Road accidents are not confined to car accidents but include truck accidents as well. In fact, truck accidents are more dangerous because these involve large, commercial vehicles. If you get involved in one, it is important to seek the advice of a lawyer who can help you secure a viable claim. Also, you need to know the key truck accident facts so that you can understand your rights better. Let us highlight them for you.
Fact #1: Truck accidents differ from car accidents
Obviously, truck accidents are not the same as car accidents because of the sheer size of the vehicles involved. This makes a difference in how the accident cases play out. Moreover, trucking mishaps involve commercial businesses rather than vehicle owners.
Fact #2: Truck drivers need to follow certain federal regulations
A fact that people are seldom aware of is that there are some federal truck regulations that drivers need to follow all the time. These are meant to ensure the safety of the truckers themselves as well as that of the drivers around them.
Fact #3: Vehicular weight is one of the main causes of truck accidents
One of the main causes of truck accidents is the heavyweight of the vehicles. The stopping distance of trucks is also longer. The chances of accidents increase when the driver fails to apply brakes on time.
Fact #4: Truck accidents have a high rate of fatalities
For very obvious reasons, the rate of fatalities in truck accidents is high as compared to that for car accidents. Vehicle failure and driver fatigue can cause fatal incidents that endanger the lives of the trucker, drivers and pedestrians.
Fact #5: You should hire a specialist to handle your case
Since trucking accidents differ from car accidents, you need a specialist to handle your case. Ross Jurewitz a well-known lawyer in southern California suggests that a trucking company negligence attorney with years of experience can help build a strong case. And to assess the expertise of your lawyer, you can refer to your friends and recommendations from renowned consultants on the subject.
Fact #6: Settlements are often massive in amount
When victims get serious injuries or die in truck accidents, they (or the kin) get massive settlements. This can be in lieu of the death of a family member or disability or lost quality of life for the victim.
Fact #7: Calculation of compensation is similar to that in car accidents
When a victim gets injured due to negligence of the truck driver, they are entitled to compensation to cover their medical bills, loss of income and expense of pain and trauma. The calculation is similar to that in the case of car accidents.
Fact #8: Injuries are often serious
A fact that makes truck accident cases more complex is that the injuries are often serious and debilitating. Victims can suffer from serious fractures, burns, head injuries, and organ damage.
Fact #9: Recovery and rehabilitation may take a long time
Since truck accident injuries are grave in nature, recovery and rehabilitation take a long time in most of the cases. The treatment is often expensive and you may even lose your regular job due to disability.
Fact #10: Truck accident cases can be difficult to handle
Since you will have to deal with a trucking company, these cases can be tough to handle. Only a seasoned lawyer with the right expertise will be able to get you the settlement you deserve.
Now that you know truck accident facts well enough, you will be able to take the right approach to handle one.