If you got into an accident with a semi-truck and suffered injuries, you could have grounds for substantial compensation. Truck accidents are often bigger, more destructive, and deadlier than regular car accidents. A truck accident lawyer in Stafford County, VA, from the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC can help you hold the responsible party liable and recover the damages you need
Our firm offers FREE claim reviews for all accident injury victims. Our Stafford County personal injury lawyer will review your injury and discuss your options. We work on a contingency basis, so we never receive payment until you win your case. Let us put our resources and our successful history to work for you.
Types of Compensation Available After a Stafford County Truck Accident
Compensation is money you can receive following an accident. If you have been hurt in a Stafford County truck accident, then you may be entitled to compensation. Compensation can come from the person or company responsible for your injuries, such as a negligent driver or their insurance company. This money helps cover your medical bills and other costs associated with your injury, like lost wages while you’re recovering. It’s important to remember that no two cases are the same, so it’s important to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you understand what kind of compensation might be available in your case.
Medical Expenses
Your medical expenses can include surgery and hospital bills, doctor copays, drug costs, assistive devices, long-term care, and more. If you suffered severe injuries, you may be dealing with medical bills for years to come. We will fight to secure compensation for your future medical needs, too.
Lost Wages
You can obtain compensation for the time you need to take off work to recover from your injuries.
Reduced Earning Capacity
If your ability to earn a living in the future declines because of lingering effects from your injuries, we help you get compensation to make up for the difference between your pre-injury income and what you can earn now.
“Pain and Suffering” and Inconvenience
“Pain and suffering” and inconvenience are noneconomic damages. That is, we cannot quantify them in exact dollar terms. They may include emotional trauma, loss of enjoyment of life, and other complications of catastrophic injuries like loss of independence. We believe you deserve compensation for these damages, and we will fight to get you that compensation.
Should You Talk to the Insurance Company After a Car Accident?
You deserve to be compensated for your injuries. . But several challenges may be standing between you and your fair compensation. Often the biggest of those challenges is the insurance company.
To recover compensation for an accident, you usually must go through an insurer. And the insurer has a huge financial incentive to pay you as little as possible—or nothing at all.
It is important to understand that following a truck accident, there may be multiple insurance companies involved in your accident settlement. You should not speak with any of the insurance companies until you have consulted with an experienced personal injury attorney. It is possible that the driver at fault has their own insurance coverage as well as the trucking company they work for having its own coverage. In addition, the reader’s insurance may also be involved if they have Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM). You should contact an attorney before speaking to any of these insurance companies to ensure your rights and interests are protected throughout the process. An attorney can advise you of your legal rights and options and ensure that any settlement agreements are fair and just.
Our founder, Jim Parrish, knows this better than anyone. Before starting his firm to fight for accident victims, he represented insurance companies. He knows every tactic they use to keep their claim payouts to a minimum. We draw heavily on this knowledge when we take on insurers for our clients. Rest assured that we will not settle for less than you deserve.
A Stafford County, VA Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help You Hold the Responsible Parties Accountable
A truck crash differs from a car accident in several ways. One is the typical level of destruction and severity of injuries. Another is the number of potentially responsible parties. Usually, with a truck accident, it is not just one person who bears liability. Here are a few potential at-fault parties who might be responsible for your injuries:
The Truck Driver
Commercial truck drivers follow the same laws as every other motorist. They must drive the speed limit, obey stop signs, yield the right-of-way, and so forth. If a truck driver acted negligently or broke one or more traffic laws when they caused your accident, we could use that to show they are liable.
Truck drivers must also adhere to a host of additional regulations explicitly aimed at them. The government regulates the number of consecutive hours they may drive and how much rest they must get in between. Truckers also must keep their vehicles on a regular service schedule. And they must maintain a detailed logbook showing they are following these rules.
One of the first things our team does is subpoena the driver’s logbook. If it shows any rule violations or the driver has not correctly filled it out, we can use it against them in our claim.
The Trucking Company
Trucking companies have vicarious liability for their drivers’ actions. That means we can go after the trucking company as well as the driver for damages. By pursuing the company, we have a much better chance of recovering a large settlement, as trucking companies tend to have much greater financial resources than individual drivers.
That said, trucking companies also tend to have larger, aggressive legal teams. We expect them to mount a serious challenge to our efforts to go after them for damages, but we are not afraid. We know what we are up against, and we will be prepared to present an overwhelming case on your behalf.
The Shipping Company
In some cases, the company shipping the freight also bears liability. Shippers, like trucking companies, tend to be large and in possession of substantial financial resources. If we can show the shipper is liable, we will aggressively go after it for damages.
Parts Manufacturers
A parts manufacturer may be liable if a defective component of the truck caused or contributed to the accident.
Common Causes of Commercial Trucking Accidents
Determining the cause of your collision will often point us to the liable party. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), data from hundreds of crashes indicates that a few common causes lead to large truck accidents in the United States, including:
- Lack of driver training and experience
- Vehicle design and manufacturing problems
- Equipment failure
- Poor road conditions
- Bad weather conditions
- Traffic signals and signage
- Tire blow-outs
- Brake failure
- Driver fatigue or drowsy driving
- Speeding
- Driving under the influence
Other Common Factors Leading to Collisions
While these are common threads of serious tractor-trailer accidents, our firm has observed other common contributing factors, including:
- Driver error
- Distracted driving
- Reckless driving
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Large blind spots
- Poor maintenance or lack of repairs
- Pressure to meet deadlines
Whatever the cause of your collision, we will use the evidence we gather (such as driver logs, police reports, and black box data) to link your injuries and damages to the negligent actions of the responsible party.
Truck accidents can leave those involved with severe physical, financial, and emotional trauma. At the Parrish Law Firm, our experienced truck accident attorneys understand this firsthand. We are dedicated to providing excellent service to the victims of accidents in Stafford County, Virginia and beyond. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for a 100% FREE claim review. Our team is ready to listen and help you explore your legal options. Let us use our knowledge and experience to fight for you today!