3 major differences between truck accident attorneys and car accident attorneys
Are you or your loved one a victim of a devastating truck accident? If yes, then you or your loved one might have been undergoing a lot of pain as well as a serious financial crisis. By now you might have already started searching for the best personal injury lawyer in New York to learn about your legal options to get fair compensation for all the losses.
Of course, some of the lawyers that you’ve visited assured you that they can handle your case successfully, as they have recently succeeded in a lot of car accidents. On average, people might agree to give their truck accident cases to car accident attorneys. After all, a truck is the bigger version of a car. This is where most of us fail.
When it comes to truck accidents, they are different from typical car accidents in various ways. No doubt a car accident lawyer in Manhattan can handle truck accident cases, but she/he won’t be familiar with the complexities involved in making a winning strategy. As a result, they might miss out on some important points in your case, which eventually affect your legal case. Therefore, you should always choose a truck accident lawyer if you are involved in a truck accident case.
Let’s first understand the major differences between truck accident lawyers and car accident lawyers.
Car accident cases are different from truck accident cases in a variety of ways, such as:
The causes of accidents – As per the recent study, from the failure of truck lighting, tires and brakes to distracted drivers, these are some of the major reasons for truck accidents. On the other hand, car accidents mostly occur due to over speeding, drink and drive, lack of safety, and jumping red lights.
The complexity of the accident – Typically, a commercial truck weighs around 80,000 pounds, which can create incredible force during a collision. Also, truck accidents usually involve multiple vehicles and result in extremely serious injuries and even death. Hence, the damages in truck accidents are much higher as compared to car accidents. Here are some of the ways why crashes by large trucks are more complicated:
- More evidence
- More potential factors that caused crashes
- More medical records proof and doctors and heavy medical bills
Considering the complexity of truck accidents, it is recommended to hire an experienced truck accident attorney to handle your traumatic truck accident case.
By now, you must be familiar how truck accidents differ from typical car collisions. It’s time to understand further the differences between truck accident lawyers and car accident lawyers.
Truck accident attorney Vs car accident attorney
Federal law & commercial regulations govern truck drivers and trucking companies – Truck drivers & trucking companies have to comply with state traffic laws as well as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations – FMCSRs. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations are not only complex but also numerous and confusing, and only an experienced trucking attorney is familiar with these regulations. Apart from this, a truck accident lawyer can properly interpret these regulations to the courts, which is crucial in evaluating any truck accident cases.
Truck crashes usually result in more serious injuries – Typically, truck accidents cause more serious injuries as compared to car crashes. This is because a truck is a combination of tractor and trailer. A normal car weighs under 5,000 pounds. On the other hand, the weight of a truck is 80,000 pounds when loaded. By considering the physics equation:
Force = Mass times acceleration
This simply means that the forces involved when a truck collides with a car are incredibly greater. As a result, these forces cause greater injuries, which means more medical bills, more time away from the work and more emotional stress for the victim as well as his family. Since the damages are more, more coverage is required. An experienced truck knows the drill on how to obtain the required coverage.
Fighting a case against big insurance companies is not easy – Most commercial truck drivers have insurance policies that are worth millions of dollars. These amounts are immensely greater than those provided to passenger vehicles. This means the insurance claims are supervised by experienced adjusters who know how to navigate their way to blame the entire accident on the injured person. In such cases, claim denials, underpaid claims or low settlement are more common. Well, you don’t have to settle for anything less than what you deserve. By working with an experienced truck attorney, you can prove that apart from the driver’s negligence, the truck manufacturer, truck maintenance and lack of driver training are responsible for a devastating truck accident.
The bottom line
If you or your loved one have been a victim of a truck accident and want to claim for the required coverage, then it is crucial to work with an experienced truck accident lawyer. This is because a truck accident lawyer who has handled a number of cases knows all the tactics of big insurance companies and can successfully represent it to the court.