Minden Truck Accident Lawyer

When truck collisions happen, they often cause catastrophic damage and injuries that can impact someone for the rest of their life. After a truck collision, you may be left with medical bills, permanent injuries, and be unable to earn income. A truck accident claim can hold the at-fault party liable for these losses. The guidance and support of a Minden truck accident lawyer are crucial.

Truck accident claims are some of the most complex claims of any motor vehicle accident. They deal with governmental regulation, commercial insurance carriers, and high-value settlements. It is essential that your legal representation knows how to navigate these cases, investigate fault, and recover the compensation you need to rebuild your life.

Integrity and Dedicated Legal Support for Truck Accident Victims

You should be able to recover all your financial and personal losses after an accident that wasn’t your fault. Unfortunately, insurance companies make it hard to do this. It is important that you find a truck accident attorney who is diligent, compassionate, and assertive in securing the compensation you deserve. Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates provides personalized and effective legal representation to those who are injured in truck accidents.

Our firm fights for your financial future, helping you secure the monetary recovery you need to rebuild your life. For years, we have protected those who have been injured by the negligence of trucking companies through negotiations and litigation. We have the resources and experience needed to effectively navigate your case.

Attorney Jacqueline Scott has 20 years of legal experience, including years in personal injury law and complex cases. She is an accomplished negotiator and litigator, willing to fight diligently for the maximum compensation that you are owed.

Who Can a Claim Be Filed Against in a Truck Accident Case?

Truck collisions are complex for numerous reasons, including the fact that there are many potential at-fault parties. Many companies and individuals are responsible for putting commercial vehicles on the road. Any of these parties could be partially or fully liable for acting negligently.

In most car collisions, the liable party is the other driver. If the truck driver is liable for the crash, their employer is typically vicariously liable. However, there are many other potentially at-fault parties in addition to or instead of a truck driver and their employer. It takes a skilled investigation of the facts of the accident to determine which parties may be at fault. Depending on your accident, some of the liable parties may include:

• The truck driver, who may be liable for driving under the influence, being distracted, or failing to check blind spots
• The trucking company or truck driver’s employer may be vicariously liable for the truck driver or may have been negligent in their hiring practices or failing to provide driver training.
• The owner of the truck trailer or cab, if the accident was caused by a lack of maintenance and the owner knew maintenance was needed.
• A manufacturer of a vehicle component, if the crash was caused by a broken component in either vehicle and the part was unreasonably dangerous.
• The mechanic or repair company, if maintenance or repairs were done poorly or improperly and this caused the accident
• The loading or shipping company, if the trailer was overloaded or improperly loaded, causing a failure or the vehicle to tip
• The designer of the vehicle, if a faulty truck design caused it to jackknife or otherwise cause an accident

These are some of the parties directly responsible for ensuring commercial trucks are safe on the road, but other parties could also be liable. Any individuals or parties that may be liable in other car collisions, like other drivers or the agency responsible for road maintenance, could also be liable.

How Can You Recover Compensation From a Truck Accident?

Most truck accident claims are filed with the commercial insurance carrier of the trucking company, whether the company itself is liable, it is vicariously liable for the actions of their driver. Negotiations with a commercial carrier are not easy while you are injured. These companies will try to undermine your claims and provide as little compensation as they can to protect their bottom line.

Insurance companies do not handle claims the same way when an attorney is involved because they know that their tactics will not work. When you have an attorney calculating the worth of your claim and negotiating for you, you are more likely to get a fair settlement from the insurance company. If the insurer still refuses to allow a fair settlement, your attorney can take your case to court.

How Much Are Most Truck Accident Settlements?

Every truck accident is unique, so each settlement will be different to reflect those unique damages. Monetary damages and other losses from an injury are the primary factors that influence the value of a truck accident settlement. A skilled and assertive attorney can determine the true value of your damages and fight for fair compensation in an insurance or civil claim.

Settlements can recover the losses of economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are financial losses with set and objective values. Depending on the damages you suffered, you could recover economic damages like:

• Medical Expenses: Medical bills from your injuries are some of the most immediately obvious damages of a truck accident. These collisions can cause catastrophic injuries, requiring surgery, treatment, long hospital stays, doctor’s visits, and prescription devices or medication.

A settlement should not only cover your immediate bills but any future medical costs, such as physical and mental health therapy and expected complications from the injuries you sustained.

• Long-Term Care Costs: If your injuries prevent you from moving or completing daily tasks for a period of time or permanently, you likely need a caretaker or other forms of long-term care. If your injury requires long-term mobility aids or medical devices or alterations to your home or vehicle, these costs could be recovered in your settlement.
• Lost Wages: When you are injured, you likely cannot work for a period of weeks to months while you recover. The wages you should have earned during that time are recoverable, including any wages you lose to attend doctor’s appointments.
• Lost Earning Potential: An injury that disables you can prevent you from ever working again or restrict you to certain limited job duties and, therefore, limited income. In these situations, your settlement should consider the wages you should have earned during your lifetime had you not been injured. The losses of your future earning potential should be calculated in the settlement.
• Property Damages: Truck accidents, in addition to serious injuries, can cause significant harm to a vehicle and other personal property. The cost to fix or replace a vehicle and other items should be in your settlement.

Non-economic Damages

Non-economic damages do not have objective values but are still covered through financial compensation. These are personal, emotional, and psychological losses like:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium and society
• Loss of companionship
• Disfigurement and scarring
• Emotional distress and mental anguish

Non-economic damages and future economic damages are difficult to calculate if you are unfamiliar with personal injury claims, which is why the support of an attorney is essential. An accomplished attorney has significant experience calculating damages after accidents. An attorney can help maximize the compensation you recover by determining a fair and complete value for your losses.

At Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates, we can help you rebuild your life after a serious accident. We take the time to understand the many ways your injuries have affected your life and how to recover as much compensation as possible. Our firm can protect your future, helping you recover as much as possible and move forward with your life.

Exemplary Damages in Truck Accident Claims

Non-economic and economic damages are compensatory damages, meaning they compensate an injured individual for a loss. In rare cases, a vehicle collision can also result in exemplary damages. If your case goes to trial, exemplary damages may be awarded if you prove that the at-fault driver was intoxicated while driving and had a reckless disregard for your rights and safety. This driver may be the truck driver or another vehicle driver.

These damages do not compensate you for a loss but are instead assigned to punish the at-fault party for their actions and deter future similar actions. An attorney can help you determine if you qualify for exemplary damages and how you can recover them.

What Are Common Causes of Commercial Truck Collisions?

The drivers of commercial trucks are highly trained professionals, and they have a lot of responsibility while on the road because of how dangerous their vehicles are. However, they can make mistakes like any driver. Negligence of others on the road or others who are responsible for the trucks can also lead to accidents.

Truck accidents can be caused by many factors, including:

• Driving distracted, such as eating, drinking, texting, or dealing with a navigational system
• Reckless driving, including speeding, failing to signal, failing to ensure enough space for a turn or tailgating
• Traffic law violations, including running red lights or right-of-way violations
• Fatigued driving, which is more likely if drivers do not follow rest and break regulations or are encouraged to ignore them
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, including prescription drugs if they impair driving
• Improperly trained truck drivers due to truck company negligence
• Equipment failures due to unsafe car parts or poor maintenance
• Improperly loaded cargo, leading to shifting cargo and overturning the vehicle
• Overloaded cargo, leading to mechanical failures
• Lack of vehicle inspection and needed maintenance
• Dangerous weather conditions, including low visibility or slick roads
• Unsafe roadways due to poor maintenance, construction, or other hazards

Knowing the cause of the accident is the first step in determining which party or parties can be held at-fault for the collision. Dangerous road conditions may point to a driver that failed to slow down and take the required care while operating their vehicle. It may also happen because the agency responsible for road maintenance failed to complete it, leading to debris, improper drainage, large potholes, and other hazards.

An attorney can investigate the accident to determine the cause and how to get compensation from the liable party.

Why Should You Get a Lawyer for a Truck Accident?

You should get a lawyer for a truck accident because these cases are legally complex, and you should not have to navigate the process alone while you are injured. The time after such a serious injury should be used for rest and recovery. Claims must be filed soon after the accident to improve their chances of succeeding. To file the claim quickly, you should find an attorney who can handle the process for you while you rest.

An attorney can handle many things about your claim, including:

• Investigating the cause of the truck accident
• Determining what party or parties are responsible for the accident
• Gathering evidence to prove fault and show what damages you suffered
• Ensuring your claim and paperwork meet all the necessary requirements and deadlines
• Calculating the full cost of your economic and non-economic damages
• Working with professional witnesses when needed to prove your case
• Negotiating with the insurance carrier
• Handling claims from the insurer
• Communicating with you to keep you updated on the status of your case
• Taking the claim to trial if a fair settlement cannot be reached

You need an attorney who has handled truck accident claims numerous times and can apply this knowledge to your unique case. You are more likely to recover the most compensation possible with the support of a qualified attorney, which can better help you move forward in your life.

Finding an Advocate Against a Truck Company’s Insurer

You have a very short period of time after an accident to file your claim. Acting quickly after you or a loved one is involved in a trucking accident is important to get the compensation you need. Working with the right legal representation can make all the difference in maximizing your recovery. Contact Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates today to learn how we can help after a commercial truck accident.