Truck Accidents Attorneys In Minnesota
Every time you drive on a major highway or interstate anywhere in the country, you are likely to pass by dozens or even hundreds of big-rig trucks. They are so commonplace that they tend to blend into the background. However, something to remember about these trucks is that they potentially pose a danger to any of us at any time.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration releases an annual report about the number of accidents involving commercial trucks. Their data is available to the public and is useful in understanding risk that these commercial trucks pose to those on the road. Their latest report covered 2020 and it contained the following details:
- There were 4,998 large trucks and buses involved in fatal accidents in 2020. This was a five percent decrease from the year before, but still remains a high number.
- The number of fatal accidents involving large trucks and buses is declining over the span of recent years. However, the number of injuries caused by large trucks and buses are on the increase.
These statistics show that people need to be concerned about large trucks and buses when out on the road.
Related Article: How Truck Accidents Differ from Car Accidents
Truck Accidents Can Lead to Significant Damage, Even in “Minor” Accidents
The word “minor” should not be associated with a commercial truck accident at any time. The sheer size alone of commercial trucks make them a potential hazard when they are involved in any kind of accident. Given this,there is no such thing as a minor commercial truck accident. In reality, truck accidents can cause serious, life changing injuries.
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Not only are these trucks significantly larger than the average passenger vehicle, but they also may be carrying materials that are hazardous to humans. Policyadvice.net makes it clear why this is so important:
When carrying hazardous cargo like flammable liquids, it is crucial to drive safely and cautiously. These are liquids that ignite, burn and thus catch on fire easily. Therefore, the risk of truck fatality is high in a collision for a trucker carrying hazardous cargo because it is likely to explode or catch fire.
Those materials must be transported around the country just like anything else, but the level of danger that these materials present is hard to deny.
Attorneys understand that the amount of damage and destruction that can be caused by an accident involving a large truck that is carrying hazardous materials can be severe. They have seen case after case of people who have been injured in some way by being involved in an accident involving these large trucks.
Factors that Can Cause a Truck Accident
There are typically a number of underlying reasons why a truck accident occurs in the first place. The main factor is the sheer number of trucks on the road at any given time. In fact, roughly 38.9 million trucks are registered for business use in the United States as of 2020. Not all of those trucks are on the road at the same time, but enough of them are to increase the odds of an accident occurring involving a truck Other known factors that can contribute to truck accidents include, but are not limited to:
- Driver Fatigue – Per federal regulations, drivers are only allowed to travel a maximum of 11 hours within a 14 hour window. Then, the driver must have at least 10 hours straight when they are off duty before they can drive again. However, a number of drivers still experience fatigue when they are out on the road. This is an extreme danger when a driver is operating a piece of machinery as large and powerful as a big rig truck.
- Distracted Driving – Commercial drivers are NOT permitted to use their smartphones or other electronic devices while they are driving. However, that does not mean that some of them do not. Ideally, this will not happen on the road, but a driver that feels that they can sneak a peek at their phone might do so and cause an accident. Also, there are other types of distractions such as changing the radio station that can take a driver’s eyes away from the road long enough to cause an accident.
- Maintenance Issues – Some accidents are caused by a failure in the equipment that is available on the truck. For example, a driver may have faulty tires that blowout while they are on the road. The loss of a tire while out on the road is enough to potentially cause one to lose control of the truck. That can contribute to an accident very quickly.
Related Article: Why Truck Accidents Are On the Rise in 2022
Why You Should Pursue a Truck Accident Claim
If you are the victim of a truck accident, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries and the effect they have on your life.Truck accidents can lead to life changing injuries, and you may have medical expenses and wage loss that can have a profound effect on you and your family.
When you contact one of our experienced truck accident attorneys, we will sit down with you for an initial free consultation. Our goal in this consultation is to gather information about the specific facts of your case. We will then walk you through the process, what we can do for you, and provide you with the best possible advice about how to move forward.
After that consultation, if you want us to represent you, you will sign a retainer agreement, which lays out the details of the representation and our fees. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we have no attorneys fees unless we get a recovery for you. If there is no recovery, there is no fee, ever
Once you have hired us, we will begin the process of investigating the case and pursuing justice for youYou can rest assured that our aggressive and experienced advocates will do everything in their power to get you the results that you need and that you deserve.
Related Article: What Is the Role of a Personal Injury Lawyer in a Case?
How Long Will the Process Take?
It is important that you act as quickly as possible after your accident to seek legal counsel and representation.
The reason for this is it allows your attorney to perform a prompt and thorough investigation into the facts of the case before evidence is lost or destroyed. This may mean hiring accident reconstruction or other experts to get to the accident scene to gather evidence as soon as possible.
There are also different statutes of limitations that apply for different types of cases and in different jurisdictions.
Speaking with an attorney as soon as possible will ensure that your rights are protected.
Depending on the complexity of the case and the nature and extent of your injuries, the case could take anywhere from months to years if a lawsuit needs to be started. Oftentimes, doctors will not give an opinion on the nature, extent and permanency of your injuries until a year or more after the accident, depending on the type of injury. Doctors may want to wait 8-12 months to give an opinion about orthopedic injuries like fractures, ligament tears, and other surgical conditions. Doctors may want to wait longer for traumatic brain injuries.
Once medical records, bills, doctors reports, wage loss documentation, and other necessary documents are gathered, a demand package is put together and submitted. Once the demand has been received by the insurance company, they will review it and evaluate your case. There is then generally a period of negotiation back and forth before a formal settlement agreement with the truck’s insurance company can be reached. If a settlement agreement cannot be reached, it may be necessary to start a lawsuit.
We know that you will have many questions about your rights and the claim process, and the lawyers at Nelson Personal Injury always take the time to explain the process and your rights to you. If you have been involved in a truck accident,contact us as soon as possible to obtain the information you need to get started pursuing your truck accident case with us.
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