Things to Consider When Hiring Your Truck Accident Lawyer

Although all automobile accidents can be devastating, truck accidents often cause far more significant damage and lasting physical harm. Many people who survive these events sustain debilitating and disfiguring injuries. Many live the remainder of their years contending with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

More often than not, rather than receiving a simple, straightforward settlement that includes the cumulative costs of the medical treatment, they’ve already sustained, truck accident victims must account for their ongoing spending on continued treatment and care.

With this in mind, the following are several important things to consider when hiring your truck accident lawyer.

1. Familiarity With Truck Accident Cases

Commercial truck accidents can be far more complicated than the average car accident. Given these vehicles’ larger sizes and weights and their significantly longer stopping distances, they often involve more than two vehicles.

Blame can be assigned in full or in part to the individual driving the vehicle, any other motorists involved, the company that owns the truck, or even the company that has manufactured the truck or its components. Among some of the more common causes of commercial truck accidents are:

• Driver fatigue
• Driving aggressively
• Driving while intoxicated
• Insufficient truck maintenance
• Mechanical malfunctions
• Distracted driving
• Poorly loaded cargo or imbalanced cargo
• Severe weather

More often than not, the assignment of fault isn’t cut and dry. Your attorney may need to call in expert witnesses, order a forensic investigation of the truck, and pursue other avenues of evidence collection. Working with a lawyer familiar with the nature and nuances of these accidents can be key for correctly assigning fault and getting a fair settlement.

2. Willingness and History of Going to Trial

While many car accidents result in pay-outs of thousands of dollars, the settlements for truck accidents can reach into the millions. This is often the case when victims die during these events, sustain debilitating or disfiguring injuries and other life-altering damages. The responsible parties may be required to pay for the lifelong care of claimants by covering the costs of ongoing physical therapy, medical supplies, assistive devices, nursing support, home modifications for accommodating changes in mobility, and more.

Given the high dollar amounts of these cases, they aren’t always settled outside of court. You’ll want a seasoned attorney on your team who’s not only willing to go to trial for your claim but additionally has extensive experience in doing so.

3. The Size of the Firm

Hiring a large and well-known truck accident firm will definitely send a message to the opposing party. Reputable law firms are known for spending the time and money necessary to ensure that the best possible outcomes are obtained.

However, there are both benefits and drawbacks to working with larger firms. Their fees may be higher, and they may have a far more significant number of clients to service. This can impact the amount of dedicated attention your claim receives.

It can also mean having multiple points of contact, rather than one individual who you can connect with when needing answers, wanting to share information, or requesting case updates.

Keep in mind that working with smaller firms has both benefits and drawbacks as well. Although a small-sized firm with fewer clients may have lower fees and a better opportunity to give your case ample amounts of time and attention, smaller firms are often less experienced in taking cases to trial. Many smaller firms are known for handling relatively modest claims and for settling outside of court.

4. Your Ability to Communicate With Your Attorney

Accessibility and good communication are critical parts of a solid attorney-client relationship. Having a single point of contact means that you won’t have to introduce yourself or explain the details of your case every time you call in. However, whether you have one or multiple in-office contacts, you should always feel as though you’re being heard. The best attorneys are attentive, quick to return calls, and always willing to answer questions.

If you are in the US, before scheduling your initial consultation appointment with a Buffalo truck accident lawyer or any state lawyer in the country, pay attention to the ease of communication with staff members. Ask about the different ways you can submit inquiries, and find out what the average response time is. These are also details that you should pay attention to when reading reviews of personal injury law firms.

5. Familiarity With Your Injury and Loss Type

One of the important jobs of an attorney is to identify areas of loss that claimants themselves might overlook or fail to properly evaluate. Everything that your truck accident has taken away from you is something that you deserve to be compensated for. Although physical injuries are often easy to define, knowledgeable, experienced injury attorneys can best identify and valuate certain damages.

For instance, your accident may have resulted in the loss of professional opportunities, or it may have left you with lasting psychological trauma. TBI doesn’t just impact the functioning of the brain. It can also leave accident victims more likely to undergo divorce and deal with ongoing depression and anxiety.

Working with an attorney who’s had experience in negotiating settlements for your specific type of injuries and losses will increase your odds of getting the level of compensation you deserve.

Hiring a reputable truck accident attorney is the absolute best thing that you can do to get your life on track after a devastating injury event. This professional can offer knowledgeable guidance throughout all phases of the recovery process and can handle all communication with insurance adjusters and the other party’s legal team.

With the considerations above, you can find legal representation that understands your case, your losses, and your suffering and are capable of ensuring the best possible outcome.