If you have driven the roads of Mississippi, you have seen 18 wheelers, big rigs, or long haul truckers hauling cargo across our state. Most of these drivers are responsible and are actually better drivers than your average passenger car driver. But too often I have had to meet with the family of a person killed or severely injured in a trucking accident. Because of the massive weight of these vehicles, there is no such thing as a minor trucking accident, and they are usually catastrophic. In my first meetings with families of those injured in trucking accidents, I often review the essential elements of a trucking accident. Because this is, unfortunately, such an ordinary conversation, I have written the following blog post to help people understand the general overview of a truck accident claim.
If you or a loved one was injured or killed as a result of a trucking accident, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injuries, loss of work, pain and suffering, and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience you need. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.
Overview of a Trucking Accident Case
After a trucking accident, the first step is to hire an experienced trucking attorney. The sooner you hire personal counsel, the better, as an experienced attorney has a team of experts ready to move in and photograph the accident site, take pictures of the vehicles involved, and take statements while witnesses’ memories are fresh. The longer you wait to hire counsel, the more “stale” all of this vital evidence becomes. Another important task is for your attorney to speak on your behalf while you or a loved one recover. The trucking company’s insurer will contact you and try to pin down a story, maybe while you are still healing. An attorney acting on your behalf can prevent insurance companies from pestering you with questions while you are trying to recover. You should not make any statement until you have spoken with your attorney.
Most trucking accident cases are taken on a “contingency fee” basis. This means that you do not pay your attorney for his services. Instead, your attorney works on your behalf for free but receives a percentage of any judgment or settlement you receive at the conclusion of your case. If you receive no compensation, your attorney receives nothing as well.
After you retain an attorney, he or she will do a tremendous amount of work investigating the crash, usually with the help of experts. The goal is to establish that the trucking company was negligent, meaning that they had a duty to protect other motorists from harm and did not act reasonably to meet that duty.
You always have the option to go to trial or settle your case for an agreed-to amount. While there is far more risk in going to trial—a jury may award you nothing—the financial reward is also potentially much more significant. The vast majority of cases end in some form of settlement, where the parties agree to a monetary award that satisfies them both. While settlements can also be substantial, they usually represent a dollar amount less than if the plaintiff were to win at trial.
What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured in a Trucking Accident?
If you or a loved one was injured as a result of a trucking accident, you should be compensated for your injuries, loss of work, pain and suffering, recovery and other expenses. Let experienced personal injury counsel take care of preserving medical records, taking pictures of the accident site, attaining expert opinions, and dealing with the trucking company’s attorneys. These are essential tasks that only a seasoned personal injury attorney can handle for you.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered an injury from a trucking accident or any other kind of accident. Contact our seasoned Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney today at (601) 790-1505.
