What Role Do Attorneys Play In Trucking Accident Cases?

When you are in a trucking accident, there are often special circumstances that only an experienced attorney can handle effectively.  Truck accident lawyers use a combination of traffic laws, insurance laws, and personal injury laws to get the most out of the justice system to ensure that the victims involved can receive the most out of their claims or cases.

How a Trucking Accident Case Works

If you have been injured in a trucking accident you will get more protection and feel more secure when you hire an experienced attorney to handle your case.  Attorneys who specialize in personal injury cases dealing with trucking and car accidents are assigned to your case and can negotiate with the other parties involved and they can determine who should pay for the damages incurred. An attorney can work with the insurance and company if the truck is a commercial vehicle.

Court officials and insurance companies will collect all of the data together in order to conclude exactly what happened when the accident occurred.  This can be completed using police reports, photos, and other evidence, and then use the local traffic laws as well as legal concepts such as to determine who caused the accident.  Whoever is determined to be at fault for the accident is the person who will have to pay for any lost wages, medical and property expenses, as well as any harm related to pain and suffering.

There isn’t an exact science to calculating what a person will be entitled to receive since there are cases where both drivers are at fault for the accident and all states have slightly different rules associated with certain situations where there is more than one person responsible for the accident. Some states require that one party pays all the bills while other states require the two parties to split the damages and fees according to the amount each party is to blame, per the accident history.

What Role Does Auto Insurance Play In A Trucking Accident?

Thanks to insurance policies put in place, most people do not pay for all of the damages stemming from a trucking collision out of pocket. Automobile insurance may pay to repair at least some of the damages or replacement costs for all or some of the vehicles involved and may pay for some medical expenses as well. Insurance companies may also pay for an attorney, if necessary, although in most of these cases the clients have an attorney selected by the insurance company rather than choosing their own attorney to represent them.  State laws also vary widely on the extent and types of insurance coverage that is required for a person to drive a commercial truck.

How To Determine Who Is At Fault In A Trucking Accident?

Determining who pays for the damages after a collision with a truck is slightly more complicated than other kinds of accidents because trucks are often commercially owned, so the liability insurance policies may rest not only on the driver but on the owner of the truck as well.  The laws regarding who is at fault may vary depending on the types of vehicles involved and the coverage.  Most semi-truck drivers are usually professionally trained and certified and have to drive more carefully than most other drivers.  Determining who pays for the damage after a collision with a semi-truck or commercial truck is slightly more complicated than other kinds of accidents due to the particulars involved in trucks that are commercially owned.

For more information regarding personal liability and trucking accidents, contact Chattanooga law firm Dennis & Winningham Law today!