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Truck Wreck Justice 

 are more dangerous and destructive than the average car crash, and the legal cases that follow truck wrecks are very complicated. So, it’s not uncommon for victims to have lots of questions about what’s next.

In this blog, we’ll try to help by answering some of the most common questions victims have after a crash involving a large truck.

When you or someone you love suffers injuries or dies in a crash involving a large commercial truck, there may be more than one party who can be held legally and financially responsible.If the truck driver was to blame, you and your lawyer could file a lawsuit to hold them and their employer responsible. However, many truck wrecks happen because of hidden causes that only come out after an experienced attorney investigates the collision. In many cases, there are multiple parties at fault, not the just truck driver or their employer.For example, some crashes result from defective parts that fail. If a faulty part is to blame for your injuries, you may be able to seek compensation from the manufacturer. Sometimes the trucking company is so unsafe they never should have been hired by a safe and responsible broker/shipper using reasonable care in selecting a safe trucking company to move its goods…not just the cheapest. But unless you work with an experienced truck wreck lawyer who can investigate your case quickly, you probably won’t ever find out about these types of hidden causes. These hidden causes are often the root cause of the wreck and are the in fact most significant at fault party. We often find that truck drivers were set up to fail by these corporate hidden root causes and these corporations, with much greater knowledge than the truck drivers they employ, try to make the truck driver the fall guy for the corporations bad acts.

Determining negligence is an important part of any personal injury case. Negligence occurs when a person or legal entity (like a business) fails to exercise reasonable caution and a victim suffers harm as a result.

Negligent behaviors that cause truck wrecks can include:

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Driving while distracted (like while texting or watching videos)

Driving while drowsy or falling asleep at the wheel

Failing to take proper care when hiring drivers (like checking for crash history, drug abuse, and license suspensions)

Encouraging drivers to break hours-of-service rules

Refusing to reserve parking spaces for its trucks and forcing drivers to park on the shoulders of roads, interstates and exit ramps rather than in a safe spot

Hiring an unsafe trucking company with known safety defects

Failing to properly investigate a trucking company’s safety history and defects to see if it is actually improving or is continuing to operate unsafely.

These are just a few examples. Truck driver and trucking company negligence can take dozens of different forms, and only an experienced truck wreck attorney can investigate a crash to determine whether negligence played a role in causing injuries. Companies that cut safety short can always underbid safe trucking companies. If these unsafe companies are used to haul loads then safe trucking companies have a hard, if not impossible time staying in business. Unsafe trucking companies force safe trucking companies to cut corners or go out of business. We need safe trucking companies and have to stamp out unsafe trucking companies to keep us all safe on the roads.

Truck and bus crash claims are notoriously challenging to handle. These claims often involve several vehicles, extensive damage, and multiple liable parties. Also, handling a truck wreck case requires expert knowledge about the complex sets of state and federal regulations that govern the trucking industry.

As if all that weren’t enough, the insurance companies who provide coverage to trucking carriers have expensive teams of lawyers and crash investigators. These “rapid response” teams start working immediately to deny claims after any crash.

Against all this, there’s only one reliable way to level the playing field. Victims need an experienced lawyer who has the know-how to take on the trucking industry, the tenacity to investigate every option, and the integrity to stand up to powerful companies.

What Will Happen in My Truck Accident Case?

After a crash, your lawyer will conduct a careful investigation to find out who is responsible for paying for your damages. If the investigation is incomplete, not thorough, or inaccurate, then you risk not identifying any or all of the liable parties and failing to hold them accountable for their negligence.

It’s very difficult to conduct a thorough and complete investigation without years of experience handling truck wreck cases, so make sure the lawyer you choose has successfully handled cases like yours before. Your truck wreck case is too important to leave it up to someone’s first try.

Every truck crash case is different, so there’s no blanket statement we can make about the value of your case. The best way to understand the value of your case is to schedule a free consultation with an attorney who has handled lots of substantial trucking cases. The attorney will examine the details of your case and give you an idea about the value of your case based on their experience handling similar trucking cases. A car wreck lawyer will rarely have the resources and depth of trucking industry knowledge that an experienced truck accident lawyer brings to the table.

If your claim isn’t worth pursuing because it won’t provide you enough compensation to justify the time and attorney’s fees, your lawyer should be honest and up-front with you about this.

Commercial trucks are vehicles specially designated for the use of moving goods on the interstate. All commercial vehicles will have a Department of Transportation identification number on the door.

Most people think of massive tractor-trailers when they think of commercial trucks, but sometimes vehicles as small as pickup trucks can count as commercial vehicles if they have the capacity to haul enough weight or have a trailer attached.

The laws regulating and defining commercial trucks also vary from state to state. If you have questions about whether the vehicle that hit you counts as a commercial truck under the law, an experienced truck wreck lawyer can help.

What Is the Definition of a Commercial Truck?

7. What Is the Statute of Limitations for Truck Crash Cases in Washington State?

The statute of limitations restricts the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit after a crash. In Washington state, the limit is three years for truck crash claims. In some other states, the time limit is only one year. Also, some states require that any government entities that are at fault receive notice within 90 days.

Exceptions and extensions to the statute of limitations do exist,

 but you shouldn’t count on your case being an exception — most aren’t. Also, keep in mind that it takes lots of time to prepare a truck crash lawsuit for filing. If you wait to contact an attorney until a few months before the statute of limitations expires, they may not be able to help you, or they may limit their representation. It’s always best to contact an attorney as soon as possible after a crash to make sure the statute of limitations doesn’t create problems for your case.

Questions About a Truck Crash? Contact Truck Wreck Justice Today

At Truck Wreck Justice, we’re committed to fighting for clients just like you who’ve suffered at the hands of negligent trucking companies. We can answer all your pressing questions during a free, no-risk initial consultation.

To schedule your free consultation with an experienced truck wreck attorney, call us today at 

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.

7 FAQs About Truck Wrecks and Victims’ Rights

Trucking companies often pressure their drivers to break federal law in an effort to maximize company profits.

Companies can get away with this manipulation because many drivers only make a living wage after they work an extreme amount of overtime.

Overworking drivers and forcing them to break other safety regulations increases the chance of a 

Innocent victims injured in a crash with a big truck have legal options that may be able to provide financial compensation. 

Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer

The Most Common Trucking Safety Violations

Like most businesses, trucking companies’ primary goal is to make a profit. But even among profit-driven companies, some trucking carriers can be especially ruthless and callous in search of more money. The trucking industry is notorious for pushing drivers to break the law in order to maximize company profits.

Some of the most common violations include:

Forcing drivers to drive excessive hours each week in violation of hours of service rules (sometimes in excess of 20 hours a day)

Pressuring drivers to skip safety inspections

Implicitly and explicitly asking drivers to speed

These same trucking companies also spend a lot of time and money lobbying against regulations and reforms that would make the trucking industry safer. For example, digital logs that automatically track hours of service would prevent companies from forcing drivers to violate HOS rules, and on-board speed limiting devices would cap truck speeds at safe levels. But negligent trucking companies would rather maximize their short-term profits than worry about the safety of their drivers and others on the road.

Why Do Companies Pressure Employees to Break the Law?

You might wonder why drivers don’t just say “no” when an employer asks them to do something illegal. In reality, it’s not so easy for truckers.

Many truck drivers operate as contractors and owe thousands of dollars on their truck’s lease. After paying vehicle expenses, their paychecks don’t leave them with enough money to take care of their families back home. Trucking companies understand this reality and use it as leverage, forcing drivers to break the law and put innocent people’s lives at risk. By withholding fair pay, companies can manipulate drivers.

Bad trucking companies also often hire inexperienced and undertrained drivers. Many of these new drivers don’t have the experience and confidence to push back against unlawful orders from their employer. Some of these drivers aren’t even trained well enough to know that what they’re being asked to do is illegal.

Safety Violations Put Innocent Lives at Risk

The safety regulations that govern the trucking industry are based on extensive research and effort from highway safety experts. For example, hours of service regulations help fight truck driver fatigue and drowsy driving, both of which have been identified in government research as common causes of deadly truck crashes.

In 2017, nearly 5,000 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes. The same year, 54% of crashes involved speeding of some kind, and distraction was the second most common contributing factor to crashes after speeding. These high rates of distraction and speeding occur because trucking companies continually push drivers to shave time off routes and drive excessively long hours — even when doing so violates laws and regulations.

How Safety Regulations Will Affect Your Trucking Accident Case

Hurt in a Truck Crash? Call Truck Wreck Justice for Help

Trucking safety violations cause countless accidents on American roads each year. If you or someone you love is suffering after an accident with a large truck, you deserve answers and justice.

At Truck Wreck Justice, our priority is getting justice for victims just like you. We know how to investigate and litigate the most complex trucking cases, and we can uncover the hidden violations that companies do their best to keep secret.

To schedule your free, no-risk consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer from the Truck Wreck Justice team, call us at 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (2019, May 6). 

. Washington, D.C.: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Retrieved from 

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2017#A4

Do Truck Companies Pressure Employees to Break the Law?

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