Experienced Denver Truck Accident Lawyers

Passengers in passenger cars may be killed or seriously injured in a semi-truck collision. Semi-truck accidents may result in catastrophic injuries, fatalities, and life-altering repercussions due to their sheer size and weight.

According to the National Safety Council, Semi-cars and heavy trucks account for over ten per cent of all fatal accidents in the United States.

Due to their limited or lost earning ability, a victim of a semi-truck crash may face exorbitant medical bills and long-term financial difficulties. By assisting you in pursuing the compensation you deserve, a professional lawyer may help you alleviate your financial burden.

Following your accident, an experienced Denver truck accident attorney can relieve the stress by guiding you through the legal process and fighting for compensation on your behalf while you concentrate on your rehabilitation.

What Is the Difference Between a Tractor-Trailer and a Semi-Truck?

Many individuals confuse the phrases “semi-truck” and “tractor-trailer,” oblivious that they relate to two distinct kinds of cars.

Semi-trucks are trucks that have been fitted with an engine. Semi-trucks do not need a trailer to travel.

Tractor-trailers, usually referred to as 18-wheelers, are huge cars with a long trailer connected to the rear.

To put it another way, a tractor-trailer is a semi-truck with a trailer connected to it. The word “18-wheeler” refers to the number of rims with wheels on each rim, as the name suggests.

What Is the Frequency of Semi-Truck Accidents?

A semi-truck maybe 30 times the weight of a conventional passenger car on the road. When a semi-truck collides with a passenger car, the sheer size and weight of the truck contributes to the terrible severity of the injuries experienced by the passengers of the passenger car.

In a recent year, more than 4,100 individuals perished in accidents involving semi-cars and other heavy trucks, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Passenger car passengers accounted for 67 per cent of the fatalities, while truck occupants accounted for 16 per cent.

Semi-trucks with or without trailers killed 61 people in Colorado in 2020. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, semi-trucks were involved in roughly 1,500 crashes in Colorado that year.

Accidents involving semi-trucks and their causes

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) most recent Large Truck Crash Causation Study, driver error is responsible for 94 per cent of all truck accidents in the United States. Car failure, the environment, and unknown causes each account for 2% of the total.

The great majority of semi-truck collisions are caused by driver error.

Speeding

Driving too fast for the weather or road conditions

Driver fatigue

Drowsy driving

Unsafe lane changes

Failure to maintain a safe distance

Distracted driving

Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, including prescription medication

Lack of experience, training, or qualifications

Driving an overloaded truck

Violations of traffic rules or federal safety requirements

Failure to cede the right of way

You might be eligible for compensation if you were injured in a semi-truck accident. However, you may need the assistance of an attorney to assist in gathering the required evidence to establish the other party’s carelessness and create a compelling case on your side.

Semi-truck Accident Injuries

A collision with a car weighing up to 80,000 pounds may have catastrophic consequences. The majority of semi-truck accident victims suffer debilitating or catastrophic injuries, and some die.

A victim may suffer from the following injuries depending on the kind of collision (head-on, side-impact, underride, rear-end, etc.):

Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are the most prevalent form of damage sustained by victims of semi-truck accidents, and TBIs often result in further difficulties. A TBI may be caused by a forceful hit or jolt to the head. Memory loss, disorientation, dizziness, loss of balance, behavioral abnormalities, and other symptoms of head trauma are common.

PARALYSIS AND DAMAGE TO THE SPINAL CORD

The trauma caused by a car accident might cause your spinal cord to be torn or severed. It may cause full or partial paralysis. Spinal cord injuries sometimes need costly treatment and surgery, as well as physical therapy and rehabilitation.

BONES THAT HAVE BEEN BROKEN OR SHATTERED

When the force applied to a human bone is greater than the force it can absorb, it may fracture. In semi-truck accidents, hips, wrists, arms, feet, and legs are the most often fractured bones.

Injuries to the back and neck

The impact of a semi-truck collision might place undue strain on the bodies of accident victims. The intervertebral discs in the cervical spine may move out of position as a result of a collision. The back and neck areas of a collision victim may experience discomfort or agony.

BURNS THAT ARE SEVERE

Cars catching fire at the site of a semi-truck collision are not unusual. In comparison to passenger cars, trucks have larger fuel tanks. Victims may suffer serious burns if the gasoline ignites.

Injuries to the internal organs Blood vessels in the body may break due to the massive physical trauma of a high-impact accident, resulting in internal bleeding. Internal organs such as the heart, kidney, liver, lungs, and spleen may potentially be damaged in a collision.

INJURIES TO THE RIBS AND TORSO

Injuries to the ribs and torso are prevalent among semi-truck accident victims. These injuries are often not immediately obvious, which is why a sufferer must see a doctor for a medical examination to identify them.

AMPUTATION OF A LIMB

In a car collision, a limb might be amputated or ripped off. Because losing a limb might have terrible implications, this injury can result in permanent disability.

To have your injuries diagnosed following a semi-truck collision, you should go to an emergency department or hospital as quickly as possible. Some injuries aren’t apparent to the human eye, and symptoms might take days to appear.

PARTIES AT FAULT IN SEMI-TRUCK ACCIDENTS

There is just one at-fault party in certain semi-truck accidents (typically, the trucker or the other driver). In most other circumstances, many persons are responsible.

If you are injured in a semi-truck accident, you may be able to bring a lawsuit against multiple parties, including:

The truck’s driver

The truck’s owner

The trucking firm (the truck driver’s employer);

The cargo loader;

The truck manufacturer;

The producer of faulty truck components;

A government agency (if it failed to properly upkeep the road)

You may need the services of an experienced and professional attorney to examine your accident and identify all parties responsible for your semi-truck accident.

Damages Recoverable After a Semi-Truck Accident

While the amount of your claim after a semi-truck accident may vary depending on the facts of your case and the severity of your injuries, you may be able to receive compensation for both economic and non-economic losses.

You may claim compensation for

Medical expenditures

Car repair costs

Lost earnings and earning ability

Disfigurement

Pain and suffering

Mental anguish

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Emotional distress as a truck accident victim.

If a loved one was killed in a semi-truck accident, you might be eligible to file a wrongful death case to obtain damages from the parties responsible. While no money will make up for your devastating loss, obtaining compensation may help you and any surviving family members cope financially.

Medical expenses incurred by the deceased or their family before death

Funeral and burial expenses

Lost wages

Loss of support

Loss of companionship

Loss of household services and other services that the victim would provide had they lived are all recoverable damages in a wrongful death lawsuit following a truck accident.

Before taking any payouts from insurance providers, discuss the circumstances of your case with an experienced semi-truck accident attorney. The suggested sum may not be adequate to compensate you for all of your losses. Therefore it’s a good idea to consult with an experienced attorney.

Semi-Truck Accidents: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Makes Semi-Truck Collisions Different From Car Collisions?

Semi-trucks may weigh up to 30 times more than passenger cars. Trucks are also much higher than passenger cars, posing the potential of an underride accident in which a smaller car slips beneath the truck.

Semi-trucks size and weight contribute to catastrophic injuries caused by passengers in passenger cars. In reality, when a passenger car collides with a huge truck, the passengers in the passenger car are more likely to die.

Semi-truck accidents are distinguished from car accidents not just by the possibility of life-threatening injuries. You will almost certainly be dealing with many accountable parties if you are involved in a truck accident.

You may be able to file a claim against the truck driver, their employer, the firm responsible for car maintenance, the corporation responsible for the cargo loading, and others, depending on the circumstances of the accident.

Is it Possible to File a Lawsuit Against a Trucking Company for a Semi-Truck Accident?

Yes, you have the right to sue the trucking firm that hires the driver who caused your accident. Suppose a trucking firm broke safety standards, failed to give sufficient training to the driver, encouraged the trucker to breach hours of service restrictions, or participated in other types of negligence or carelessness. In that case, it might be held accountable for a semi-truck accident.

How Do You Prove Negligence Following a Semi-Truck Accident?

If you were injured in a semi-truck accident, you’d need to know how to show the other party’s or parties’ fault to collect damages. Your compensation is contingent on your lawyer’s ability to establish negligence and provide proof to back up your claim.

Depending on the circumstances of the accident, many parties may be held accountable, including the truck driver and the trucking business. If the trucker failed to surrender the right of way, went above the speed limit, was tired, distracted, or disregarded other traffic regulations, he might be considered negligent.

Your attorney may hold a trucking business liable for your accident if your attorney can show that the company violated trucking safety standards, such as but not limited to:

Truck inspection and maintenance

Hours of service documentation

Logbook maintenance

Cargo loading

Your lawyer will need to demonstrate four aspects to prove another party’s negligence:

duty of care

breach

causation

damages.

What Is the Average Settlement Amount After a Semi-Truck Accident?

Because each case is different, there is no such thing as an “average” settlement amount. As a result, you should have your case examined by a qualified lawyer who knows how settlements operate and can assist you in determining the worth of your case.

The amount of personal injury compensation following a semi-truck accident might vary greatly based on the circumstances of your case. Your lawyer will examine your case and weigh all relevant elements to evaluate the value of your claim.

Is it Possible to Speak with an Insurance Company Without a Lawyer?

No. Your claim may be jeopardized if you do so. Insurance companies are for-profit corporations that generate money by collecting more money from policyholders than they payout.

Insurance companies aren’t on your side. Do not be fooled by an insurance claims adjuster’s nice and helpful demeanor. Claims adjusters work for the insurance company they work for. Throughout the claims procedure, your lawyer can assist you in negotiating with the insurer and protecting your rights.

Is it Necessary to Hire a Lawyer After a Semi-Truck Accident?

Denver Truck Accident Attorney Jeremy D. Earle, JD

Yes. If you were hurt in a semi-truck accident, consulting with a lawyer may help you better understand your legal options. A consultation with a Denver truck accident attorney may help you reestablish a feeling of normality in the aftermath of a truck accident, which can be perplexing and upsetting.

A lawyer will assist you in determining the best course of action in your case and will assist you in obtaining maximum compensation. Among other things, your lawyer will investigate your accident, identify all responsible parties, collect evidence, assess the worth of your case, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.