Trucking Accident Lawyer Indianapolis, IN
At Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers, a trucking accident lawyer Indianapolis, IN families trust recognizes that trucks are the pillars of America’s economy. We depend on trucks and truck drivers to transport goods and services all across the United States. The trucking industry employs around 9 million people, with 3.5 million being drivers, contributing a considerable amount of revenue back into the economy. Commercial trucks can include anything from tow trucks and delivery trucks to garbage trucks and trailers.
When you consider the number of commercial vehicles around us, you can imagine how many collisions involving trucks are happening every day. In fact, there are over 40,000 truck-related accidents reported every year. Many of them minor, but others are severe and sometimes result in fatalities.
Some of the more common causes of trucking accidents include:
- The truck driver is speeding or is driving too fast for the outside conditions.
- The truck is too close to the vehicle in front and is unable to stop with enough time.
- The truck is in poor condition and has not been maintained properly.
- The truck is overloaded or the cargo is not secured properly, and the load shifts.
- The driver fails to yield when entering an intersection.
- Truck driver fatigue or distraction
- Adverse weather conditions, such as rain, snow, and high winds.
- Drug or alcohol use.
These are a few and most common causes of a truck accident. The reality is that every accident is different and can be overwhelming to deal with. If that wasn’t enough, the rules and regulations of the trucking industry can be difficult to navigate — especially without a trucking accident lawyer by your side. The Federal Department of Transportation creates regulations, but they can vary based on the type of truck, the cargo being carried, and even by the state where the trucking company is based.
Learn more about are truck-involved injury accidents common?
Why are commercial truck accidents worse than regular passenger car accidents?
Commercial trucks are also referred to as big rigs and are used as a way to transport commercial goods. Any large freight truck is an example of a commercial truck, such as eighteen-wheelers, tanker trucks, or other delivery vehicles. When these trucks are fully loaded, a large freight could weigh up to 80,000 pounds or more. In comparison, an average passenger vehicle weighs roughly 3,000 pounds.
Because of the drastic size difference and basic laws of physics, any crash between a commercial truck and a smaller passenger vehicle is highly likely to result in serious or even fatal injuries. If you have been injured in a commercial truck accident, it may be in your best interest to contact a skillful trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana at Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers to guide you on your next legal steps.
What are the common causes of commercial truck accidents?
In addition to the inherent dangers of the size and weight associated with commercial trucks, there are other characteristics that contribute to traffic accidents. Our lawyers may suggest these factors could include:
- Inadequate training for the driver. This could include not enough emphasis on driving technique, safety concerns, and defensive driving.
- Some businesses have a compensation system that encourages faster driving and more consecutive hours on the road.
- Having unrealistic schedules and expectations for the driver, resulting in drowsy and reckless driving.
What is the truck’s “No-Zone”?
The “No-Zone” is the area behind and beside commercial trucks. In these areas, the driver has very limited or zero visibility of other cars. These are also called blind spots. Staying in one of these areas is dangerous for a small vehicle driver since you will not be seen by the driver. A good rule to follow when sharing the road is checking to see the driver in the side mirrors. If you are unable to see the truck driver in their side mirrors, they most likely cannot see you.
How do I get compensation for my injuries after being in an accident involving a commercial truck?
After being in an accident it is highly recommended that you seek the legal counsel from a skilled lawyer that you can trust. Commercial truck accidents can be very complex and oftentimes need the assistance that a seasoned lawyer can offer.
What kind of coverage can I expect to receive?
Commercial truck accidents can be very damaging and cause serious injuries. After being in an accident you may be able to receive compensation for the following:
- Medical expenses. Both present and future that are related to the injuries sustained as a result of the accident.
- Wages that you lost due to missing work and future earnings you may have lost.
- Any pain and suffering you experienced, either physical or mental.
All of these damages can be covered through compensation, however, it may take the ability of a lawyer from Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers to help you get the full amount of compensation you deserve. When a serious accident occurs, the aftermath can be undeniably jarring. After all, having one’s life change in a matter of seconds is not an easy reality to adjust to.
Because the immediate aftermath of an accident can be truly disorienting, answering the question, “What happened?” can be difficult for accident victims. Even more challenging is the pressure of answering the question “Why did the accident happen?” as not all facts may be clearly known and understood right after an accident occurs. It is partially for this reason that truck accident victims should consider connecting with an experienced lawyer as soon as they can after a collision occurs.
You may not know how to answer the questions “What happened?” and “Why?” right now; that is completely normal. But our team understands how to clarify an accident situation in order to answer these questions as efficiently and effectively as possible.
How To Drive Safely Around Large Trucks
When you drive down the road, it is important for you to be aware of other drivers. In particular, you need to take a close look at what type of vehicle they are driving. If you see a bunch of trucks around you, it is easy to get nervous. After all, they are large, intimidating, and could be involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. If you are involved in a truck accident, do not forget to reach out to a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN, such as a lawyer from the Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers. What do you need to do if you are driving around a bunch of large trucks?
Reduce Your Speed
First, you need to make sure you reduce your speed. Trucks tend to drive at a slower speed, and you do not want to sneak up on them. You may surprise the driver, and you do not want the truck to take any evasive action. Even if you are passing a truck, you do not want to buy them at 80 or 90 miles an hour. Reduce your speed, drive carefully, and give the truck driver plenty of time to recognize you are nearby. If you do find yourself involved in a truck accident, remember to contact a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN for help.
Leave Extra Space Between Your Vehicle and the Truck
Given that trucks are significantly larger than sedans, you need to leave extra space between your car and the truck. If the truck has to hit its brakes, it is going to take longer to come to a complete stop. You do not want the truck to run into you. Regardless of whether you are passing the truck, in front of a truck, or behind a truck, make sure there is plenty of space between your vehicle and the tractor-trailer.
Reach Out To a Lawyer
Even if you follow all of the tips above, you might still be involved in a serious truck accident. If you are involved in a truck accident, call 911 as quickly as possible. Then, do not forget to see a doctor. After you receive appropriate medical care, contact a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN, such as an attorney from the Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers. You deserve to make sure your rights are properly protected. You don’t have to go through this alone.
Different Types of Truck Accident Injuries
It does not matter whether you were behind the wheel during the moment of impact. Either way, you can sustain serious injury from a truck accident. If the collision happened due to circumstances beyond your control, compensation is due. Whether the cause was a careless driver or a faulty mechanism is irrelevant. It is incumbent on you to take legal action. Contact a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN, and speak about what happened. What follows are some accident outcomes that strongly merit legal attention.
Broken Bones
Because of their size, trucking accidents are serious. Bones are susceptible to being shattered. How long healing takes depends on the severity of the breaks. Recovering could require missing work for an extended period. Worse is having a limb amputated when the shattering is severe. Such situations demand justice. Hire the legal wizards at Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers to fight for your interests.
Whiplash
Soft tissue injuries sometimes result from vehicular accidents. The effects might not be readily apparent, but such harm can negatively affect your life. For instance, you may begin experiencing difficulty sleeping. Neck pain from whiplash sometimes takes up to three months to disappear. In other cases, it persists for years. Don’t take your suffering lightly. Explain to a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN, about your experience.
Head Injuries
Blows to the head are among the most serious. Even if you did not get knocked unconscious, a traumatic brain injury is still possible. Confusion, vision problems, and nausea are signs that you’ve sustained a TBI. As soon as any of these symptoms arise, demand that you receive immediate medical treatment. Not consulting a physician right away can result in lifelong problems, including loss of motor functions and diminished cognitive abilities. Show every piece of medical documentation you get to an attorney with the Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers.
Paralysis
Most of us take our mobility for granted. When it’s lost, the impact is life-altering. Spinal injuries are common with trucking accidents. Once the spine is severed, movement disappears forever. Pelvic damage is another possibility. If this part of the body sustains enough devastation, even standing could become unthinkable, much less walking. You’re going to want a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN, who will argue that you deserve compensation. Choose this professional carefully, as the wrong selection could mean a legal defeat, thus leaving you without any form of economic relief.
What To Do After a Truck Accident
A truck accident can happen at any time. Because of the size of the vehicles involved, even a minor truck accident could lead to serious injuries. If you are involved in a truck accident in the local area, what do you need to do? Remember that you do not need to go through this process alone. You can rely on a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN, such as an attorney from Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers.
Call the Police Immediately
No matter how minor you think the accident might be, you need to call the police as quickly as possible. They need to file an official report related to the accident. If you don’t get a police report, there will not be any proof of what happened. If you need to file a claim down the road, it could be your word against the word of the other driver, which could have the backing of a large company. Always call the police following a truck accident. This will be helpful if you reach out to a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN lawyer.
Seek Medical Care
If you or anyone else at the scene of the accident has suffered injuries, you need to ask for emergency personnel. Even if you feel like you are okay, you always need to go to the doctor. You will have a lot of adrenaline flowing through your system after the accident, and you might not notice serious symptoms immediately. If you do not seek medical care quickly, your injuries could get worse, leading to complications that could have been avoided. Always go to the doctor after you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident.
Contact an Attorney for More Information
Finally, after you have sought the care and medical professional, you need to reach out to a trucking accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN, such as a lawyer from Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers, for a case review. If you require a lot of medical care, the bills can pile up quickly. You might need to pay for emergency surgery, a stay at the hospital, and future specialty care. Even if you have insurance, this can be expensive. If the accident is not your fault, you should not have to bear the financial burden on your own. A truck accident lawyer can take a look at your case and see if you have a claim.
Causation and Fault Are Critical in Personal Injury Suits
In order to determine who (or what) should be held legally responsible for harm caused by an accident, a court needs to understand what factors contributed to the accident occurring in the first place. Once causation is clear, fault can be determined. Once the court understands whose fault an accident was, legal liability and damages can be assessed. In terms of truck accidents, truck drivers and motorists are most often determined to be at fault for collisions, though weather conditions, poorly maintained roads, uncontrollable distractions, etc. are sometimes to blame.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, truck driver fatigue, drug use (prescription and/or illicit), driver distraction, lack of familiarity with one’s surroundings and failure to check blind spots and/or signal are among the most common causes of truck accidents.
Legal Guidance Is Available
If you have recently been injured in a truck accident, please schedule a consultation with an experienced lawyer as soon as you possibly can. Proving causation is critical to the potential success of any personal injury claim you may opt to file. However, as time goes by, your opportunity to prove causation may become increasingly limited. Evidence may be compromised, witnesses may lose clarity of their memories, etc.
It is therefore very important that even if you are unsure of whether you want to file a personal injury claim that you connect with the legal team at Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers today. If you ultimately choose to file a claim, acting now will help to preserve your legal options. But even if you ultimately decide that filing a claim is not currently the healthiest option for you and your family, speaking with a knowledgeable lawyer will help to ensure that whatever decisions you make in regards to your legal situation are properly informed.
Please call now; our legal team looks forward to scheduling a risk-free consultation with you and learning more about your situation.
A FAQ on Personal Injury Law
Suffering from an injury at the fault of another person or entity is never easy. In fact, it can be downright traumatizing. To make matters worse, you probably have a million questions about filing a personal injury claim, but not sure who to ask or when to ask them. The who is a reputable personal injury attorney, and the time is right now. Here are some frequently asked questions that our clients at Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers have about personal injury law:
What should I do immediately after my accident?
- Seek out medical attention, if you haven’t already.
- Follow the instructions of the medical professionals both onsite (if any) as well as your own physician.
- Take plenty of photos of the accident, including the surrounding area, the accident itself (if there’s anything to show), your injuries, and anything else you might think would be important to show.
- Consult with your attorney. They will help you determine the best course of action to take with your case, as well as coach you through much of the legal proceedings involved with filing a claim.
What does a personal injury case look like?
Not every personal injury case is the same, but the proceedings tend to follow a similar pattern. Typically, the first thing you do to get the ball rolling is speak with your attorney. They will then help you file your case with the right people. Once accepted, you will receive copies of your case so that you (your attorney) can have them delivered to the defendant. From this point, your attorney will be able to inform you on your next steps, respective to your specific case.
How much will I get for my case?
Settlements range and the size of your settlement depends on multiple factors. The insurance company, whether or not your case goes to trial, and the extent of your injuries are just a few variables that affect the outcome of your case. To get a closer idea of what your case might be worth, contact your personal injury attorney.
So, my case might not go to trial?
Yes, you may never see the inside of a courtroom during your case. In fact, most personal injury cases never make it to trial and are settled before the set trial date. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your case won’t go to trial, however. A dispute over the facts of your case, or even over a legal matter, might end up forcing your case to go to trial. You shouldn’t worry though, your personal injury attorney will be able to tell you whether or not they think your case will go to trial, and what to do if it does.
No matter the severity of your case, or whether or not you think it’s worth the trouble, you should contact your personal injury attorney immediately after your incident. You don’t want to regret not filing a claim later on down the road and risk the chance of losing or not getting the full amount you’re entitled to. Make the call today to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve from your personal injury case.
Contact Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers Today
As you can see, trucking accidents and other personal injury cases can involve a huge amount of time and energy. At our law firm, we recognize that dealing with a truck case is not simple. Truck accidents are due to complex reasons and it takes time and diligence to gather all the information. If you live in the Indianapolis area, don’t hesitate to reach out to our law firm.
We offer free case reviews, where we examine the details of each case, walk the individual through the claims process step-by-step, and discuss possible ways to proceed. We take pride in our ability to connect to our clients and provide the kind of support they need during difficult times. Our team is experienced, and we want to make sure that you get the maximum amount of compensation you’re entitled to receive.
No one should have to go through a personal injury claim alone. To schedule a no-obligation consultation and case review with an IN trucking accident lawyer from Indianapolis at Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers, contact our firm today.
Trucking Lawyer Indianapolis
Questions About Trucking Accidents Answered
Our trucking lawyer Indianapolis residents rely on knows that there can be a significant amount of uncertainty that comes with sharing the road with large trucks. When on the road, there is an enormous amount of responsibility that comes with sharing the road with semi-trucks. The impact on victims can be severe, especially when a truck driver does not carefully operate a large truck. In some cases, this may even have a long term impact. Unfortunately, fatalities may occur as a result. At Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers, we know that you will have several questions following a trucking accident. Our Indianapolis trucking lawyer can help to provide victims and their families with the guidance needed in the wake of a trucking accident. We have taken the time to put together the answers to all the questions you may be experiencing:
Why might a trucking accident occur?
The commercial trucking industry plays a critical role in the country’s economy. Each day, cargo is transported across the country by commercial trucks. The pressures can be enormous, resulting in a significant amount of stress. As a result, trucking companies and truckers may cut corners despite the strict timeframes and expectations in place. Our Indianapolis trucking lawyer shares the common reasons victims may experience a trucking accident:
- Driver Fatigue
- Unbalanced Cargo Loads
- Unkempt Trucks
- Driving Under the Influence
Why is a trucking accident so much more severe than a collision between two cars?
The sheer impact can result in serious life-threatening injuries; unfortunately, fatalities might result when large truck accidents are involved. Large trucks weigh far more than a motor vehicle. The sheer weight and size alone can be incredibly severe and even detrimental to all who are involved. Semi-truck accidents can impact victims and their families. Our trucking lawyer in Indianapolis shares that injuries can be catastrophic and even fatal.
If I am in a trucking accident, what types of damages might I be entitled to?
If you are considering taking legal action, know that you must have suffered damages from the accident in order to do so. Injuries were likely to have been severe, even catastrophic following a trucking accident. Common damages our Indianapolis trucking lawyer has helped victims to obtain following a trucking accident include:
- Emotional Suffering
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Present and Future Wages
- Pain and Suffering
- Property Damage
- +More
What steps should I take if I have fallen victim to a trucking accident?
Chances are, your injuries are severe in the wake of a trucking accident. You must seek medical assistance as soon as you can. You deserve the best chance at a full recovery, which is why failure to take action and seek medical care can be detrimental. Your injuries may be incredibly debilitating, which is why it’s in your best interest to seek medical assistance from a professional. Our trucking accident lawyer serving Indianapolis knows that the results can be devastating when injuries are left untreated. In some cases, if you fail to seek medical care, you stand to experience underlying injuries that could be life-threatening. Keep in mind, care from a doctor also produces essential medical documentation that could assist you in proving your case.
How can I hold the negligent party liable with the assistance of an Indianapolis trucking lawyer?
Following an accident, the impact can be devastating. Our trucking lawyer in Indianapolis can play a critical role in helping accident victims to obtain damages from a car accident. There are several complexities when taking legal action following a trucking accident, which is why legal assistance from Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers is essential. We can help you to take action against the responsible party. We can guide you in determining who should be held accountable, whether it be the trucking company, the truck manufacturer, or the truck driver.
To learn more about how our Indianapolis trucking lawyer can help you following an accident, contact Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers today.
What types of brain injuries might a victim suffer from in a trucking accident?
There are a variety of brain injuries that accident victims stand to face. Depending upon the type of brain injury victims may experience, the repercussions can range from mild to severe. Brain injuries that may occur in an accident may include:
– Concussion
– Hemorrhage
– Brain Swelling
– Skull Fractures
– Penetration
– Diffuse Axonal
– Coup-Contrecoup
Is it important that I seek medical care immediately after trucking accident?
Any type of injury following a truck accident warrants a visit to a physician. However, if you suspect that you have obtained a brain injury, it’s imperative that you see a doctor. Not only could injuries from an accident be severe, they could be life threatening. Seeking medical care early on can ensure that you obtain the required treatment as soon as possible. Additionally, prompt medical treatment can make sure that you have clear documentation of your injuries should it be in your best interest to take legal action for the damages you may be facing with the assistance of an Indianapolis, IN truck wreck lawyer.
Could my ability to function normally be impacted for the long term from my Trucking accident??
Depending upon the type of brain injury, the results may be long term. A brain injury can result in:
– Headaches
– Paralysis
– Difficulty moving or walking
– Memory Issues
– Mood Swings
– Difficult Speaking
If your brain injury was the result of a truck accident that occurred at the hands of a negligent party, it’s important that you contact an Indianapolis, Indiana truck wreck lawyer as soon as possible. You will want to make sure that you safeguard your accident claim, especially in the event that you are left to contend with long term consequences.
