When to Hire a Trucking Accident Attorney

The United States Department of Transportation estimates that that an alarming 500,000 trucking accidents occur every year, with more than 75% of truck driving accidents being caused by the driver of a separate passenger vehicle. In addition, the United States Department of Transportation reports that nearly 5,000 people are killed every year in trucking accidents. Such a large volume of truck-related accidents unsurprisingly results in court cases (many requiring a criminal defense), and then potential settlements, repercussions, and eventually, resolution.

So if you’ve been in an accident related to or involving a truck, you might be wondering: “when should I hire a trucking accident attorney?”, or “Should I hire a trucking accident attorney at all?” Many people, when they (or their loved ones) are involved in a truck driving accident, believe the best person to call first is a personal injury lawyer, and that makes sense. But truth be told, while personal injury lawyers are the right people to call when you are in an accident with another passenger vehicle, you would be much better off calling and hiring a trucking accident attorney when the accident in question involves a truck because of all the different complexities that apply to truck driving that do not apply to accidents involving just passenger vehicles.

Man and woman looking at their car being towed away after an accident.

Unfortunately, truck driving accidents and the resulting future legal consequences are a lot more complicated than the typical passenger vehicle accident that the common person thinks of, meaning that additional legal expertise will be needed to navigate the murky courtroom waters that may exist. To begin with, multiple parties are usually involved in a truck driving accident, including the truck driver, the truck driver’s passenger(s) if they had any, the passenger vehicle’s driver, the passenger vehicle’s passenger(s) if they had any, any additional passenger vehicles and their respective driver(s) and passenger(s), as well as any witness(es) that were present at the time of the truck driving accident. An expert trucking accident attorney can figure out if you are within your rights to sue, who to sue, how to get the maximum amount of money due to you for the inconvenience, possible pain, or potential suffering that the truck driving accident has caused you or your loved ones (who may have perished as a result of the truck driving accident. An expert trucking accident attorney can also help you determine if the truck driving accident is of criminal nature, and depending on which side you are a part of, how to approach the possibility of a criminal defense.

So clearly, a truck driving accident is not a situation that you should be taking lightly, and it is a situation that you should most certainly not be hiring a personal injury lawyer for. You should be looking into hiring a trucking accident attorney who will be able to give you the exact information that you need and help you get the proper defense and case for your particular situation, which will result in the best settlements and outcomes possible. The bottom line is this: If you’ve been in a truck driving accident, you should be looking to hire a trucking accident attorney and nobody else. Now here are a few more benefits to hiring a trucking accident attorney as opposed to a different kind of attorney when you have been in an accident involving a truck:

Expert Experience in Dealing with Insurance Companies

If you are attempting to deal with an insurance company on your own or if you are wanting to hire a lawyer who might not have experience in dealing with an insurance company, you are going to have a difficult time getting what you ultimately want out of the insurance companies, who are experts at getting clients to accept extremely low and unfair settlements. On the other hand, a professional trucking accident attorney will know the specific ins and outs of the insurance field and won’t let these companies bully the client into a subpar agreement. A trucking accident attorney will know how to deal with an insurance company because they are required to do it every day in their practice. Because of this, your chances of experiencing success will rise dramatically. You’ll have a much better chance at getting the defense and potential compensation that you deserve in the full amount that you desire to cover your pain and suffering.

You Will Get Expert Legal Guidance

Sometimes we want to think that we know everything, but then an expert comes along to point out when and where we are making mistakes. Will hiring a trucking accident attorney end up costing you more money than a personal injury attorney or a general practice lawyer? Perhaps, but a trucking accident attorney will also guarantee that you get the best possible outcome of your individual case involving a truck accident. If you are the claimant, a trucking accident attorney will make sure you never feel lost or alone in the proves as they will provide you with expert guidance from beginning to end and ensure that you receive the proper financial compensation that you deserve because of the truck driving accident that wasn’t your fault. As a defendant that may need a criminal defense, a trucking accident attorney will make sure you receive the absolute best representation possible and they will be an expert in all of the different complexities within the law as it pertains to truck driving accidents.

Get Help Understanding Your Rights as a Claimant

Unfortunately, most people do not know their legal rights as a claimant when it comes to a truck driving accident. A trucking accident attorney, on the other hand, has spent many years of their life dedicated to knowing a claimant’s exact rights when it comes to a case or potential courtroom setting. Can you attempt to fight an insurance company on your own, or with the assistance of a different type of lawyer? Sure, but a trucking accident attorney will be able to tell you exactly what your specific rights are as a claimant, and where insurance companies will try to skirt the law or diminish the outcome you are entitled to. As a claimant, it will be difficult for you to win your case with the best possible results if you haven’t hired a trucking accident attorney.