What Is the Difference Between Semi-Truck and Car Accidents?
According to recently released statistics, more than 30,000 people die each year as a result of car accidents. Of these, approximately 5,000 are involved in a semi-truck accident.
If you were involved in a truck accident, look for an attorney with experience, knowledge, and success to ensure you receive compensation for your losses. Schedule an appointment with a Tucson Car Accident Attorney today to discuss your case.
Severity of Damage
Semi-trucks generally cause more severe damages compared to car accidents because of their impact. Some incidents result in wrongful death, which shakes victims and their families, as well. Semi-truck accidents are also likely to cause greater property damage and long-lasting injuries.
Insurance Companies
Unlike car accidents, semi-truck accidents often involve more than one insurance company. The law allows you to sue the manufacturer and the driver if they were liable for the accident, as well. Lawsuits against these companies involve aggressive and experienced entities with specialized defense attorneys.
Hiring experienced lawyers will increase the chances of winning a case. Defense lawyers actively deny liability to minimize the severity and protect monetary liability.
Accident Complexity
Liability and the nature of the accidents are complex if the circumstances involved a semi-truck instead of a car. The involved parties must dissect everything to establish the negligent individuals, liability, and ensure they achieve compensation.
Compensation must cover all damages, including:
- Future medical treatments.
- Economic damages.
- Non-economic damages.
- Punitive damages, sometimes.
The law charges punitive damages to discourage companies that act in bad faith. The complex nature of semi-truck accidents is enough reason to discourage clients from handling such cases without an experienced attorney.
Evidence
Lawyers dealing with car accidents mainly collect evidence after the crash has occurred. They will look for photographs, eyewitnesses, security camera footage, and police reports. However, in semi-truck accidents, the kind of evidence collected differs slightly, including:
- Vehicle evidence: Maintenance history, location tracking systems, inspection history, and downloads of board systems.
- Driver evidence: Driver evidence in semi-truck accidents includes the qualification file, inspection records, hours of service records, and prior records of alcohol and drug screening results.
- Cargo evidence: This includes trip envelopes, delivery documents, dispatch instructions, weight tickets, and bills of lading.
Evidence in semi accidents must also be preserved within a short period. Waiting for too long without preserving the necessary documents will likely harm the case.
Rules and Regulations
Evidence plays an essential role in personal injury cases. Therefore, industry rules and regulations require the company and drivers to preserve specific information to show whether they were complying with the safety regulations.
Tucson Accident Attorneys
The experts at Karnas Law Firm have over 25 years of experience working on car accidents, semi-truck, and related cases. When working with Karnas Law Firm, you are one of the many clients who win compensation for accidents that result from the negligence of others. Call the offices at 520-462-3886 or schedule an appointment online to discuss your case.