What to Look Before Choosing a Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer
Every year thousands of people die in accidents related to semi-truck. In most cases, the accident victims are the people of the passenger vehicle who are not strong enough to withstand a crash with a semi-truck for its weight and strength.
Analyzing the statistics, we found estimates of 1.5 million trucks in the US, and 13% of the total are semis, big rigs, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailers. Approximately 5000 passenger vehicle people die every year related to semi-truck accidents, and 700 semi-truck individuals die in the same incident. Around 64% of deadly semi-truck accidents were related to the semi-truck that was pulling one trailer. Approximately 32% of accidents were related to single-unit trucks, and 4% were related to multi-trailer trucks. Each year, deadly semi-truck accidents cost the U.S. more than 20 billion US dollars and around 1.3 million US dollars associated with the loss of quality life. Also, 2.3 deaths and 60.50 injuries caused by big rigs every 100 miles driven on U.S. roadways.
Update:
According to the latest large truck accident statistics, almost 5,837 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes in 2022, which was 1.8% higher than in 2021 and 49% in the last 10 years. However, this does not include buses and motor homes.
On the other hand, 120,200 injuries resulted from major truck accidents in 2022, which was 2.5% higher compared to 2021 and 18% since 2016. Also, 5,936 people died in large truck crashes, which was 2% higher than in 2021 and 49% in the last 10 years.
Legal Assistance
Semi-truck accident victims may need legal assistance from a personal injury lawyer who has experience in the area of truck accident law. A lawyer can help the accidental victims recover compensation for the damages that they sustained. A truck accident lawyer should be familiar with the State and Federal regulations to make a legal claim based on the rules.
However, when you are seriously injured by a semi-truck accident, you need fast legal assistance to claim your compensation, but as usual, like other people, you ask for lawyer recommendations from your friends and family who were involved in a car accident in the past. You are making a big mistake here, semi-truck accident lawyers are different from car accident lawyers. Truck accident cases must be handled differently. Truck accidents are more severe in nature and more difficult to settle. You need a lawyer who has a solid understanding of how semi-truck accident claims are investigated and approached. Without this, there is no way to negotiate a fair settlement effectively.
Choosing the Right Semi-truck Accident Lawyer
As you already know, semi-truck accident cases should be handled differently from car accident cases, so you need to do some research before appointing an accident lawyer on your side. Here’s what you need to look at before choosing the right semi-truck accident lawyer.
Look for a Specialist
Many lawyers offer specialized legal services. For example, some handle only domestic laws, such as divorce, child custody, and support. Other lawyers may handle transactional issues, like real estate closings or business agreements. Similarly, there are lawyers specializing in personal injury or wrongful death cases. It is a must to search for a lawyer who specializes in personal injury and tractor-trailer cases.
General Law practitioner may be interested in handling your case, the last thing you want is a divorce or criminal lawyer trying to represent your interest in semi-truck accident litigation. But keep in mind that the trucking company and truck driver will undoubtedly be represented by highly experienced and specialized semi-truck accident lawyers. By hiring your own specialized semi-truck accident lawyer, you can match their strength with your strengths.
Look for Experience
You should look for the lawyer experience on handling semi-truck accident cases, just don’t let it be with your case. Semi-truck accident cases are unique and complicated. Lawyer experience in car accidents or motorcycle accidents is not enough to settle semi-truck accident cases. The semi-truck accidents are really different from other automobile accidents. The physics of the crash is very different, and the required investigation is usually more complicated.
Additionally, State law and Federal law both govern most semi-accident cases. Numerous federal regulations apply to the driver, the truck, and the operation of the truck. Having proper knowledge of those regulations is essential for your lawyer to ensure the highest chance of proving your case.
Look for the Success History
Experience in handling semi-truck accident cases is not enough here. You have to look for the success history along with the lawyer’s experience. There may be many lawyers who have more than ten years of experience, but what about their success rate? Finding a lawyer with a combination of experience and success rate enhances the chances of winning your case and getting the compensation you deserve.
Look for the Lawyer’s Reparation
It is essential to look for a lawyer’s reputation to help you understand if the lawyer is best for your case. Many lawyers are only interested in settling the case out of the court, which may cost you. Are they known for that? Try to find out what the insurance companies think of them. And trust us, insurance companies know the reputation of the lawyers representing the semi-truck accident injury victims. To get the highest value for your case, you must hire a lawyer who can go to court if necessary and can fight hard for your rights.
Look for the Lawyer Reviews
Look for the reviews before contacting any semi-truck accident lawyer. Lawyer testimonials will help you get some insight into what kind of person the lawyer is and whether they are best for handling your case. You can check anonymous lawyer reviews on Google or any reputed online business directories like Yelp.
Look for the Lawyer Community Engagement
This factor ignored most of the time. The lawyers who regularly participate in local community events appear before local judges on many occasions. They know how judges want to run their courtrooms and have a better sense of what arguments will work best before a particular judge and which arguments won’t. As a community member, they may know one or two things about how jurors think.
Look for the Comfortability
Make sure you are comfortable speaking with the semi-truck accident lawyer you choose and can trust them to do what is best for your interests. If they offer a free consultation, the best way to get a better understanding is to schedule an initial appointment.
Also, ensure the lawyer will be available to address your concerns during the legal process. How responsive the lawyer and office staff are? Do they have the ability to explain the law according to your understanding?
Conclusion
Semi-truck accidents are frightening. You need an experienced lawyer to work on your case and fight for the fair settlement of your case. Also, talk to you easily and openly at every step of the claim process. Hope the key factors you should look for in choosing the right semi-truck accident lawyer discussed above will help you to find the best person for your case. However, God bless all, and we don’t want anyone to go through such a condition in their life. Be safe!
