When looked at from a legal standpoint, truck accidents compared to regular car/vehicle accidents are about as alike as chalk and cheese. When there is an accident of two cars weighing roughly the same and of similar size, the results are bad enough. But when a commercial truck weighing 10,000 to 80,000 pounds rams your vehicle, the injuries, property damage and legal action that result are on a completely different level. The liability may not be as straightforward as a regular car accident and the damage recovery or claims process can take a very long time and be extremely challenging. In this post we will discuss the reasons that truck accidents are so much more challenging, complex and complicated compared to regular car accidents.
One of the main reasons that truck accidents are so challenging is that trucks carry bigger insurance policies. One of the main factors that insurance companies use in calculating the cost of coverage is vehicle size. The insurance policies of large trucks can be worth 40 times more than regular passenger vehicle policies. This is one reason why insurers will do anything to try and escape liability in the event of an accident. The result of this is you are less likely to recover damages if the party that is at fault is a commercial truck driver.
Regulations involving the commercial trucking industry create a complexity that is not found in normal vehicle accidents. Commercial trucks are required to register with the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration because they do interstate deliveries. The regulations that are required by this industry can be quite intensive, including annual inspections, special driver qualifications and truck maintenance rules. Because of this and many other reasons it is so important to have a seasoned truck accident lawyer that is experienced in truck accidents. It’s a necessity in order to receive the compensation you deserve.
In a truck accident there can be more than one liable party to have to deal with. There could be several parties including the driver, trucking company, parts manufacturer and a truck repair facility. You might have to file separate claims with all of these parties and their insurance companies. An experienced attorney can help you navigate the complexities of your claims.
A commercial trucking accident is not only investigated by local law enforcement, but it’s usually likely to be investigated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). If these two investigations reveal different or erroneous conclusions, your attorney may have to interact and engage with an accident investigator in order to dispute the findings of the other parties. It’s so important that you have the services of a highly experienced attorney.
Truck accidents have a much higher mortality rate than regular vehicle accidents. Statistics by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration show that truck accidents account for between 3,000 and 5,000 deaths every year. When an individual loses their life in an accident the fault determination process becomes much more laborious, and the entirety of the legal process will be far more lengthy and protracted.
Another reason truck accidents can be very challenging is that they often involve several vehicles. During an accident, trucks can be much harder to stop or control due to their size and weight. This increases the likelihood that a truck is going to crash into several vehicles on the road. This can create many more challenges for investigators to determine fault and to expedite the compensation process. So many accidents involving trucks end up in court for this very reason. This is why you need an experienced truck accident attorney to help you navigate the legal process and to negotiate the fairest compensation entitled to you.
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