If you suffered serious injuries or lost a loved one in a tractor-trailer accident, you may qualify for monetary damages to compensate for your injuries and related losses. Getting legal assistance to help you in these circumstances can be critical to building an effective case.
Accidents involving commercial tractor-trailers can be complex due to the involvement of multiple potentially liable parties and injury victims. Fortunately, a tractor-trailer accident attorney in Mobile from the Morris Bart law firm may be able to help if you sustained injuries in a wreck.
Why Do I Need a Tractor-Trailer Accident Lawyer?
When you are injured or lose a family member in a tractor-trailer accident, you likely will hear from an insurance company or trucking company representative very quickly following the accident.
Depending on the circumstances that led to the accident, they may immediately offer you a settlement amount in exchange for signing certain forms and documents. The insurance company will also ask you common questions about the accident and your injuries.
All too often, insurance companies are quick to seek a settlement to avoid further liability. They also are likely to offer you a low settlement amount that does not adequately compensate you for your losses. By doing so, they hope to safeguard their profits by keeping their payout as low as possible.
The insurance company intends to avoid or minimize the liability of their insured party. By trying to contact and question you, they know you might:
- Misspeak to the facts of the case
- Inadvertently provide details about the accident
- Indicate that your injuries are not as severe as you claim
Trucking companies have notoriously tough insurers. But you can entirely avoid this situation by hiring a personal injury attorney to protect your legal rights throughout the insurance claims process.
For a free legal consultation with a Tractor-Trailer Accident lawyer serving Mobile, call (251) 298-8380
Who Is Responsible for the Costs of My Injuries and Related Losses?
In personal injury cases involving passenger car accidents, the liable party is often the driver at fault for causing the accident. In commercial tractor-trailer cases, however, a negligent truck driver is not likely to be the only party responsible for your injuries.
Many federal regulations also govern the operation of tractor-trailers, making your personal injury case even more complicated.
Under Alabama law, trucking companies are responsible for the actions of their employees. As a result, trucking companies can face liability when their drivers are negligent and cause accidents that injure others.
Other parties that may be liable in commercial tractor-trailer accident cases can include:
- Truck maintenance companies
- Truck owners
- Truck parts manufacturers
- Cargo loading or shipping agencies
- Governmental bodies
- Other motorists involved in the crash
Correctly identifying the potentially liable parties is necessary in any personal injury case. Our Mobile tractor-trailer accident lawyers can investigate the circumstances that led to your accident and ensuing injuries and determine who is at fault. We can then file claims with the insurance companies representing the at-fault parties and begin to negotiate a settlement.
What Compensation Could I Be Eligible for in a Tractor-Trailer Accident Case?
Once you have determined what parties are at fault for causing your accident, you can seek compensatory damages for various economic and non-economic losses. The amounts and types of these damages depend on your injuries and other factors.
A Mobile tractor-trailer accident lawyer from the Morris Bart law firm can assist you by placing an appropriate value on your damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are tangible and easily documented through invoices or bills. These damages include medical expenses, such as hospitalization, surgical, and rehabilitation costs. Other tangible forms of compensation include loss wages for the time you missed at work due to your injuries.
You also may have suffered damages to your vehicle in the accident, which can make you eligible to seek the costs of repairs or the vehicle’s replacement value.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are intangible losses that stem from your injuries. These damages may be more prevalent in accidents that have resulted in catastrophic and permanent injuries. These damages can include compensation for scarring and disfigurement, emotional trauma, physical pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
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How Long do I Have to File a Personal Injury Case?
All lawsuits are subject to filing deadlines or statutes of limitations, which vary from one state to another. Under Ala. Code § 6-2-38, you generally only have two years from the date of your accident to file your case in court if it occurred in Alabama. However, exceptions can shorten or extend the deadline. If you miss this deadline, you risk losing any legal right to pursue your case.
Why Choose Our Law Firm to Represent Your Interests?
Due to the complexity of tractor-trailer accidents, choosing a law firm that can provide you with quality legal representation and has experience handling tractor-trailer accident cases is recommended.
At Morris Bart, our tractor-trailer accident attorneys in Mobile have extensive experience handling these commercial truck accident cases and know what steps to take to secure compensation for your injuries.
We also are familiar with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and state public safety agencies, which establish and enforce extensive regulations that pertain only to commercial vehicles. Understanding these regulations allows us to advocate more effectively and obtain the evidence necessary to support your case.
Explore Your Options by Getting Legal Assistance Today
A Mobile tractor-trailer accident attorney from the Morris Bart law office may be able to take your case on a contingency basis. This arrangement means that you pay no upfront legal fees for us to start working on your case. We receive no fees until you receive a settlement or damages award.
Call us today or fill out our online contact form for a free consultation. We can review the facts of your case and present all available options. Together, we can take the steps necessary to help you to understand your legal rights and make the most informed decisions about your situation.
Questions?Call (251) 298-8380
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
