. This is especially true during peak driving times like the holiday season. In addition, many trucking companies require drivers to be on-call 24/7, meaning that drivers must remain ready to respond to any emergency calls.
Truck accidents occur when semi-trailer trucks collide with other vehicles or pedestrians. These collisions can occur due to mechanical failure, driver error, or road conditions. The most common causes of truck accidents include:
- Overtaking too close to another vehicle: Overtaking requires maneuvering around an obstacle, such as a car, pedestrian, or vehicle. If the truck driver fails to yield the right of way, they may cause a collision.
- Failure to yield right-of-way: Failure to yield right-of-way occurs when a semi-operator fails to provide enough space for other vehicles to safely pass. This includes failing to stop for traffic lights or signs, passing through a red light, or turning left into opposing lanes of traffic.
- Driving without proper licenses: Drivers operating commercial vehicles need special licenses to operate them. A license is required to drive a tractor-trailer, but not a passenger car.
- Improperly maintained equipment: Trucks are complex machines that rely on numerous parts working together properly. When one component malfunctions, it can affect the entire truck. For example, a faulty air compressor can lead to engine problems.
- Inadequate training: Many truck operators receive minimal training before being allowed to operate a large commercial vehicle. Some truckers lack even this basic level of knowledge.
- Driver distraction: Commercial drivers spend much of their day focused on the road ahead. They may use cell phones, listen to music, read maps, or eat while driving. Distracted driving can increase the risk of a crash.
- Poor weather conditions: Heavy rain, snow, sleet, ice, fog, or darkness can make it difficult for drivers to see obstacles or other vehicles. Plus, roadways can become slick from heavy rains, snow, or melting ice. Slick roads are dangerous to drivers who fail to slow down or brake quickly enough.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs: Alcohol and drug impairment can impair judgment and reaction time. It also makes it harder to control a vehicle.
- Faulty brakes: Brakes are critical components of a truck’s safety system. Without properly functioning brakes, a truck could roll over if it encounters a problem.
- Faulty steering: Steering systems in trucks are designed to handle extreme forces. However, these systems can malfunction, causing the wheels to lock up or steer erratically.
- Improper lane change: Lane changes are dangerous because they involve changing lanes at high speeds. Even minor mistakes can result in serious crashes.
- Unsafe loading practices: Loading cargo improperly can damage a truck’s load bed. Cargo can shift inside the big rig, which can cause it to tip over.
- Speeding: Speeding increases the likelihood of a crash by increasing the distance between the truck and other vehicles.
Other causes of commercial vehicle accidents can include poorly designed or maintained highways and streets. Therefore, if a natural hazard exists in the design of a road or highway, the government entity is liable for accidents that occur there.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation if you have suffered severe injuries due to a truck accident. We will review your situation and explain your rights under the law.
Types of Truck Accidents
As stated above, truck accidents can be caused by driver error, truck malfunction, poor truck maintenance, or a combination of these factors. Due to their sheer size, various accident types can occur, including:
- No-zone accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- T-Bone or side-impact collisions
- Rollover accidents
- Head-on collisions
These are just some examples of the many types of truck accidents that can happen. The kind of accident depends on several factors, such as:
- Whether the truck was traveling in a straight line
- When the collision occurred
- How fast the truck was going, and where the truck was headed
We’ve Won Millions for Truck Accident Victims
Our in-house team has decades of experience using proven litigation strategies to protect your rights and help you win financial compensation to address your injuries and reassemble your life.
Here is a sample list of our law firm’s case victories:
- $2.525 million for a victim of a rear-end tanker truck accident that resulted in a broken back, two broken legs, and several broken ribs from the collision
- $3.65 million for a truck accident that led to a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- $1.25 million for an accident due to a truck driver who failed to yield the right of way
- $1.325 million for a victim who was rear-ended by a semi-truck
- $1.274 million for a fatal semi-truck accident
- $2.7 million for a fatal accident in which a tractor’s wheels crossed over the centerline of a two-lane road
- $2.7 million for an accident involving a commercial pickup truck driver who ran a red light
- $1.1 million for a dump truck accident
- $3.5 million for a woman struck head-on by a concrete truck when it began to slide into her lane of travel on a curved road
- $1.125 million for a truck accident that resulted in a fractured leg, requiring surgery and installation of plates and screws
- $3.5 million for a truck accident resulting in head trauma
- $3.65 million for an accident involving a semi-truck that was backing up on a highway
- $1.1 million for a dump truck accident that crushed every bone in a woman’s foot
- $2.252 million for an accident in which a semi-truck rear-ended a vehicle, forcing it into another semi-truck
- $1.3 million for a fatal accident involving a large rental truck
- $1.37 million for a fatal accident in which a truck’s cargo crushed a vehicle
Damages You Can Seek After an Indiana Truck Accident
Your potential compensation depends on the severity of your injuries and how they affect your life. Truck accident injuries can be extensive. Your immediate medical bills could easily reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. Your ongoing healthcare needs could cost even more.
You deserve fair compensation to help with your recovery. Additional compensatory damages may also apply. You can pursue awards for:
- Permanent disability related to your body or mind
- Rehabilitation costs
- Medical expenses, including emergency room care, surgeries, medication, doctor’s visits, rehabilitative therapy, in-home aid, and medical equipment
- Lost wages if you took time off work to heal
- Lost bonuses, benefits, and paid leave from your time off work
- Reduced earning capacity if you can’t return to work or earn the same income you did before your accident
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Property damage including vehicle or equipment repair
- Loss of quality of life or enjoyment of life if a disability prevents you from engaging in hobbies and regular activities
We can calculate your damages to ensure you’re awarded what you deserve.
Wrongful Death Damages
You could file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit if you lost a loved one to a truck accident in Indiana. While no amount of compensation can replace them, you and your family do not deserve to suffer financial strife while grieving. A settlement or verdict can help you cope in their absence.
We can pursue awards for:
- Funeral costs, including burial or cremation services
- Loss of inheritance for your loved one’s income
- Your loved one’s medical bills
- Your loved one’s pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium for your loved one’s companionship
- Your lost wages if you took time off work to care for them
Don’t Let Trucking Companies Get Away Without Paying for What They’ve Done
Unnecessary fatigue, a lapse in judgment, or a lack of concentration behind the wheel can change your life in the blink of an eye. If you’re reading this, chances are it has already happened.
There are numerous ways for truck drivers to fail in their duties to protect others. Sideswipes. Rear-ends. Blindspot collisions. Rollovers. Jackknifes. Whatever form a trucking accident takes, the result is the same: a life-changing trauma that turns your entire world upside down.
Each scenario puts road users at risk of serious injury, disability, or death. However, injured individuals and families can only receive compensation if they can prove that a trucking company or truck driver was at fault for the accident.
Trucking companies will act quickly to protect their interests. You must act soon as well.
You Only Have Two Years to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Indiana
You do not have an unlimited amount of time to take legal action. If negotiations with insurers fail, you will want the chance to hold a liable party responsible through a civil suit.
According to Indiana Code § 34-11-2-4, you generally have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline starts counting down from the date of the accident.
If you miss the deadline, you may see the court dismiss your case. Do not let a negligent truck driver get away with causing your injuries. Act quickly and secure your right to compensation. We can begin working on your case immediately.
The Truth Is, Trucking Companies Will Use Indiana Law Against You
Courts in Indiana must evaluate the actions of all parties involved in an accident and assign blame accordingly, according to Indiana law. Truckers may argue that an injured person’s violation of traffic laws or inattention contributed to the accident.
If a court accepts this argument, the injured person’s compensation must be reduced by their percentage of fault. Any recovery by the Plaintiff is barred. If less than 51% of the fault in the crash is assigned to the Plaintiff, the percentage of the Plaintiff’s recovery is reduced.
An Indianapolis truck accident lawyer can take the lead in proving that the collision was caused solely by the truck driver’s poor decisions.
Having an attorney on your side who understands how to hold trucking companies accountable and has a track record of success isn’t just important; it has the potential to change your life.
How Our Legal Team Can Help
Our legal team has over 400 years of combined experience. We know how to handle truck accident cases and want to help you. We can:
- Investigate your accident claim: We’ll interview witnesses and review police reports to determine who was at fault. We’ll also gather evidence, including pictures, videos, and witness statements.
- File a lawsuit: You only have two years to file your claim, so you must act fast. We’ll investigate the facts of your case and prepare your legal documents.
- Negotiate a settlement: Insurance companies and trucking companies often try to avoid paying out large payments. We can examine insurance policies and negotiate a fair settlement with insurance adjusters without trial.
- Work with medical experts and accident reconstruction specialists: Medical experts are needed to evaluate your injuries and provide expert testimony about what happened during the crash. An accident reconstructionist can analyze the scene and determine which party was at fault.
- Protect the evidence: We will locate the truck involved in the collision and obtain a court order to prevent it from being touched until our experts have completed a thorough examination. We will also seek a court order to prevent the destruction of the truck driver’s log and other critical evidence.
- Handle all the paperwork for your claim or wrongful death lawsuit: We’ll ensure everything gets filed correctly and appropriately processed.
- Represent you in a trial: Trials can be expensive and stressful. We’re here to help you navigate this process.
- Keep you updated on the progress of your case: We’ll keep you informed throughout the entire process.
- Get back on your feet: Your recovery depends on your health after the accident. We’ll ensure you receive prompt treatment and follow up with doctors as necessary.
We also have Spanish-speaking attorneys and paralegals. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Work with an Indiana Accident Attorney from our Firm
You don’t have to handle your case alone; you have a right to let a lawyer handle it while you rest and recover. Isaacs & Isaacs Personal Injury Lawyers can handle your case on a contingency-fee-basis. We only take our fee if we win compensation on your behalf.
Call us for your free consultation. We can discuss your case and explain what our Indiana truck accident lawyers can do for you.
