The Process of a Truck Accident Lawsuit
Many truck accidents leave victims with lifelong and severe injuries. These can result in significant medical costs, lost wages and psychological damage.
Your attorney will file a Summons and Complaint to all the parties responsible. The process can take a few years. Since New York uses comparative fault rules, your lawyer will ensure that any shared responsibility is appropriately assessed and allocated to defendants.
Investigations
A truck accident could be more serious than an auto accident. The consequences of a collision with a truck can be life-changing and the impact is far more complex due to the size and weight of a commercial truck accident compensation. These accidents also involve more complex investigations.
To protect their interests trucking companies or insurance companies will usually investigate immediately following the incident. The issue is that the injured are left to handle their injuries and aren’t capable of obtaining evidence. This puts them at a disadvantage in comparison to the trucking company or insurance company.
A skilled truck accident settlement accident lawyer knows to look for evidence from numerous sources, including police reports, witness statements and vehicle inspections. A lawyer who is experienced cannot rely solely on the reports of police officers alone as they can be insufficient for civil litigation. Police officers are not trained to conduct a proper investigation and may not be able to gather all the evidence needed for a lawsuit.
Other types of information might include logbook records and maintenance and truck accident case service records from the truck. Data from the event data recording device (also called a black box) is also available. A competent attorney will request the driver of the truck and the trucking company for these and other kinds of evidence and then carefully examine them to determine the reason for the accident.
Expert Witnesses
An expert witness can assist your lawyer to prove different elements of your truck accident case. An expert in medicine, for example, can prove to your lawyer that the accident led to your injuries. Your expert can also testify about how your injuries will affect your life-style and quality of living. Expert witnesses can also help your lawyer assess the value of your losses, including lost income and loss of future earning capacity.
Your expert can review physical evidence and discuss the consequences of your injury on your future. Medical experts, for example, can explain how your accident might affect your mental and physical health. A metallurgist is another type of expert who will analyze the reasons behind why a vehicle component failed. There are also experts who analyze how the weather may have contributed to the crash.
The main function of an expert witness is to review the evidence and provide an unbiased opinion. However, some expert witnesses could pose an issue in your case if they’re biased or have connections to the defendant’s businesses. Your attorney can perform a background check on the expert witness to determine any risks.
Alongside expert witnesses, your attorney will also interview you as well as other eyewitnesses, including any people who saw the accident taking place before it occurred. It is important to keep in mind that the insurance companies of defendants will attempt to force you to admit fault or to make claims they can twist and deceive to deny your claim.
Litigation
Truck drivers are also required to follow traffic laws and take reasonable care when driving. If they do not follow the rules and their carelessness causes an accident, they could be held liable for the injuries that victims are left with.
To demonstrate the defendant’s culpability, our lawyer will gather a array of evidence from witnesses who witnessed the crash and give either oral or written testimony regarding the circumstances of the collision. Our team will also review other evidence, including skidmarks and points of impact, and truck accident case conduct crash testing.
Sometimes, the reason for a truck accident is complicated, involving multiple parties. If the accident was caused by defective equipment or improper maintenance, we could sue the manufacturer or the trucks. We could also sue the mechanic who performed the repairs or the repair shop.
We will attempt to settle your case outside of court, but in the event that the trucking company, or its insurance company is unwilling to make a fair settlement offer and we prepare for trial. In the trial in which a judge or jury will decide on issues that are disputed such as who was responsible and what amount of compensation you should get. Your legal damages will be determined in accordance with the totality of your losses, including financial, physical, and emotional suffering.
Statute of limitations
Although the legal process following a truck accident law crash can be complicated, understanding how these cases usually go can help you plan for what is ahead and give you a better idea of the length of time your case may take.
Establishing liability is one of the most crucial steps. It is probable that a driver who was drowsy, distracted, or otherwise impaired will be held responsible for the damages you suffered. There could be other parties also liable. If the accident was caused by faulty repairs, then a mechanic or company that made the truck or its components could be held responsible under the legal theory respondeat superior.
It’s also possible that responsible party has committed a more severe risky act, which might entitle you to punitive damages. To do this, we must prove that they behaved in a reckless, impulsive manner, with no regard for your safety and the safety of others.
It is crucial to choose a lawyer who is familiar with the complexities involved in truck accident cases. Insurance companies and the attorneys representing the parties at fault are often the wolves in sheep’s clothing who will try to collect statements from you that they can use against you later. You can stay clear of these pitfalls by hiring an attorney to handle your communications.