Visalia Truck Accident Lawyer

When you get into a truck accident, you may suffer horrific injuries that can set you back financially. Truck accidents are known to cause massive amounts of damage compared to your typical car accident, leaving devastating injuries. If the truck driver is at fault for your injuries, you can seek legal advice from truck accident lawyers in Visalia, CA. They can help you obtain fair compensation by fighting for your right to receive a settlement. Contact Grossman Law Offices today for a free consultation. 

What Types of Compensation Can I Receive For A Truck Accident?

Trucking accidents can result in expensive damages, and injured victims are left with an expensive financial deficit. A truck accident attorney can help you identify what you can include in your settlement by helping you review the following damages: 

Economic Damages

These are damages that can be calculated based on your receipts and other financial records. 

Lost Income

While you are recovering from your personal injury, you may have a temporary disability preventing you from performing your job. When you have to take time off from work, you may be unable to recover that income if your job doesn’t cover paid time off. Any lost wages can be included in your damages as well as future lost income. 

Property Damage 

Insurance companies typically cover a certain amount of damages to your car based upon what your policy allows. If the property damage goes beyond your policy limits, then you can also request that your truck accident attorney include this amount in your settlement. 

Damages Unique to Wrongful Death 

In truck accidents, the occupants of passenger cars can receive fatal wounds. If you are the survivor of a trucking accident victim, you can receive additional damages that cover funeral and burial fees, medical bills up until the death of the victim, and lost earning capacity. Other damages, such as loss of consortium, can also be included in your settlement claim. You can speak with your truck accident attorney to learn what other wrongful death damages you can include. 

Non-economic Damages

In addition to economic damages, you can also include non-economic damages that require a professional to calculate. 

Pain and Suffering

If you are experiencing emotional and physical suffering, your trucking accident attorney can guide you on what you may be owed. The insurance adjuster or jury will use a multiplier based upon the severity of your accident to calculate what you are owed. Your attorney will add it to the total amount of your damages. 

Who Pays For My Settlement After a Truck Accident?

The trucker may have been the cause of your accident, but that doesn’t mean that they have to pay for your injuries. The trucking company will take over in that regard and will communicate with their insurance company on how to handle your settlement claim. Your attorney will reach out to all parties and work with the trucking company to negotiate fair compensation to cover your personal injury. 

Are Truck Drivers Supposed to Follow Specific Rules?

Truck drivers are required to follow not only their company policy but also the FMCSA’s regulations. In addition to this, they will be required to follow traffic laws specific to your state. 

Required Breaks 

Truckers may not work for longer than 14 consecutive hours unless they’ve been off-duty for a minimum of 10 consecutive hours. While working during the 14-hour time span, they can only be driving for a maximum of 11 hours. Truckers have to take a break of a minimum of 30 minutes if they have been working for 8 hours or more. Additionally, truck drivers can only work for 60 to 70 hours during a seven or eight-day work week. All of this is tracked in their driver logs and can be used as evidence to show that the truck driver may have been drowsy or fatigued during the truck accident. 

Inspection Requirements

Large commercial vehicles have to be regularly inspected to operate safely on the road. If mechanical issues go undiscovered, this can result in tire blowouts, faulty brakes, and misaligned steering, among other dangerous malfunctions.

Drug Tests

Truck drivers must undergo regular drug tests to make sure that they aren’t under the influence. While a police officer might not test the truck driver at the accident scene, if they notice unusual behavior they might request that the driver take a test. 

Hazardous Material Regulations 

For any hazardous materials to be transported, the commercial driver must have a special endorsement on their CDL. Truckers have to undergo testing, pass a background check, and also provide fingerprint registration. If you were exposed to hazardous materials that put you at risk, this can impact your settlement. 

Learn How Accident Lawyers Can Help You

Your truck accident lawyer is on your side and can vastly improve your chances of receiving fair compensation for your damages. Call Grossman Law Offices now for a free consultation.