Truck accidents are some of the most catastrophic motor vehicle accidents, often leaving victims with devastating, permanent, and sometimes fatal injuries. If you suffered injuries in a crash with a large truck, such as a tractor-trailer, in Phoenix, Arizona, understanding your rights is essential for recovering the compensation you deserve.
Because of the significant injuries caused by large truck collisions, victims can often recover substantial amounts of money through auto insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits. However, these cases can be extremely complex, involving both state and federal trucking regulations, and require the assistance of a skilled team of truck accident lawyers.
Contact Triumph Law Group at 602-595-5559 for a free consultation with an experienced member of our team and to learn more about how we can help you seek the compensation you deserve. During your initial conversation with our Phoenix truck accident attorneys, we’ll review the details of your case, explain your options, and help you understand the legal process and timeline of your case.
Truck Accident Cases We Handle
Our firm brings substantial experience and a track record of securing fair settlements and trial awards for our clients. Some of the truck accident cases we handle are:
- Employer Negligence Accidents – Trucking companies sometimes fail to adhere to regulations, or encourage employees to flout the rules. When this is the root of an accident, the company is liable for what happened.
- Mechanical Defects/Malfunctions – Sometimes trucks aren’t maintained adequately, or their parts are defective. This can cause serious accidents, and our attorneys can help if you’ve been hurt.
- Blind Spot Accidents – 18-wheelers have large blind spots around them, but their drivers are supposed to be wary of when cars might have moved into them. If they cause an accident because they didn’t see someone in their blind spot, they can be liable.
- T-Bone Accidents – A t-bone accident is when one car runs head on into another car’s side. These accidents are extremely dangerous, especially when a large commercial vehicle is involved.
- Head-On Collisions – These are often the most severe truck accidents, frequently resulting in catastrophic and fatal injuries. If your loved one passed away due to injuries sustained in a head-on collision with a truck, we can help seek the compensation you deserve by proving the truck driver’s negligence.
- Rear-End Collisions – Because of their weight, large trucks require much longer distances to come to a complete stop, increasing the likelihood of a rear-end collision. Add distracted driving to that, and you have a recipe for disaster.
- Rollover Accidents – These incidents often occur when truck drivers take turns too quickly or improperly secured cargo shifts the truck’s weight. Smaller vehicles can be crushed under a truck that rolls or tips over.
- Jackknife Accidents – A jackknife accident happens when a truck driver brakes hard, often on a slippery surface, and the trailer swings out alongside the cab. The swinging trailer can collide with other vehicles.
- Underride Accidents – These accidents involve a smaller vehicle going under a truck’s trailer, typically shearing the top off the vehicle. They may occur if a truck driver doesn’t yield the right of way to oncoming traffic when turning left.
- Wide Turn Accidents – Large trucks must swing out wide before making sharp turns, particularly right turns. This motion can lead to collisions with other vehicles if the truck driver isn’t paying attention.
- Improperly Loaded Cargo Accidents – Improperly secured cargo can fall from the back of a flatbed truck and create a road hazard.
Truck Accident Statistics
According to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), approximately 494,000 large truck accidents were reported to police across the country in one recent year. Of these reported accidents, roughly 110,000 resulted in injury, and over 5,000 resulted in fatalities.
Additionally, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) data shows that 11 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle accidents involve large trucks. Of those fatalities, 73 percent involved tractor-trailer-type trucks instead of single-unit trucks, demonstrating how the size and weight of the vehicle significantly impact the severity of the resulting injuries.
In Arizona, the National Safety Council (NSC) found that 70 percent of those killed in truck accidents were the occupants of other vehicles. Truck occupants made up 16 percent, and non-occupants, such as pedestrians and cyclists, made up the final 14 percent.
Examples of Truck Accident Cases in Phoenix
To illustrate the severity and range of truck accidents, let’s look at a few examples of the types of cases that typically arise from these collisions. One of the most common truck accident examples involves passenger vehicles rear-ended by speeding trucks. The heavier a truck is, the more distance it needs to stop. If the truck driver doesn’t account for the added weight their truck is carrying and drives with appropriate caution, they can easily slam into the back of an unsuspecting vehicle stopped at an intersection.
An example of a fatal truck accident may involve a drowsy trucker drifting across the center line between lanes and colliding with another vehicle head-on. In this case, the trucker’s insurance company may attempt to claim that the other vehicle was the one that crossed the center line. However, an experienced attorney can disprove this using various types of evidence, including photographs from the accident scene and the trucker’s logbook.
Truck drivers must keep a logbook in their cabs that records vital information, such as when they last took a break and how long they drove in a single session. These logs can prove whether the driver violated the FMCSA’s hours of service regulations, which are in place to prevent truckers from driving while fatigued.
Frequently Asked Questions about Trucking Accidents
Truck accident victims often have many questions about their case, including how they can seek compensation for their injuries. Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about truck accidents.
What Are the Most Common Truck Accident Injuries?
The injuries suffered by truck accident victims are often severe and extensive. Some of the most common injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) result from the brain striking the inside of the skull after an impact and can cause permanent physical and cognitive impairment.
- Spinal cord injuries can leave victims with chronic pain conditions or complete paralysis for the rest of their lives.
- Fractured bones, including the femur, are some of the most common injuries suffered in truck accidents and can cause permanent disability.
- Soft tissue injuries like whiplash can result in chronic pain conditions and are common even in low-speed collisions.
- Due to the forces involved in truck accidents, crushing injuries can permanently damage limbs and may result in amputation.
- Internal organs can suffer extensive damage in a truck accident, requiring immediate medical treatment.
What Compensation Can I Receive from a Truck Accident Claim?
Truck accident victims can seek various types of compensation depending on their injuries and the circumstances of the crash. You can seek compensation for the following:
- Past and future medical expenses related to the collision, including surgeries, medical treatments, and physical therapy
- Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity caused by your injuries
- Physical pain and emotional suffering experienced because of your injuries
- Emotional distress caused by the accident, such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Loss of consortium if your injuries impact your marital relationship
- Funeral and burial costs if your loved one died as a result of their injuries
- Property damage, such as your totaled vehicle
Who Is Liable for My Truck Accident Injuries?
Determining liability in truck accident cases can be complex, as multiple liable parties may exist. Some of the parties most often found liable in truck accident cases are:
- Truck drivers whose negligence directly caused the accident, such as if they were speeding or distracted
- Trucking companies that negligently hired unqualified drivers or encouraged drivers to break hours of service regulations
- Cargo loaders who improperly secure cargo may have contributed to the accident
- Maintenance providers who provide inadequate maintenance, contributing to mechanical failures and accidents
- Vehicle manufacturers, if a defective part contributed to the crash
- Government entities that are responsible for maintaining the roads, such as by keeping them free from significant potholes and making sure traffic signs and lights aren’t defective
- Other motorists who may have contributed to the collision, such as by cutting off the truck
How Can I Prove Liability in a Truck Accident Case?
To prove liability in a truck accident case, you need extensive evidence of negligence. This evidence can take many forms, such as accident scene photographs, eyewitness statements, crash reconstruction specialist testimony, traffic camera footage, the truck driver’s logbook entries, and vehicle maintenance records.
At Triumph Law Group, our experienced truck accident lawyers will thoroughly investigate the accident to identify all liable parties and collect the necessary evidence to prove the connection between their negligence and your injuries. We regularly work with experts, such as crash reconstruction experts, medical professionals, and trucking industry insiders, to build strong cases for our clients.
Contact Our Phoenix Truck Accident Lawyers
If you suffered an injury in a Phoenix, Arizona, truck accident, contact Triumph Law Group at 602-595-5559 for a free consultation with one of our experienced truck accident lawyers. Truck accidents are traumatic events that frequently leave victims with devastating and long-lasting injuries, and our team is dedicated to helping you seek the compensation you deserve.
During your initial consultation, our personal injury lawyers will review your case, explain your options for recovering damages, and answer your questions. We’ll explore every possible avenue for getting you the money you need and can even help you find medical specialists if your injuries require it. Our job is to devote our resources and energy to providing the legal support you need so you can focus on your physical recovery. Contact Triumph Law Group today to arrange a consultation and discuss your legal rights and options with an experienced Phoenix truck accident attorney.
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