Hiring A Lawyer To Help You After And Accident With A Truck
Accidents that involve tractor-trailer or semi-trucks are pretty common, and because the trucks are so large, they often have catastrophic results. When a truck hits a car, the car typically sustains the most damage, and in many cases, the truck and driver walk away. Hiring a lawyer to represent you after an accident with a truck is an excellent way to protect yourself in the event the accident ends up in court.
Negligent Driving
One of the very first things the truck accident attorney you hire is going to want to know is how the accident occurred. If the semi-truck driver hits your car, the question of negligence is going to come up, and the attorney will want to investigate the accident thoroughly. Sometimes an investigation will involve looking into the driver's past to see if they have been in other accidents that involve negligence or if they have a lot of tickets and violations while behind the wheel of the truck.
Drivers that switch companies a lot are typically more suspect, and the reasons for using companies may need careful consideration. If the job stability is related to a serious accident or violation rate, that alone may be enough for the court to consider the accident negligent and award to the settlement your lawyer is seeking for you.
Accident Reconstruction
In some situations, your truck accident attorney will bring in an accident reconstruction specialist to look at all the reports, pictures, and statements from the accidents and use the information to conclude what happened and how. The reconstruction specialist will look at the facts and determine the cause based on the evidence.
Bringing in an expert like this can have a significant impact on the court and the outcome of the case for you. If the expert is someone with a long history of technical expertise, the testimony they give may carry more weight than anyone else in the room.
Damages and Awards
There are a lot of things your lawyer may suggest you seek in your case, so consider their advice and then discuss what you want as a result of the case. If your car was totaled and you lost time from work as a result of the accident, coverage for the cost of a new car, the medical bills, the lost work time, and maybe something for the pain and the mental anguish you had to endure may be all you want.
If you suffered a long-term injury as a result of the accident, you might want your lawyer to go after the company for an award that will help you over the rest of your lifetime, especially if you are no longer able to work or provide for your family as a result of the accident.
For more information, contact a truck accident attorney.