Colonia Truck Accident Lawyer
Did you or someone you love suffer serious injuries in a truck accident that was someone else’s fault? If so, you could have the right to seek compensation under New Jersey personal injury law. But it’s important to understand the challenges you may face on the path to financial recovery. An experienced truck accident attorney can help.
Recovering from serious truck accident injuries can disrupt every aspect of your life and take a serious emotional toll. You may need extensive medical treatment and be unable to work for an extended period. These costs add up quickly, and insurance companies are not generous with their payouts. It’s wise to get legal advice from a knowledgeable Colonia, NJ truck accident lawyer before considering any settlement offers.
Turn to Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. Our truck accident lawyers have four decades of experience pursuing justice for injured people throughout New Jersey. We will fight for the full and fair compensation that you deserve. Call us today or contact us online for a free consultation.
Top Causes of Truck Accidents
The causes of truck accidents can vary from a truck driver error to negligence on the part of trucking companies, automakers, mechanics, and even other drivers. Many tractor-trailer accidents in New Jersey happen due to:
- Truck driver fatigue
- Driver inexperience or improper training
- Truck equipment failures
- Speeding
- Overweight or unbalanced loads
- Driving while intoxicated
- Distracted driving
- Inclement weather
- Dangerous road conditions or defects
In many cases, more than one factor contributes to a crash. A skilled lawyer can collect and analyze truck accident evidence to determine what happened and who is to blame. This could involve reviewing the truck driver’s hours of service log, employment records, and the tractor-trailer’s maintenance and inspection documents. Understanding what caused the crash will help you and your truck accident lawyer pursue maximum compensation from the at-fault parties.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accident injuries can be severe and life-threatening. The size of tractor-trailers and the velocity of the impact in a vehicle collision can cause serious bodily harm. Some injuries may prove fatal.
Common truck accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Head injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Paralysis
- Broken bones
- Amputation
- Burns
- Deep cuts and lacerations
- Organ damage
- Internal Bleeding
- Hearing and vision loss or impairment
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
The lifetime cost of truck accident injuries can reach into the millions for victims with catastrophic injuries. If you’ve been hurt, a New Jersey truck accident attorney from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. can review your losses, place an estimated value on your claim, and push the insurance company to pay every penny you are owed.
Types of Truck Accidents
Semi-trucks can be involved in many of the same types of accidents as passenger cars, such as rear-end collisions, T-bone accidents, or sideswipes. However, some types of crashes are more common among commercial vehicles, such as:
- Wide-turn wrecks ― Due to the sheer size of their vehicle, a truck driver needs a lot of space to negotiate a turn safely. The trucker may need to swerve slightly out of their lane with right turns to complete the maneuver. Without proper care, a truck driver could strike another driver, pedestrian, or cyclist while turning.
- Jackknife accidents ― In a jackknife truck crash, the cab and trailer become detached or dislodged, creating a shape similar to a pocketknife. Jackknife accidents can happen from sudden braking, speeding, equipment failures, and dangerous road conditions.
- Blind spot crashes ― Commercial trucks have large blind spots on all four sides. When truckers fail to check their blind spots or other drivers linger in those areas, the chances of an accident increase significantly, especially when changing lanes.
- Cargo spillage accidents ― The items in a truck’s trailer can fall out if not properly secured and loaded, presenting a danger to all motorists, especially those behind the rig.
- Underride accidents ― When a truck driver slams on their brakes suddenly, vehicles following too closely may strike the vehicle from behind and become lodged under the truck’s trailer.
- Override accidents ― Truck drivers who tailgate or cannot stop in time to avoid a braking vehicle may drive over the car ahead, often with devastating consequences.
Compensation Available for Semi-Truck Accident Victims in Colonia, NJ
After a tractor-trailer accident, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries to cover your:
- Past, current, and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Lost enjoyment of life
- Loss of personal relationships
- Reduced quality of life
- Property damage
Even if you were partly at fault for the truck accident, you could still receive compensation in New Jersey. The state’s personal injury laws allow victims to recover money as long as they are less than 51 percent responsible for the accident. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault.
Hiring an experienced truck accident attorney is crucial in cases of shared fault. You can only recover money as long as your share of the blame is not more than the other driver’s. Trucking companies and insurance companies will exploit this law to minimize or eliminate their financial obligations to you. A proven truck accident lawyer from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. can shield you from unfair claims of fault and present evidence to counter any challenges to your truck accident claim.
If your case goes to court, you may also be awarded punitive damages. You may receive punitive damages if you can prove with clear and convincing evidence that the person who caused the truck accident did so with malice or wanton and willful disregard for your safety.
What to Do After Being Hit by a Semi-Truck
You can take several steps to protect your right to seek semi-truck accident compensation. First and foremost, seek medical attention, even if you don’t feel hurt.
Next, contact a truck accident lawyer. Truck companies are protected by powerful insurers who will act quickly to collect evidence and develop a strategy to minimize their responsibility for the wreck, even before you have a chance to file your claim. While you heal, your Colonia truck accident attorney can get started on your case before the other side gets too far ahead.
You should also:
- Attend all prescribed medical appointments and take any medications as directed.
- Retain all evidence from the truck accident scene, including the police accident report, photos, witness statements, and anything else you think may be relevant.
- Preserve documentation of any financial costs associated with your injuries, including medical bills, receipts, pay stubs, and co-pays.
- Avoid posting about the truck accident on social media.
- Refer any communication attempts and questions from the insurance company to your personal injury attorney.
Talk to Our Skilled Truck Accident Attorneys in Colonia, NJ Today
If you or someone you love has been severely injured in a truck accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact the Colonia truck accident attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. today.
In our 40 years of practice, our law firm has secured nearly half a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for injured people. You can count on our legal team, comprised of 25 accomplished New Jersey personal injury lawyers, to demand maximum compensation for you. We don’t back down from a fight.
Whether you’re located in New Jersey or NYC, whether you are Spanish-speaking, English-speaking, or speak another language, our attorneys have translators standing by so we can listen to your story and get to work right away. We can meet with you virtually, on the phone, or in person.
Let’s get started today. Call or contact us for a free consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer.