The Importance of an Attorney in Truck Accident Lawsuits

When a devastating accident occurs you can be sure that trucking companies will have lawyers on their side fighting for them. It is important that you gain more than equal footing by having an experienced truck accident attorney working to protect your best interests as well.
Cross country trucking transportation is a billion dollar industry that keeps growing year after year. That’s good news for truckers and trucking companies, not so much for the rest of the population who has to share highways with the big rigs. Over 500,000 trucking accidents are reported each year in the United States, a number that is expected to grow as the demand for more trucks grows. A typical passenger car does not stand a chance in an accident with a 8,000 pound semi. If you or someone you care about has been involved in a collision with an 18 wheeler, call a Missouri truck accident attorney today. The money behind trucking companies can allow them to fight hard to prevent you from receiving any compensation. A well qualified lawyer can help you fight back.

Immediately following an accident, the insurance company representing the trucking company will begin its own investigation. Their main objective is to limit the amount of recovery to those who were injured. It is in your best interest to avoid any conversation with them, in fact referring them to your attorney is the safest alternative. An attorney working on your behalf can conduct their own investigation to determine the cause of the accident and help determine who was at fault. Expect both sides to review the accident reports, conduct their own witness interviews, analyze your medical records and consult with experts.

Of particular importance to your Missouri truck accident attorney is figuring out who should be named in your claim. In order for you to receive enough compensation to cover the medical bills it is important to determine which party dealing with the trailer was liable for your accident. The truck driver and the company he was driving for are the most obvious, but you may also file a claim against a trucks owner if it was leased. If a mechanical error in the trailer caused the accident than the owner of it could also be found at fault. Along with the company responsible for loading the freight if a shift in weight caused the truck driver to lose control.

On top of figuring out fault, a Missouri truck accident attorney needs to be well versed in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulations revolving around commercial vehicles and their drivers. Possessing an in depth knowledge of these laws will also help determine liability. A Missouri motorist was able to recover $2.75 million once their attorney was able to show how the trucking company was at fault for their broadside accident. By not properly supervising and training their drivers, they were in violation of FMSCA law.

Truck accidents cause severe injuries that may require prolonged hospitalization and extensive follow up therapies. Ensuring that you are able to receive enough compensation to cover all of that takes a lot of work. The insurance company representing the defendants will be aggressively trying to keep the cost to them as low as possible. It will benefit you to have a Missouri truck accident attorney on your side who is equally aggressive at fighting for you.