Ask legal experts and insurance industry statisticians and most will tell you that in most trucking accidents, there is a great deal of responsibility on the truck driver. In fact, a 2016 report in Florida noted that of that state’s 395,785 truck accidents for the year, the majority were due to truck driver error. Whether it is fatigue, inexperience, or mishandling leading to such issues as rolls or jackknifing, it would seem that drivers can cause serious issues. Statistics say that around 1% of all truck accidents are fatal, and more than 20% result in serious injury, and in all such cases trucking accident lawyers are important.
Why Hire an Accident Specialist?
The injuries and liabilities in trucking accidents only seem similar to those between other motor vehicles. However, it is both the driver and the company that could be to blame. So it is a good idea to look for an attorney with a background specifically in truck accidents. Proving the driver or truck company’s liability is difficult and seeking and winning damages can be, as well. The lawyer is going to have to focus on many different issues, and it is entirely different from many other areas of personal injury laws. For instance, your lawyer has to figure out who is liable, what a driver did just before an accident if the driver was fatigued, and if there was equipment failure.
The Many Issues
One of the most significant issues is that of liability. There are the trucker and trucking company, but also the maker of the vehicle may carry some liability. It takes a skilled attorney to delve through all of the facts and detail relating to the accident and injuries to determine what is what. Consider too that a driver may have been using a big rig for personal reasons, and an employer may have no liability because of it. Your attorney will know what to expect and just what to do in such instances. As to what a driver was doing before the accident, it may involve their actions but also how a vehicle was loaded or maintained, whether inspections were done and if the driver had taken the required breaks and rests.
You can now see the benefits of trucking accident lawyers in Alworth, and Fisk & Monteleone, LTD is here to help through any incidents of this kind.
