In these blogs, we often go over what you can do if you’re injured in some kind of car accident. We have many others that deal with how you should handle insurance companies in the wake of an accident. What we don’t have that many of (as of this writing) are blogs that say what you should do when you’ve been in an accident that involves a big rig. We seek to remedy that today. In this blog, we’ll go over what should do (and not do) when you’re in an accident with a big rig. Some of this will look similar to what you should do in the wake of a car accident or other kind of injury. That being said, much of it will be different. Beyond the advice of a big rig accident attorney, we’ll go over how you can help your own case.
Driving a big rig isn’t an easy job. It’s too easy to take these drivers for granted, and just assume that their jobs are robotic and mechanical. They aren’t. It’s hard work. For many of them, they’re driving incredibly long and difficult schedules. These schedules aren’t really meant for human beings; they’re meant to make the trucking company (and their clients) as much money as possible. So, big rig drivers being aware, alert and awake all of the time can be a concern. When you’re injured in an accident involving a big rig, we can help you in a variety of ways.
The sooner in the process you can contact our lawyers, the sooner we can get to work on your case. That means getting our professionals out there to conduct a thorough investigation. From there, we can figure out the truth of exactly what happened in the case. Then, we can ascertain who to bring the case against as well as how much compensation you can deserve for everything that you’ve been through. With a big rig trucking accident, this can take on more dimensions than a typical personal injury case might.
For example, in a “slip and fall case,” there aren’t a lot of questions of who might be at fault. You were walking somewhere, they failed to properly make sure that their location was safe, so you fell and were injured. That’s simple, clear cut and straightforward. A big rig accident doesn’t always necessarily work like that. In this kind of accident, the driver may have been at fault. Maybe they were using their phone while they driving. Perhaps they didn’t use their mirrors properly or at all. It could even be a case where the driver was too aggressive, leading to an accident – or they were drowsy, which also lead to the accident. In that case, the driver would be at fault.
With these kinds of accidents however, the driver is driving for a trucking company. So, perhaps the parts on the truck were defective. Maybe the trucking company’s negligence is what actually caused the accident. Perhaps the cargo was loaded improperly into the truck (not by the driver) which made for the circumstances that lead to the accident. It could even be the case that the cargo came unmoored or wasn’t secured correctly and that lead to the accident which injured you. In those circumstances (and many others) the truck driver isn’t necessarily at fault, or at least isn’t the only party who is at fault.
So, a complete examination by our professionals can figure out exactly who caused your accident. Then, we can bring a suit against them so that you get as much compensation as possible for your injuries. To use an example, if the truck driver and the trucking company were both negligent, then it’s in your best interests (financial and otherwise) to bring suit against all relevant parties. You can get as much compensation as possible, and those who were at fault may learn not to do the same things again.
That becomes important when it comes to compensation, as there are many different kinds of damages that we can help you to claim. So, we can help you to claim for lost wages, both now and in the future. After you’ve been in a big rig accident of any kind, it can be difficult for you to get back to your job. We can help you to claim the money you would have made had you been able to work. Unfortunately, some people who have been through big rig accidents find that they’re unable to return to the same job they did before, or at all. In those circumstances, we can help you to get damages for future lost wages, too. You didn’t ask to be in a big rig accident, so you deserve to be paid for everything that you’re going through.
The pain and suffering after a big rig accident can be immense. Even if you’re surrounded by loved ones, great people who care about you deeply, nothing about this period of time in your life will be easy. It will be incredibly difficult, even with the support of so many, to get your life back to where you want it. That’s where our attorneys can come in. We can give you one less thing to worry about. Instead of being so concerned about how you’re going to pay for your medical bills, let us help. We’ll work to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve for the medical bills you’ve accrued as well as the ones you will in the future. That way, you can put your focus where it belongs: on your recovery.
One of the most common questions we get in big rig cases (and really any other) is “how can I help my own case?” If you’re up to it, one of the best things you can do is to document everything as much as possible in the wake of the accident. That means taking pictures of your vehicle, should you have been in a vehicle that was hit by a big rig. It also means taking pictures of your own injuries. You can take pictures when you’re initially hurt as well as later on, as they start to heal. A great way to help your own case is not sign anything from an insurance company until you talk to attorneys.
The insurance company is, as you know if you’ve been perusing these blogs, not on your side. They’re doing everything they can to make sure that you receive as little compensation as possible for your injuries. So, bring any paperwork you receive from the insurance companies to us. We’ll go over with you, and talk about your case. We’ve been doing this for a long time. We can help you to know exactly how much compensation you can get from your claim. The insurance companies don’t make money if you get everything that you deserve. On the flip side of that, we only get compensation if we win your case. With that in mind, it’s easy to see who’s on your side and who isn’t.
We really can’t stress enough how important it is to get attorneys involved in your big rig accident case as soon as possible. This is even more important than it is in other kinds of accident cases. In some circumstances, trucking companies even delete information a couple weeks or so after the accident. That way, the information can’t be tracked and lead to you getting the compensation that you deserve. They’ll put out every trick in the book to stop you. Level the playing field by calling us at (818) 240-1800 or heading to our site.