How a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help Your Case
If you’ve been injured in a New York or New Jersey truck accident, there are many reasons to hire a lawyer to represent you. You are facing a difficult situation, and your situation could become even more difficult if you do not protect your legal rights.
Unfortunately, you cannot trust the companies involved in your case to treat you fairly. In order to recover, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side.
10 Ways a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help After a Serious Collision
What can you expect when you seek legal representation? Here are 10 ways a truck accident lawyer can help after a crash with an 18-wheeler:
1. Conducting an On-Scene Investigation
Recovering financial compensation for a truck accident requires evidence from the scene of the crash. Your lawyer can dispatch an investigator to the scene of the accident immediately to collect any available evidence before it disappears.
2. Gathering Evidence from Other Sources
In the majority of cases, proving liability for a truck accident also requires evidence from other sources. In addition to conducting an on-scene investigation, your lawyer can also seek to obtain the following evidence:
- Traffic camera footage
- The truck driver’s logs
- The trucker’s phone and employment records
- Vehicle inspection reports
- And more
All of this evidence serves two crucial purposes: (a) proving that the truck accident was caused by the negligence of one or more parties and (b) establishing your right to financial compensation.
3. Determining What Party or Parties Are Liable
Unlike car accident claims, the driver is typically not the only one at fault for a semi-truck accident. It is essential to identify any and all liable parties.
The trucking company is liable in most truck accident claims. However, there are other possibilities to consider as well:
- Did the shipping company improperly load the truck’s cargo?
- Was the truck or one of its component parts defective?
- Did the trucking company and/or third-party mechanics fail to properly maintain the truck and trailer?
- Did an issue with the road cause the truck driver to lose control?
- Was another driver at fault in the crash?
If the evidence shows that the answer to any of these questions is “Yes,” it is important to name the additional parties in your truck accident claim.
4. Helping You Stay On Top of Everything
From keeping track of your medical records to making sure you know how to document the effects of your truck accident injuries on a day-to-day basis, your lawyer can help you stay on top of everything you need to do in order to recover as fully and quickly as possible.
5. Helping You Avoid Going Into Debt
If you are struggling to pay your bills as a result of the accident, your lawyer can also help you avoid going into debt. For example, your attorney may be able to submit a Letter of Protection to your healthcare providers, as well as evaluate your options for pre-settlement funding.
6. Calculating Your Economic Losses
The amount you are entitled to recover for your truck accident depends in part on the economic damages you incur. Your truck accident lawyer will be able to accurately calculate the following economic losses:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket costs
Your attorney will assess your current and future economic damages and seek fair compensation on your behalf.
7. Calculating Your Non-Economic Losses
In addition to economic damages, you may be entitled to compensation for the following non-economic losses:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disability
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of companionship and consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
These losses can be difficult to quantify. However, a truck accident lawyer will know what evidence to gather to support your claim and the damages you seek.
8. Negotiating a Fair Settlement on Your Behalf
After calculating your losses and filing one or more claims against the liable party (or parties), your truck accident lawyer will negotiate with the defendant(s) and their insurers on your behalf. Negotiations could take several months or more depending on the complexity of the accident and the companies involved. Your lawyer will stay in close contact with you throughout negotiations to keep you updated on the progress of your settlement.
9. Helping You Decide When (and If) to Settle
Settling your truck accident case is a big decision, and it is not a decision you can afford to take lightly. If the other side offers to settle your claim, you and your attorney should review the offer in detail before accepting.
You need to make sure the settlement offer adequately covers your damages both now and in the future. It is also important to determine what your take-home recovery will be after attorney fees and other expenses.
10. Fighting for Justice in Court If Necessary
Finally, if you do not receive an acceptable settlement offer, your truck accident lawyer can file a lawsuit on your behalf and take the matter to court. Not all truck accident lawyers take cases to trial, so it is important to choose a bonafide trial attorney with extensive experience in the courtroom.
Get Help With Your Case From A Truck Accident Lawyer
Truck accident claims involve a host of unique challenges. If you suffered injury or a loved one was hurt or killed in a collision with a tractor-trailer, you need an experienced lawyer on your side.
When you contact Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi, you can count on us to provide you with knowledgeable advice. Our team will thoroughly evaluate your case and start taking steps immediately to preserve evidence, identify all liable parties, calculate the compensation you are due, and fight for a favorable result.
Please contact Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi at (201) 585-9111 today for a free case review. Our truck accident lawyers serve clients throughout New Jersey and New York.
