How do truck and car accidents differ?

Accidents involving passenger vehicles can be awful, but imagine being involved in an accident with a big truck. Accidents involving semis, tractor-trailers, or 18-wheelers often cause greater damage to property and people. If you’ve been involved in an accident with a big truck, it’s highly recommended that you hire a personal injury attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve. You may ask yourself, “How do truck and car accidents differ?”

Damages in a Truck Accident Are Often More Severe

What's the difference in truck accident and car accident cases.

Big trucks are much larger than passenger vehicles, which can result in more severe injuries than accidents involving passenger-only vehicles. Trucks can be as much as 20 times bigger than a smaller cars, resulting in a much larger force when a collision occurs. More force means a more significant impact when a truck collides with another vehicle, possibly crushing a passenger vehicle completely. While a passenger-vehicle-only collision can result in severe damages and injury, including death, this type of damage is more likely to occur in a truck accident.

Common Injuries Resulting From a Truck Accident

Because of the sheer size of a semi, tractor-trailer, or 18-wheeler, the injuries are often more severe than in a passenger-only vehicle collision. Common injuries include:

  • Traumatic brain injury.
  • Spinal cord injury.
  • Loss of use of a limb injury.
  • Loss of limb injury.
  • Internal organ injury.
  • Back, neck, and head injury.

The types of injuries that occur in a truck accident are often more permanent due to their severity, meaning you could incur medical expenses or lost wages for a long time, even for the rest of your life. Severe and long-lasting injuries require a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the compensation you need to cover future medical costs and income loss. The team at De Castroverde is experienced in truck accidents and will fight to get you what you deserve.

Available Insurance Coverage

In a truck accident, more insurance coverage may be available because trucking companies often cover larger policies to protect the company in case of an accident involving one of their drivers. With an experienced lawyer, you could recover the total damages caused by the truck accident with this additional insurance.

Determining Fault Can Be Complex in a Truck Accident

Typically, an accident involving two passenger-only vehicles will result in one of the drivers being named the at-fault driver. In a truck accident, the possible at-fault party can be the driver, the trucking company, the loader or shipper of the cargo, the truck manufacturer, the cargo manufacturer, the inspector responsible for approving the truck for the road, or a combination of any of one or more of these options.

A thorough investigation must be completed to determine the at-fault party, including consulting with accident reconstruction or vehicle design experts. The investigation will also include a review of the driver’s travel logs, service records for the truck, and any necessary evidence letters to help determine the at-fault party. Compiling this evidence can extend the claims process, making settlement more challenging. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney can help you complete the investigative process, ensuring that no steps are missed to achieve a desirable outcome.

Higher Costs Associated With a Truck Accident

A truck accident often results in much more significant damage to property and people, which means the overall costs will also be higher. These costs include extensive medical bills, ambulance or flight helicopters, property damage, rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Often, these costs reach hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars. It’s essential to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer to maximize your settlement to compensate you for your loss.

Why Should You Hire an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer?

Accidents always happen on the road, ranging from minor fender benders to major accidents resulting in severe damages and injuries. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration , there were 108,000 accidents involving big trucks in 2020. Among over 5 million police-reported accidents in 2020, truck accidents accounted for just 2% of all reported accidents. The rarity of truck accidents requires the experience and knowledge of a skilled legal professional to navigate the truck accident claim process.

Our De Castroverde team knows how to:

  • Investigate your truck accident.
  • Build your case.
  • Gather evidence.
  • Consult with experts.
  • Identify all insurance sources.
  • Calculate your damages.
  • Negotiate an agreeable settlement.
  • Litigate your case in court if required.

We’ll consider all economic and noneconomic damages when calculating your settlement to reflect your current and future needs.

Economic Damages

Economic damages include expenses such as medical bills, physical therapy, chiropractic care, rehabilitation services, lost wages, property damage, transportation to medical facilities such as ambulances or helicopters, and future lost wages and medical bills. Economic damages are typically easier to calculate based on your property damage and injuries.

Noneconomic Damages

You can also recover damages such as mental anguish, loss of interest in daily activities you once enjoyed, emotional distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and pain and suffering in a personal injury claim. These damages don’t have a one-size-fits-all price tag, so having a skilled personal injury lawyer can help determine the number of noneconomic damages to seek.

How Do Truck and Car Accidents Differ?

As you can see, truck and car accidents can differ significantly in the number of damages caused, insurance available, and at-fault possibilities. While you’re not required to hire a personal injury attorney to help navigate a truck accident claim, it can be highly beneficial to your case to do so. A truck accident lawyer has the necessary experience and knowledge to protect your rights while they go after the damages you deserve.

The truck driver and trucking company will have legal representation working hard to pay out as little compensation as possible from their insurance company. It would be best if you had someone to help maximize your payout.

Contact De Castroverde Today

If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident, reach out to our team at De Castroverde today. Complete our secure online contact form or call 702-919-6246 to schedule a free case evaluation. We’ll discuss the particulars of your case to determine the best course of action to get you the compensation you deserve.

Photo Credit: Picking up a load by Valerie Everett is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0