A fully loaded tractor trailer truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds while a passenger vehicle frequently weighs 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. Needless to say, altercations on the road between the two can be quite one-sided, with passenger vehicles receiving massive damage and tractor trailers, as often as not, coming out relatively unscathed. It’s a sad fact that while tractor trailers only make up 3% of all vehicles on the road, they are involved in 21% of all fatal wrecks.
So you’ve been in an accident with a tractor trailer truck. You’ve made it through to the other side of the experience, though you could be facing extensive injury, damage to your vehicle, or both. What next?
Your most important step after going through the trauma of a tractor trailer wreck is to hire an experienced truck accident lawyer. Because tractor trailer trucks are commercial vehicles, they are – by law – regulated much more closely than passenger vehicles. In a fender bender with another passenger vehicle driver, you might get away with exchanging insurance information then trusting the insurance company to cover the damages. But a wreck with injuries and damages involving a tractor trailer comes laden with many factors unknown to the everyday driver. That’s where your experienced truck wreck lawyer comes in.
Your truck accident lawyer will be familiar with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations. Why is this important?
Familiarity with FMCSA is vital because, by law, tractor trailer drivers are required to comply with certain rules. FMCSA regulations prevent them from driving too many hours in a row, for example, or driving over a certain amount of time in a day. On the other hand, truck drivers are paid by the mile, so it is in their best interest to drive as long and far as possible in a short period of time. Sixty four percent of truck drivers participating in a recent survey were willing to anonymously admit they falsified their hours of service logs. Combine that with the fact that driver fatigue is a factor in 30% to 40% of truck wrecks and you find a too often fatal flaw in the trucking system. Your truck wreck lawyer will be prepared to get to the bottom of the real story behind your truck wreck.
Finally, your truck accident lawyer will also have the time, interest, and resources to handle a truck case. Truck wreck litigation can take several years and expenses can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Consistent with the Bar Rules, attorneys should advance all litigation costs on behalf of the client and then deduct them from the verdict or settlement after the fee has been determined. Not all attorneys are willing to take these steps. Truck wreck attorneys are experienced, confident and will stick by you through the entirety of the case.
A wreck with a tractor trailer truck is entirely different than a wreck with a passenger vehicle, and it’s vital to allow an expert to counsel you through the aftermath of the experience. If you’ve been in a truck wreck, do not delay in contacting an experienced truck wreck lawyer.
