Commercial Truck Accident Lawyer

You get the best and most exhaustive commercial truck accident settlements when you rely on the best commercial truck accident attorney from RAM Law. The lawyers at this New Jersey trucking accident firm know the NJ laws and regulations so that the average cost of a commercial truck accident represents only the start of the negotiations. Commercial truck accidents can be very costly and quite litigious, so call RAM Law as soon as you’re able if you get into an accident with a commercial truck of any kind.

What Do I Need to Know about Collisions Involving Commercial Trucks?

If you or a loved one experience the nightmare of a commercial truck accident, the road ahead can be long and complicated. Whether you were driving a car or a motorcycle, riding a bike or simply using a crosswalk, the impact from a truck crash can be devastating. Contact with a vehicle up to sixteen times heavier than your vehicle generally causes catastrophic damage. This one incident leads to huge medical bills, lost wages and emotional trauma. Your life is upended in an instant.

The weeks and months following a crash involving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) generally are filled with a dizzying amount of paperwork and legal procedures.

You may be faced with tricky questions about confusing things like:

• Statute of limitations
• Insurance claims
• Court appearances
• Long-term disability
• Workers’ compensation

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over six million crashes occur each year involving large trucks or buses. The estimated cost of these crashes is over $120 billion dollars annually. Clearly, the personal and financial burdens impact thousands of people a year. If you were involved in a CMV collision, contact a truck accident lawyer to help you through the complex process of getting the compensation you deserve. In New Jersey, the team at RAM Law has the skills and experience to give you the best possible outcome.

What’s the Definition of a Commercial Truck?

Simply put, a commercial truck is a work truck. To be more precise, a commercial motor vehicle is defined as a truck used primarily for transporting property, equipment or people for the purpose of compensation or profit. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations establishes rules for equipment and operation of vehicles that transport goods or people in interstate commerce.

Their published regulations define a CMV as any vehicle that:

• Weighs over 10,000 pounds
• Is self-propelled or towed
• Operates on a public highway or local road
• Conveys either property or fifteen or more passengers
• Transports hazardous materials
• Operates for compensation or profit

This definition of a CMV includes commercial buses or trucks with a wide range of functions, shapes and sizes. In addition, the definitions and regulations governing commercial vehicles differ slightly from state to state. A truck accident attorney in New Jersey from the RAM Law firm is the best person to assist you when sorting out the intricate local aspects of accidents involving CMVs.

How Do Commercial Truck Accidents Differ from Regular Car Accidents?

In the majority of collisions with a commercial truck, the passenger car is the clear loser. The difference in size and weight alone gives the smaller, lighter vehicle little chance of defense. A typical five-passenger car in the United States is 15 feet long, while the average CMV is over 70 feet long. And when that truck is laden with heavy cargo, the added weight makes it doubly dangerous.

Physical injuries and property damage are often much more severe in truck accidents than in a two-car collision because:

• Light trucks are CMVs that weigh up to 8,500 pounds.
• Government statistics for 2020 show that light truck accidents resulted in over 20,000 deaths and 1.1 million injuries.
• That same year, 2.6 million truck crashes caused property damage to one or both vehicles.
• Large or heavy-duty trucks weigh anywhere from 10,000 to 60,000 pounds.

According to the 2020 data from the Department of Transportation, nearly 5,000 people were killed, and over 430,000 injured, in accidents involving large trucks. Most notably, 71 percent of people killed in large-truck collisions were occupants of other vehicles.

What Are the Most Common Types of Truck Accidents in the United States?

While rear-end collisions or side-swipe accidents can occur with any vehicle accidents, some types are unique to crashes involving commercial trucks.

These include:

• Truck rollovers. This happens when a truck rolls onto its side or roof during a crash one or more times before stopping.
• Jackknife accidents. This dangerous accident occurs when the front cab skids, and the attached trailer does not, pushing the front to one side.
• T-Bone accidents. When a driver fails to yield, the vehicle strikes the side of the vehicle with the right of way.
• Wide turn accidents. This happens when a truck occupies an additional lane to navigate a turn, striking an oncoming vehicle in the additional lane.

Certain types of trucks are more likely to be involved in accidents than others. You’ve likely seen them on short trips to the corner store, as well as long commutes on the highway.

Crash-prone CMVs include:

• Box trucks. These are typically delivery trucks like Amazon’s or FedEx’s. Their boxy shape and windowless sides make them prone to having blind spots.
• 18-wheelers. These big rigs can weigh 16 times more than a typical passenger car. Any impact with one of these causes a great amount of damage.
• Flatbed trucks. A truck without sides or a top, it generally transports construction materials. This design allows unsecured materials to fly off, damaging any vehicles behind them.

It’s easy to see that the design and weight of commercial trucks brings a whole different set of issues to every accident case. Truck accident attorneys like the professionals at RAM Law know best how to represent you and the particulars of your truck accident case.

What Are the Most Common Injuries in a Commercial Truck Accident?

A number of injuries often occur when a crash involves a commercial truck. These injuries are typically more severe than in other vehicle accidents.

The injuries include:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Burn injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Head and brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Amputations
• Wrongful death

Many of the injuries from a commercial truck accident are often life-changing for both the injured person and their loved ones. Sometimes, medical bills pile up for months or even years. Some injuries require care long after the initial healing, which is why you need to work with a commercial trucking attorney who understands the nuances involved in even the average cost of a commercial truck accident.

What Can a Commercial Truck Accident Attorney Do for Me?

Consulting an attorney who specializes in commercial truck accidents benefits you in many ways. A trucking accident lawyer offers expertise in gathering a wide array of documents and evidence and representing you in court if you have to sue a trucking company. You need help navigating the complex process for a truck accident settlement.

Some other benefits include:

• Providing peace of mind. Your lawyer interacts with all parties and entities involved, such as the truck driver’s attorney, to advocate for you during every step of the case. This allows you to concentrate on what matters most — your physical and emotional well-being.
• Dealing with insurance claims. Your lawyer gathers and presents evidence, then negotiates to give you the strongest possible claim. Insurance companies have a whole team of lawyers, whose purpose is to reduce or eliminate any payout.
• Handling the legal technicalities. Your lawyer protects your rights by providing key components, such as the medical documents and police reports. They ensure that nothing’s left out.

One of the tasks of your lawyer is to help determine what caused the trucking accident.

The cause may include one or more factors, including:

• Distracted driving
• Bad brakes
• Poorly loaded cargo
• Speeding
• Trucking company negligence
• Drowsy driving
• Substance abuse
• Aggressive driving

Commercial truck accidents are often devastating because they cause severe physical injuries and property damage. Most likely, your world was turned upside-down, creating an enormous amount of emotional and physical trauma. A truck accident attorney helps you and your loved ones navigate the complicated aftermath.

How Does a Trucking Accident Lawyer Determine Liability?

Figuring out truck accident liability is a complicated question. It’s often difficult to sort through the numerous legal technicalities of the determination.

The parties responsible may include:

• The driver of the commercial truck
• The driver of the passenger car
• The company that owns the truck
• The company that maintained the truck
• A government agency in charge of road maintenance

While driver error by one or both drivers often determines liability, the trucking company can be at fault as well. They may have ignored inspection warnings or offered incentives to encourage unsafe driving hours on the road. Suing a large trucking corporation is no easy task; they employ huge law firms and insurance companies to represent their interests. An experienced commercial truck accident attorney has the know-how to represent your best interests.

What Are the Types of Compensation I Can Expect from a Truck Accident Injury?

You can expect to receive a variety of compensation types from an injury due to a truck accident. These typically cover damages that are both economic and non-economic.

The monetary awards that you’re granted may cover your:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of function or abilities
• Pain and suffering
• Transportation costs

The insurance for typical passenger car owners seldom covers all the expenses and losses in a truck accident case. It’s often necessary to pursue additional actions. An attorney experienced in CMV accidents knows how to build the strongest cases. Frequently, insurance policies that cover commercial vehicles are much higher than those of car owners. When the truck company or driver are at fault, you often receive the full payout due to you.

What Should I Do after a Crash with a Commercial Truck?

After a truck collision, the essential first steps are to secure your own safety and get any required medical attention. Ask the trucker to set flares or other warning signs to other drivers to beware of an accident until the police arrive.

If you can, do other things too, such as:

• Calling 911 immediately
• Leaving your vehicle where it stopped, if it can be done safely
• Staying at the scene until authorities arrive
• Answering law officer’s questions truthfully, using basic facts
• Avoiding any on-the-spot admission of fault or medical diagnosis

Another step to take is to compile as much information as possible. Witnesses and law enforcement at the time of the crash are rich with information.

If you’re physically and mentally able, assist in collecting some of the needed documentation, including:

• Contact info from the other driver
• Photos of the accident site
• Photos of the property damage
• Photos of your injuries
• Contact info from any witnesses
• A detailed description of the incident

If you’re hospitalized or unable to obtain the information, ask a trusted friend or relative to help out. But a trucking accident lawyer is well equipped to advise and assist in this complex process. Pertinent information of the crash is key for success in any court cases or commercial truck accident settlements. Truck Accident Settlement Process>

How Much Does a Commercial Truck Accident Attorney Cost?

Your commercial truck accident lawyer at RAM Law offers free consultations to go over the general aspects of your case. In some cases, your lawyers only get paid when they win a case for you, although you may incur other expenses throughout the process. Many truck collision cases take months or years to reach a final resolution.

Whether the accident resulted from reckless driving or poor road conditions, it’s best to seek the advice and counsel of an experienced truck accident lawyer with a deep understanding and in-depth background in New Jersey who may be able to get you compensated for your legal expenses. State and local laws vary from place to place, and you’ve got enough to handle when dealing with the physical and emotional trauma of a commercial truck accident.

To tackle the hurdles of sticky legal and insurance issues, hire an attorney with demonstrated expertise and current legal knowledge. Contact the top-notch truck accident lawyers at RAM law. They understand your rights and know the best route to get the results you deserve.