Truck accidents can result in life-altering injuries; navigating these cases requires legal knowledge and experience. Having an experienced truck crash attorney by your side could be essential to ensuring that you receive fair compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
With their unique knowledge of trucking regulations, accident investigation, and the headaches of negotiating with trucking companies, a seasoned legal professional can make a big difference in your case. Contact Bordas & Bordas today to discover how our Pittsburgh truck accident lawyer can help you.
Tractor-trailer collisions involve many complexities that differ from typical car accidents. One of the most crucial reasons to hire a well-practiced attorney immediately is the need to preserve evidence that can be crucial to your case. Trucking companies have a legal obligation to maintain certain records, such as driver logs and electronic control module (ECM) data, that monitor critical information like vehicle speed. Without prompt action, this data is gone in a few weeks—typically six months.
An experienced legal professional will know how to request these records and have them preserved. In addition, they will conduct immediate post-crash examination and start direct communication with the trucking company in order to obtain all available evidence, which may eventually be used to determine liability.
18-wheeler accidents in Pittsburgh tend to lead to severe injuries, so a lawyer can also assist you in getting appropriate medical care while navigating interactions with both the trucking company’s insurance and your health insurance company.
When searching for a truck accident lawyer in Pittsburgh, you should find one who is well-versed in the trucking industry. A seasoned attorney will be well aware of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidelines that govern the trucking industry. Knowledge of these regulations is crucial when deciding on potential violations that can strengthen your case. A semi-truck crash attorney will know what trucking companies need to do prior to and after an accident, and will be able to help hold them accountable if they fail to do so.
Additionally, a lawyer should be familiar with the mechanical aspects of trucks and the operations of the driver. Whether it is as a result of noncompliance with safety protocols or a failure in the driver’s credentials, an experienced attorney is aware of these weaknesses and will use them to further your case.
In the case of a truck accident, it is crucial to determine the right defendant. Typically, it would be the truck driver, who is named in the police report, and the trucking firm, whose location can be identified by the company placard and USDOT number on the truck. The information will be used by your attorney to identify the company owning or operating the truck that caused the accident.
Whether or not the driver is a contractor or an employee, the trucking company will likely be held vicariously responsible for the actions of the driver while driving the truck. This is important because trucking companies have high insurance coverage that can be utilized to obtain compensation for your injuries.
Victims of truck accidents normally incur tremendous medical expenses. Medical and surgical expenses can be recovered by pursuing damages with the help of a Pittsburgh big rig accident lawyer. All the medical expenses will be well-documented, and you will request all the documents and bills pertaining to your medical care. In Pennsylvania, medical payments made by your insurance company to you will be a key consideration in determining how much you will receive from the party that was negligent.
Your attorney will ensure that you receive the full settlement you are entitled to, dealing with insurance companies to pay for medical bills and protect your interests. Take note that Bordas & Bordas handles all cases on a contingency fee basis, so you will not pay anything unless you receive a recovery. This eliminates financial stress and ensures that you are able to obtain quality legal representation when you need it most.
In difficult truck crash cases, expert witnesses can be directly instrumental in making your case better. Experts provide data that even the average person cannot comprehend. Accident reconstructionists, for example, can reconstruct the series of events leading up to a collision, including vehicle speeds and crash force. Other experts will focus on federal trucking regulations violations like driver qualification or hours of service driving.
Your Pittsburgh 18-wheeler crash attorney will also have access to a team of qualified expert witnesses, and your case will be supported by the strongest available evidence. Expert opinion could be what it takes to inform a jury of the technology involved in the accident and the ways in which the driver or trucking business failed to comply with the law.
The timeline on a truck accident case will vary, but a typical case in Pennsylvania might take about a year to go to trial. There are numerous variables that might slow this process, like:
A committed lawyer will work day and night to get all the evidence, interview the experts, and file your case within the deadline if settlement negotiations do not result in a favorable outcome.
By keeping you in the loop at every stage and managing your case in a timely and effective manner, a Pittsburgh tractor-trailer collision lawyer can help you navigate the entire legal process smoothly.
Truck accident cases are complicated and involve many moving parts, and having an experienced attorney in your corner can be invaluable.
From protecting critical evidence to managing medical bills and working with expert witnesses, a Pittsburgh truck accident lawyer can help you every step of the way. If you or a loved one have been injured in a crash with a heavy commercial vehicle, don’t wait—contact Bordas & Bordas to ensure your case is treated with the care and individual attention it deserves.
