Navigating Truck Accident Claims: Why They’re Different

Contact Us Today Common Injuries in Truck Accidents The difference in weight between a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle is massive. Unfortunately, that means that when a truck hits a car, the occupants of the smaller vehicle are likely to sustain serious injuries. Some common truck accident injuries include: Traumatic Brain Injuries – Severe blows to the head can cause traumatic brain injuries in which the brain swells and bleeds. These injuries require immediate medical attention to prevent death and to limit permanent damage. Neck and Back Injuries – Whiplash and other neck and back injuries can damage the spinal cord, leading to paralysis below the injury site. Broken Bones – The blunt force trauma of a truck accident can fracture bones. Arms and legs can break as they strike the car’s interior, and seatbelts can crack ribs. Burn Injuries – Particularly bad crashes can tear a fuel line, causing a fire. Burn injuries require extensive medical treatment. Amputations – The crash itself can sometimes amputate limbs. The crash may damage limbs beyond recovery, or rescuers may need to perform an amputation to extract a victim from the vehicle. Why Victims Must Seek Immediate Medical Attention There are several reasons why it’s essential to seek immediate medical attention after a truck accident. First, your injuries may be severe and can worsen over time if not treated. Injuries like whiplash may not be immediately apparent. However, delaying treatment can leave a lasting impact. Second, by seeking immediate medical attention, you show that your injuries are real, severe, and directly connected to the accident. If you delay treatment by a few days or weeks, the insurance company or opposing lawyers may use that to argue that your injuries weren’t as bad as you claim they were or that they had some other source. Third, when you seek medical attention, you create a paper trail of your injuries. Medical records provide essential documentation of your injuries that you need to build your case. An experienced truck accident attorney can use your medical records to prove the extent of your damages and losses. Ongoing Medical Care and Treatment for Truck Accident Injuries Medical treatment resulting from a truck accident is often extensive and ongoing. Over the next few weeks, months, and potentially years, you may have to undergo the following: Additional Surgeries – Internal injuries and broken bones may require more than one surgery to resolve. Physical Therapy – Traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and spinal cord injuries all include extensive physical therapy as ongoing medical care. Pain Management – You may need to seek long-term pain care, especially if your injuries last longer than you can safely take habit-forming prescription medications. Lifestyle Changes – After a severe injury, you may be unable to do what you once could. Standing or sitting for extended periods may cause pain, and you may require a wheelchair. Contact Our Phoenix Truck Accident Attorney for Help If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in the Phoenix area, you need an Arizona truck accident lawyer to help you seek justice and accountability. Our attorney can investigate the crash, determine if the truck driver or trucking company acted with negligence prior to the crash, and seek the damages you need to recover. Contact Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer today and let our team pursue the money you need for your long-term care. About the Author Alex Silkman is the founder and managing member of Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer. A Personal Injury Lawyer in Phoenix AZ, he focuses exclusively on personal injury, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and wrongful death cases, with the goal of getting truly just results for accident victims and their families. Past personal injury cases have included $2.4 million dollars awarded in a wrongful death motorcycle crash, $2.2 million in a malpractice settlement, and a $450,000 award from a car crash resulting in a thoracic vertebrae compression fracture and a fractured clavicle.

Contact Us Today Although truck driver error or vehicle mechanical failures often cause or contribute to catastrophic truck accidents, poor road conditions – due to weather, inadequate road maintenance, or poor roadway design – are another critical factor in many accidents. If you were injured in a big rig truck accident, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer for wrecks caused by bad road conditions on your side. At Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer, we can investigate your accident and help you pursue options for recovery. Road Conditions: A Hidden Factor in Truck Accidents According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, roadway problems were among the top ten factors coded for drivers and their vehicles in a recent large truck crash causation study. Although weather does not typically affect road conditions in Arizona, poorly designed roadways in our state or road conditions due to poor maintenance can play a role in truck accidents.  Potholes or otherwise damaged or neglected roads can contribute to crashes if they affect the truck driver’s ability to control the vehicle. Poorly designed roads with tight entrance ramps or roads that are too steep for a large commercial truck can contribute to serious accidents, resulting in devastating injuries. Unfortunately, some road conditions are often not immediately apparent to truck drivers, affecting their ability to avoid such hazards. Who Is Liable for a Truck Accident Caused by Poor Road Conditions? Under Arizona law, the party responsible for the accident must pay for the victim’s financial losses, including medical expenses and lost wages. Determining who or what entity is liable for the accident can be a challenging inquiry for which you need a lawyer. Your lawyer will investigate the circumstances of the accident to decipher who is responsible. They will examine the truck driver's actions, whether the driver was an employee or independent contractor of a trucking company, the company’s policies and procedures concerning hiring and training drivers, and the vehicle’s maintenance log as they assess liability.  In addition to these potentially responsible parties, governmental entities or agencies may be found liable in part for the accident if hazardous road conditions contributed to the crash. For example, if the local municipality failed to maintain the roads to the extent that potholes or loose gravel caused the accident, they may be held responsible. Likewise, the governmental agency responsible for the design of the roadway, intersection, or placement of traffic signs and signals may be liable for the accident if these factors played a role in the crash.  Because suing the government involves specific deadlines and other procedural hurdles, contacting a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after the accident for wrecks caused by bad road conditions is critical to your case. Seeking Justice and Support You can seek compensation from the party responsible for the accident that caused your injuries. Our firm will thoroughly investigate the accident and assess your financial losses so we can seek maximum compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and even money for pain and suffering. Contact Our Phoenix Truck Accident Attorneys for Help If you were hurt in a truck road accident, call Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer. Our legal team is well-equipped to handle all aspects of your case. We understand that you may feel intimidated by the legal process and need clarification about what steps you can take while recovering from your injuries. We have vast experience helping accident victims just like you. Contact us today for a free case review.

Contact Us Today Regular maintenance checks are vital to keeping any vehicle in good working order. This is especially true for large commercial vehicles, which are under considerable mechanical stress week in and week out. These vehicles also weigh up to 20 times more than the average passenger car, which puts more stress on the truck’s parts and makes them more likely to fail. When truck drivers and trucking companies don’t prioritize maintenance, serious accidents can result. Laws Governing Truck Maintenance The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and other regulators have implemented many rules regarding truck maintenance and additional safety measures. Here are some key FMCSA regulations concerning truck maintenance: All commercial trucks must be inspected by a qualified inspector every 12 months. Trucking companies must “ systematically inspect, repair, and maintain” all the trucks in their fleets. In addition to inspecting their vehicles before each trip, truck drivers must complete a daily post-trip inspection and report any issues to their employers. A truck driver or trucking company may be guilty of criminal negligence in the event of a truck accident caused by no maintenance. Common Maintenance Issues Leading to Truck Accidents The regulations above are designed to reduce the likelihood of preventable truck accidents. Unfortunately, they are only effective when they are followed to the letter. When truck drivers and carriers fail to regularly inspect their vehicles as required, they increase the chance of accidents resulting from the following common maintenance issues: Brake Failure: Worn or improperly maintained brakes can fail, leading to catastrophic accidents. Tire Blowouts: Inadequately inflated or worn tires can explode, potentially causing the driver to lose control. Steering Issues: Faulty steering systems can hinder a driver’s ability to control the truck, increasing the risk of veering off course. Improperly Secured Cargo: Cargo that is not secured correctly can shift in transit, throwing the truck out of balance. It can even fall off the vehicle entirely, creating hazardous conditions for other vehicles. Engine Problems: An inadequately maintained engine can seize up, catch fire, or even explode, leading to sudden stops, loss of power, or worse. What To Do After a Semi-Truck Accident If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident caused by a driver or carrier’s failure to maintain their vehicle, you could be entitled to file a claim for compensation. In many ways, this claim begins as soon as the accident occurs, and what you do in the aftermath can significantly affect your chance of success. With that in mind, consider taking the following steps: Seek medical attention right away and follow your doctor’s instructions Save any evidence from the accident scene (photos, witness contact information, etc.) Do not discuss the accident on social media Do not talk to any insurance companies without speaking to a lawyer first Hire a truck accident lawyer for maintenance issues Contact Our Arizona Truck Accident Attorney to Learn More Are you looking for an experienced truck accident attorney for maintenance issues? Then contact Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer today. We will review your case for free and advise you on your options for pursuing compensation.