If you’ve been in an accident involving a big rig, you should consider hiring a specialist truck accident lawyer. Why? Because accidents which involve trucks and accidents which don’t are profoundly different. If somebody crashes their car into you, it’s relatively straightforward; either you were at fault, they were at fault, or you were jointly at fault. The same applies to truckers, who face unique challenges on the road that other road users don’t. These unique pressures contribute, in many cases, towards the kind of accident that you have suffered.
Not only that, but there’s the trucker’s employer to consider, as well. And that’s only made worse by the fact that truck accidents are surging in the United States. That’s why cases after truck accidents can be so complex.
So if you’re trying to figure out how to pick a personal lawyer, you should definitely start with a specialist. Here are all the reasons why.
Truck accident lawyer Malnar Law, P.C. can help you. A Storyblocks image.
Legal expertise, and a proven track record
First, you should consider hiring a truck accident attorney to better your chances of a successful suit. When you bring your case, either against the trucking company or a driver, you want to know that you have the best legal expertise available on your side. That applies equally to finding a high profile, experienced and skilled attorney and to finding a specialist. That’s why you should choose an attorney with a proven track record of winning substantial settlements in cases like these… An attorney like Doug Allen.
Think of it this way. If you had a contract law problem, you would contact a lawyer that specialises in that field. The same goes for injuries at work, motorcycle accidents and truck accidents. These specialisms exist because claimants need an attorney who has been there, done it and bought the T-shirt. Otherwise, you might be throwing away a settlement- or access to justice- which you would otherwise be entitled to. And nobody wants that.
Attorneys with little or no track record in truck accident lawsuits do not understand the unique problems, challenges and opportunities of these particular cases. A truck accident lawyer will be able to identify problems with evidence, put your case effectively, with confidence in their own expertise.
Big-rig accidents are more complex than other auto accidents
One of the key reasons why truck accidents are different to other kinds of auto accident is that there’s far more evidence to examine. For starters, when it comes to accidents involving a truck or big rig, there are more players than just you and the other driver. Your attorney must take into consideration the relationship between the truck driver and their employer. What we mean is that the actions of the employer may have had an effect on the driver, such that the accident could at least partly be their fault. There are a couple of ways in which this might be the case.
First, the trucking industry requires extensive documentation in order to keep both drivers and employers accountable. Truck drivers are required to keep a log book, which documents the amount of time spent on the road. Legally, truck drivers are limited in the number of hours they can drive without stopping to rest at some point. So, if we have access to the log book, we can use this as evidence that the employer was at least partly to fault.
Next, there are the many safety regulations not related specifically to the driver. These are to do with the quality and maintenance of the truck itself. Of course, if the truck was not roadworthy at the time of your accident, this would mean that the employer is at fault once more. If it can be proven that the truck was not roadworthy, and that the employer could have taken action to rectify the issue, this sort of evidence can be the source of a particularly large settlement.
A truck accident lawyer will know how to get their hands on that crucial evidence
Now, all of this evidence that we’ve pointed out above is in the hands of the trucking company. Generally, the evidence that the plaintiff wants being in the hands of the people they’re bringing a case against isn’t a good thing! Your case could be ruined by the difficulty of getting your hands on that crucial evidence. An inexperienced truck accident lawyer might not appreciate that.
The first thing that any truck accident lawyer will do is to send a letter to the trucking company. This letter will ask for as much evidence as possible. Your attorney will ask for everything from photographs and videos of the accident, to all of the crucial documentation mentioned above. Your attorney can also ask for the medical files of their driver, and any information available from the truck’s ‘black box’. All of this information can be absolutely crucial: just one piece of evidence can be enough to prove a case. But, again, an inexperienced or non-specialised lawyer might not appreciate the urgency of getting their hands on this information.
So, if you or a loved one have been involved in an accident with a truck, contact a specialist truck accident lawyer. Preferably, contact Malnar Law, P.C.! Ryan Malnar personally answers the phone for every client who calls, and is happy to answer any question you might have. Not only that, but he works on a contingency fee basis. If you would like to know more about how Ryan Malnar could help you, contact him here, today!
