Fighting For Your Compensation After A Trucking Accident

Truck accidents are some of the most disastrous types of accidents on the road. Because of the massive size of these vehicles, they often leave victims with a lifetime of consequences. When a truck driver’s reckless or negligent actions cause such devastating consequences, arm yourself with an exceptional legal team to protect your rights.

At Leeseberg Tuttle, we offer our clients more than 75 combined years of experience in personal injury law. We serve clients throughout Ohio in their efforts to secure fair compensation after truck accidents and are ready to fight for you.

How Truck Accidents Can Happen

Because these vehicles are so much larger than passenger cars, accidents with trucks happen in numerous ways. It only takes a moment for any type of accident to occur, including:

• Jackknife accidents: When a truck driver brakes and turns suddenly, it can cause their trailer to jackknife out and hit other cars.
• Blindspot accidents: Most of the area surrounding 18-wheelers make passenger cars invisible or hard to see for the truck driver, resulting in the truck crashing into the cars.
• Blowouts: A blown tire can be enough for a truck driver to lose control of their vehicle and hit someone around them.
• Rear-end and head-on collisions: When a truck driver loses control of their vehicle or is not paying attention to the road, they may barrel into a vehicle directly in front of them.

No matter how the accident happened, you deserve the guidance of an experienced attorney to help you secure the compensation you need.

How An Attorney Can Help

When a major shipping company’s truck driver causes an accident, its legal team may act swiftly in the company’s defense. It may try and offer you a fast settlement for your injuries, but accepting that offer may not be the right decision.

A fast settlement is often an attempt to pay victims less than they deserve for their injuries. We can help you determine a fair compensation value based on all relevant factors, including:

• Current and future medical expenses
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of life enjoyment

Once we know the full value of your accident damages, we act to negotiate and secure that value. While negotiations often yield faster results, if they cannot provide the settlement you deserve, we are not afraid to continue the fight through litigation.

Answers To Common Questions About Truck Accidents

Below, we’ve provided answers to some of the questions we receive most often from clients and prospective clients. After reading, feel free to contact us with any additional questions you may have.

What are the most common causes of trucking accidents?

In many cases, truck drivers and/or trucking companies are to blame for causing accidents. Specific causes include:

• Truck driver fatigue or drowsy driving (caused by either too many hours behind the wheel or an untreated medical condition like obstructive sleep apnea)
• Distracted driving
• Speeding and aggressive driving
• Failure to inspect, repair and maintain trucks, leading to worn-out brakes, bald tires and other hazards
• Cargo that is too heavy, improperly secured or unbalanced
• Drunk or drugged driving
• Failure to respond to changing weather conditions, road conditions or traffic patterns
• Poorly trained and inexperienced truck drivers
• Expansion of e-commerce and recent advent of fleets of delivery trucks such as Amazon, UPS, FedEx whose drivers may not have been adequately trained

As soon as you contact our firm, we begin a thorough investigation into the crash to determine why it happened and who was to blame. Proving fault is critical in any personal injury case, and truck accidents are no exception.

How much is my truck accident case worth?

Each case is unique, so there is no way to answer this question without first speaking to an attorney. Your compensation will depend on factors like the severity of your injuries, lost wages, property damage and more. As a general rule, truck accidents tend to result in higher settlements and jury awards than other auto accident claims because they are more likely to involve catastrophic injuries or death.

Who is considered liable for the truck accident that injured me?

Truck crash litigation typically involves numerous defendants. If the truck driver was to blame for causing the crash, their employer is likely to be jointly liable. Depending on the details of the crash, we may also be able to help you bring a claim against the business whose cargo was being transported, a repair shop that serviced the truck, the warehouse that loaded the vehicle and auto manufacturers that supplied faulty parts.

Can any personal injury lawyer handle my truck accident claim?

Legally, the answer is yes. However, truck accident claims are often highly complex, and insurance companies defend these lawsuits aggressively. Therefore, many attorneys lack the knowledge, skill and experience to effectively represent accident victims and their families.

As one of Ohio’s premier personal injury firms, we are more than ready to provide the representation you need, both in and out of the courtroom. We have a strong record of success in litigation, and we don’t tolerate insurance companies’ lowball settlement offers or attempts to evade responsibility.

How long can I wait before taking legal action?

In Ohio, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years from the date of injury. However, you will want to act much sooner than that. It takes considerable time and effort to gather evidence and built a compelling case.

Just as importantly, you need to seek legal help immediately to preserve evidence and maximize your legal options. After a trucking accident, insurance companies are typically on the scene within hours, working diligently to control both the evidence and the narrative. By hiring a good attorney as soon as reasonably possible, you are giving yourself the best chance of a successful outcome in future settlement negotiations or litigation.

What should I do if the trucking company’s insurer contacts me?

You are not obligated to speak to the other party’s insurance company, and it is wise to avoid doing so. They are almost certainly calling to get you to accept a lowball settlement offer, to accidentally say something that could weaken your claim or both. You have nothing to gain and much to lose by agreeing to speak with an insurance adjuster. Instead, simply decline to answer any questions and refer them to your attorney.

Choose Compassion And Experience To Stand By Your Side

If you are ready to meet with our committed team, contact our Columbus office by calling 855-445-6266 or emailing us here. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can begin to fight for you; so contact us today.