Colorado Springs Truck Accident Can Change Your Life

Types of Settlement Options for a Truck Accident

Written by Jeremy D. Earle, JD

February 26, 2023

EXPERIENCED TRUCK ACCIDENT LAW FIRM IN COLORADO SPRINGS

Truck collisions may cause significant and catastrophic injuries, as well as lasting impairments, all of which may need long-term care and medical treatment. Although a truck accident may happen in a split second, the injuries and losses you suffer can last a lifetime.

Suppose you or someone you love has been injured catastrophically in a truck accident caused by the carelessness of a truck driver or trucking firm. In that case, you may be entitled to monetary compensation under Colorado law.

Warrior Trucking Accident Attorneys in Colorado Springs will analyze the facts and circumstances of your case with you, assess your claim, negotiate with the insurance carrier on your behalf, and, if necessary, fight your case via the Colorado court system or proceed to trial.

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Permanent Disability From Physical Injury

Car accidents may often result in serious injuries such as broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain damage.

While some of these injuries cause severe pain and only take a short time to heal, others may have life-altering implications.

Injuries to the spinal cord may result in lifelong impairment

The outcome of a spinal cord injury varies widely depending on the location and degree of the damage. A higher wound on the spine will have more impact than one lower on the spine.

While partial damage leaves a part of the spinal cord intact and the sufferer may maintain some sensation or motor function, a complete injury severs the chord. It stops the brain from interacting with the nerves underneath the lesion. Complete damage to the lower part of the spinal cord, for example, may result in paraplegia or loss of leg function.

Other injuries, such as bone fractures, might have long-term consequences.

A complex fracture of a victim’s arm and hand, for example, may need repeated corrective procedures, including steel rods and plates.

After healing, the sufferer may lose feeling in all or part of their arm and have movement restrictions.

This may lead to long-term rehabilitation, such as physical or occupational therapy, to assist the sufferer in recovering motor function and range of motion.

psychological damage

An car collision may happen in an instant and cause devastating damage.

It is usual for someone in a car accident to have dreams about it or exhibit other PTSD symptoms.

A catastrophic accident in which a loved one does not survive, for example, is an incredibly upsetting event. In this situation, a victim may be eligible for considerable pain and suffering compensation to address personal grief and the tragedy of losing a loved one violently and unexpectedly.

To recover from the trauma of a catastrophic car accident, a victim may need years of counselling or psychotherapy.

In addition, specific injuries that result in impairments will also result in a disability. This may lead to a loss of pleasure in life and psychological anguish.

It’s tough to accept that a victim would be unable to participate in activities they liked previous to the accident.

The Economic Consequences of a Car Accident

Car accidents may have far-reaching consequences that go beyond injuries and impairments.

They will inevitably result in substantial economic losses. Lawsuits sometimes take a long time to resolve. While legal processes are ongoing, medical bills and other expenditures build, and a plaintiff who is unable to work must deal with these concerns as well as lost pay. If the plaintiff does not get as much compensation as expected, the plaintiff may face a long and arduous path to financial recovery.

Any car accident has the potential to alter a victim’s life drastically

Hiring an attorney who can assist create a solid case and help the plaintiff manage his or her financial concerns until the litigation is concluded is one of the finest approaches for dealing with these challenges. A personal injury lawsuit aims to make a victim “whole” again after an accident caused by carelessness. The correct attorney can assist in ensuring that the plaintiff gets enough compensation for the life-altering consequences of the accident.

Truck Drivers in Colorado who are Careless

Trucks and tractor-trailers are massive, swift, and heavy cars. Severe accidents and personal injuries might occur when their drivers disregard or violate the Colorado Rules of the Road. The following are some cases of truck driver recklessness in Colorado Springs:

  • Speeding 
  • Reckless, careless, or distracted driving 
  • Cellphone use while driving 
  • Texting while driving 
  • Driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI) 
  • Disobeying traffic control devices (including running red lights, stop signs or yield signs) 
  • Failing to yield the right-of-way to other cars 
  • Cutting curves too sharply 
  • Fatigued driving 
  • Failing to use turn signals 
  • Abrupt lane changes 
  • Driving too fast for hazardous road conditions (e.g., regarding trailer load sizes, overhang, escort cars, warning lights, and warning signs)

To establish negligence against a truck driver, an injured plaintiff must demonstrate that the trucker failed to conduct as a reasonably prudent driver would have done (or drove) in the same or comparable circumstances.

When truck drivers drive carelessly, they are more likely to cause the following types of collisions, which almost always result in life-altering and catastrophic injuries and damages:

  • Multi-car chain reactions 
  • Tractors or trailers flipping in the middle of the road 
  • Chemical or hazardous waste spills on the road 
  • Trailer cargo dislodging into the road or onto another car)

Employer Trucking Company’s Potential Liability

When truck drivers work for trucking businesses, the injured motor car driver may have a legal claim against the firm based on vicarious responsibility or agency liability.

If the truck driver was driving 

recklessly while working for the trucking business, the trucking firm might be held liable for all of the accident victim’s injuries and losses.

A trucking firm may also be held accountable if the truck driver was negligently entrusted to operate a motor car while on the road, if the truck driver was improperly supervised, or if the truck driver was negligently hired or retained.

If the truck driver has been penalized or prosecuted with careless or reckless driving before and is a “repeat offender,” the trucking firm may be held liable for negligently retaining the offending truck driver.

Injuries Caused by Catastrophic Events in Colorado Springs Truck Accident Cases

Truck crashes may happen at highway speeds and include rear-end, side-impact, or even head-on accidents.

Because of the massive size and high rate of speed of a truck or tractor-trailer, any collision with a smaller car is likely to result in earnest—and perhaps catastrophic—injuries and damages. The following are the most prevalent forms of devastating injuries experienced in Colorado truck accidents:

  • TBIs (traumatic brain injuries) 
  • Fractures 
  • Broken Bones 
  • Spinal Cord Injuries 
  • Abrasions 
  • Paralysis 
  • Permanent Scarring 
  • Facial Contusions 
  • Death

Catastrophic injuries may lead to extended hospital stays, extensive medical treatment or physical therapy, future medical operations, and, in the worst-case scenario, long-term care in a nursing home or other assisted living facility.

Under the law, all of these losses are compensable.

In certain situations, injuries suffered in a Colorado truck accident may be permanent, affecting the capacity of the accident victim to live and work.

For example, since she can no longer satisfy the physical demands of certain employees, the accident sufferer may have to work at a reduced demanding position or change professions entirely. Similarly, an accident sufferer may not be able to play sports, participate in leisure activities, or spend time with his or her family to the same level that he or she was before the accident.

I may have done so before the disaster. Under Colorado law, all of the inconvenience, permanence, and loss of quality of life connected with accident injuries and damages are fully compensable.

Frequently Asked Questions about Truck Accidents in Colorado Springs

When Should I Consult a Truck Accident Lawyer?

Because big cars can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, eighteen-wheeler collisions may be disastrous. I always remind my clients that they need to seek a lawyer as soon as possible after a car accident. Insurance firms and trucking corporations are already on the scene, attempting to safeguard their interests.

I remind clients that they need someone to protect their interests, preserve evidence, and ensure they don’t give the insurance company or the shipping business needless information. Find a lawyer as soon as possible.

What Should I Do If I’m in a Truck Accident?

When I interact with clients, I seek evidence that they have hopefully accumulated. The procedures of acquiring proof include:

  • Take pictures of the site.
  • Interviewing witnesses.
  • Retrieving information from the car’s or 18-wheeler’s black boxes.

We must take the required precautions to preserve the evidence that is now accessible to us. If the matter gets before a judge and jury, we’ll need that proof to show the jurors precisely what occurred.

Is it necessary for me to contact the truck’s insurance company?

I sometimes have clients who have previously spoken to the truck’s insurance company or the trucking business’s insurance company.

It frightens me because their information will not be utilized to assist them.

Typically, trucking firms or insurance companies gather material to use against the client, whether in terms of accountability for how the accident happened or damages by claiming they were hurt after the disaster.

It would help if you never spoke with a transportation firm or their insurance company. Hire a lawyer to assist you with these. They’re experts in their field, and you need a lawyer to assist you in safeguarding your rights.

What Do I Need to Know About a Commercial Car Accident?

Ideally, the first thing they should have done is seek adequate medical attention and therapy.

The next step should be to engage a lawyer.

It’s crucial because evidence collected on an 18-wheeler, often recovered at the scene of a disaster, must be preserved.

The black boxes on eighteen-wheelers must be kept. Many times, cars involved in collisions with 18-wheelers have data on black boxes. It’s critical to employ a lawyer who can assist you with downloading, obtaining, and preserving that information as evidence. This is critical because, if and when you need to file a lawsuit to show your losses and injuries, that information and proof will be available to assist us.

In a truck accident, who are the responsible parties?

We usually suit the defendant driver for breaking the driving safety standards. Still, we also prosecuted the trucking firm that hired him and provided him with the car that should have been adequately maintained.

Because they should have done a background check on him before giving him the car.

The trucking business is always liable for its drivers’ carelessness.

Those are only two of the numerous persons we may be able to sue who were associated with the trucking firm and who may be held accountable and liable for the negligent activities that resulted in the tragedy.

Do I Have a Case for Wrongful Death Truck Accident?

The majority of fatalities in truck-car collisions are the passengers of smaller cars.

18-wheelers are 20 to 30 times the weight of the cars they collide with.

Unfortunately, they leave widows and children without parents behind.

It’s critical to understand their rights and to defend those rights against 18-wheelers and trucking businesses responsible for their deaths.

Again, having legal counsel who can assist you in comprehending what those damages are and going through and battle against the trucking business is critical.

What Kind of Truck Accident Compensation Do I Have?

Before we file a case, we meet with our clients and discuss the damages we may collect from the truck driver and corporation for the harm they caused.

Each instance is unique and distinct. Some individuals will lose money. Other individuals will suffer from what’s known as loss of consortium, which occurs when the injuries they’ve sustained are so severe that they damage their partner. We have the mental pain of coping with all of our ailments.

We have physical restrictions as a result of our injuries. There are several damages to which we must have access to put it before a judge and jury if required and pursue truck accident compensation.

What Is the Difference Between a Truck Accident and a Car Accident?

One of the essential considerations is that an 18-wheeler can transport up to 80,000 pounds while traveling at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.

Compared to another car traveling at the same speed, the injuries and damages they may inflict are often catastrophic.

They are held to a higher standard since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations supervise them.

As a result, we often uncover breaches of federal laws and regulations, including the standard driving safety rules that we all must observe when these collisions occur, and the 18-wheeler is to blame.

We must obtain the proof to back up our claims.

What Happens During a Truck Accident Trial?

We are always ready to go to court.

We acquire the necessary evidence for a truck accident trial.

If required, we will prosecute the case in front of a court and a jury to recover damages caused by the truck driver’s and the trucking company’s carelessness.

Is There a Deadline for Filing a Truck Accident Claim?

Colorado has a three-year statute of limitations, which means you have two years from the accident date to file a claim. If you’ve been interacting with an insurance provider, though, it’s too late. The insurance company is not taking the essential steps to compensate the client’s losses and injuries appropriately. You want to get the case on file as soon as feasible so that you may begin collecting and preserving the evidence needed to establish the point.

Why should you use the Warrior Truck Accident Lawyers?

Initial Consultation Is Free

When you’re hurt in an accident, the financial consequences are generally felt right away. Choosing the appropriate lawyer should not add to your anxiety. We provide free consultations to all of our clients to acquire the answers you need without worrying about adding to your financial load.

There is no fee if there is no recovery

We handle all personal injury matters on a contingency basis at the Warrior Truck Accident Lawyers. This implies that hiring and representing us will not cost you any money upfront.

  • Furthermore, you will not be charged any fees until we can recover funds for you.
  • More than $200 million has been recovered.
  • Hector Longoria, a Colorado Springs injury lawyer with more than 20 years of expertise, has achieved court verdicts and settlements for his clients totalling more than $200 million.
  • Do not place your future in the hands of a novice.
  • Let our expertise work for you by contacting us immediately.

Proving Catastrophic Injuries in a Truck Accident in Colorado Springs

Insurance companies are sometimes hesitant when it comes to severe injuries. As a result, it may be difficult for a wounded plaintiff to show these injuries. Insurance adjusters will hunt for any reason to minimize a plaintiff’s injuries and damages and may even reject liable entirely. To reduce their liability exposure in a catastrophic truck accident case, insurance companies frequently turn to one or more of the following:

  • Previous operations
  • Pre-existing medical illnesses and injuries 
  • Degenerative alterations on x-rays and MRIs 
  • Injuries incurred in previous motor car accidents 
  • Prior on-the-job injuries and workers’ compensation claims

At trial, a Colorado Springs truck accident lawyer may introduce the medical testimony of a doctor or other healthcare provider to prove the nature and extent of the accident victim’s permanent injuries and damages—as well as the causal relationship between the catastrophic event and the accident victim’s permanent injuries and damages.

Physical limits and the need for long-term or lifelong medical care are all injuries incurred in the accident and all medical treatment (past and future).

Call now to discuss your case with a Colorado Springs truck accident lawyer.

Accidents involving trucks may result in lasting and life-altering injuries and losses.

Warrior Trucking Accident Attorneys’ experienced truck accident lawyer can serve as your champions at the negotiation table and in the courtroom.

Free Consultation

NO FEE UNLESS WE WIN

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