As Featured In
Semi trucks and other large vehicles are capable of causing catastrophic damage during accidents with passenger cars. When victims are left seriously injured, our lawyers can help them seek the compensation they deserve.
Multiple parties, such as the truck driver and their employer, could share liability for truck accident injuries. To get compensation from any liable parties, victims must prove they sustained injuries during collisions. This requires ample medical evidence, including records from paramedics who arrived on the scene and records from hospitals or other providers. At the beginning of your case, our attorneys can estimate your anticipated recovery timeline based on factors such as the accident’s complexity and the opposing side’s willingness to settle. We can help you navigate settlement talks, use expert statements to speed up negotiations, and identify poor offers so you only agree to a settlement that properly compensates you.
Get a free case review from The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. by calling our truck accident lawyers today at (817) 476-1797.
Investigating Liability for Truck Accidents in Abilene, TX
When commercial truck accidents happen, the driver’s employer often shares liability for the victim’s damages. This could increase the potential compensation available for victims, as trucking companies might offer higher settlements to avoid trials.
Vicarious liability is a legal principle that makes employers somewhat responsible for the actions of their employees. When a driver operates a commercial truck, they are performing their job responsibilities. If they were to get into an accident while operating within the scope of their employment, their employer would share financial responsibility for the victim’s damages. Injured victims would typically file claims against trucking companies in these situations, as settlements from these companies could be larger than settlements from individual drivers.
Trucking companies can be liable for accidents in other ways, such as if they are directly negligent by failing to inspect commercial trucks or background check drivers for their qualifications. For example, if a commercial semi truck stalled out on the highway, resulting in a multi-vehicle accident, the trucking company would be liable if it owned the truck and was responsible for its maintenance. Trucking companies are not liable if truckers are independent contractors and own the vehicles themselves.
While truck drivers are often at fault for accidents, they are sometimes forced to react by negligent passenger car drivers. When investigating collisions, our truck accident lawyers can work with crash reconstruction experts to review the evidence and determine which driver initiated the crash, whether it was the truck operator or another passenger car driver.
Proving Truck Accident Injuries in Abilene, TX
Because truck accidents are often very serious, paramedics typically arrive at scenes and give victims on-site medical attention. Our lawyers can obtain these immediate records after the accident, confirming you were injured during the specific collision in question. This is necessary to prove the element of causation, which must be established in every personal injury claim.
To further prove and solidify that they have sustained injuries, victims must get all necessary subsequent treatments after being discharged from the hospital. For example, you might be referred to a specialist by emergency room doctors to address a specific injury, like a head injury. Deviating from your treatment plan could lead to gaps in medical records, which the defendant might point to as an indication that your injuries are not so serious or do not require compensation.
While you focus on getting the appropriate medical care to recover physically, our lawyers can obtain records and copies of bills from providers. Intentionally organizing this information throughout your claim is crucial, as otherwise, victims might forget to request compensation for specific treatments, prescriptions, surgeries, or other care. Your financial recovery is directly based on proof of economic damages, which is why carefully monitoring losses from treatment is so important.
Having ample evidence proving your injuries helps you recover compensation for more than just medical damages. For example, when medical records and statements from medical experts confirm a victim’s injuries are too serious to return to work, they can recover compensation for lost wages. Furthermore, records detailing the arduous treatment victims have had to receive for severe or debilitating injuries can convince juries to compensate victims for pain and suffering.
Estimating the Length of Your Abilene, TX Truck Accident Case
While the anticipated length of claims might deter some victims from seeking compensation, our attorneys can estimate your recovery timeline and use the appropriate tactics to speed up settlement negotiations so you get damages sooner.
In the early stages of your case, our lawyers can gauge the opposing side’s willingness to settle. Defendants rarely want to go to trial for truck accident cases, as juries could find them liable for huge amounts. If settlement negotiations do not progress quickly enough, simply indicating you are ready to go to court might convince the defendant to increase their offers to a suitable amount that fairly compensates you without having to go to court, saving time and resources.
We can address particularly complex cases by involving accident reconstruction experts, who may speed up settlement negotiations by presenting their findings. Experts can review photos and evidence from crash sites to conclude the negligent driver’s direction and speed of travel, which are important factors in determining liability for truck accidents.
While wanting compensation quickly is normal, especially when victims are dealing with overwhelming medical damages or missed wages, accepting the first settlement offer is typically inadvisable. Generally, first offers from defendants are low, and they might try to disguise them as fair by offering them as lump sum proposals. We can assess these offers and confirm their ability to fully compensate victims before advising them to accept.
Call Our Lawyers in Abilene, TX to Discuss Your Truck Accident Case Today
Call our truck accident lawyers for a free case analysis from The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. at (817) 476-1797.