Mobile, Alabama Truck Accidents Lawyers

If you or someone you love has endured an accident with a commercial truck, you need resources you can trust to help you overcome the aftermath of a crash – physically, emotionally, and financially. There are thousands of dangerous truck crashes on this country’s roads each year, and Alabama’s are no different.

Heavy 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, and other commercial vehicles have a higher risk of causing fatal crashes simply because these vehicles are much larger and heavier than a passenger car or truck. After an accident of this degree, an experienced truck accident lawyer may be your best opportunity to recover fair compensation.

When you work with a qualified accident attorney, you’ll receive the help you need to deal with the various hardships that you’re currently facing, and it won’t cost you a dime. Not only will you receive a free consultation, but Hawk Legal works on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t charge a fee unless we win your case. Contact our office now to get started.

Commercial Vehicle Types

Commercial vehicles are not just bigger versions of their passenger counterparts. These are complex pieces of machinery that are often constructed from the highest-grade materials, such as steel.

As market needs shift, vehicle designers and manufacturers have created new classes of commercial trucks that are designed to meet these new requirements. While some commercial trucks are outfitted with new equipment, others are outdated and haven’t changed. In fact, the safety systems on many of this nation’s commercial vehicles haven’t been updated for several decades.

Some of the types of commercial vehicles that can cause serious and devastating harm include:

• Tractor trailers (18-wheelers)
• Flatbed trucks
• Harvesters
• Waste collection/disposal vehicles
• Parcel delivery vehicles
• Passenger buses
• Armored currency trucks
• Fire trucks
• Tankers
• Personal effects carriers (e.g., U-hauls)
• Tow trucks
• Wide load trucks

Many of these trucks can be found on Alabama’s roads daily, and some may not be as well-maintained as they should be. The lack of safety equipment and upkeep could result in mechanical failure that causes an accident.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck crashes in Alabama are increasing each year. Over the past decade, the total number of commercial truck-involved accidents has gone up annually, with more than 9,300 accidents and over 2,500 injuries in 2017 alone.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) governs commercial trucks practices and laws in the U.S. The agency’s research has identified several of the primary factors involved in commercial truck accidents:

• Excessive speed
• Existing accidents or traffic congestion
• Driver unfamiliarity
• Problems with the roadway
• Brake issues
• Unexpected and sudden stops
• Illegal drug use
• Truck driver fatigue

When trucks crash, these generally fall into specific categories of accidents, all of which can be catastrophic and deadly.

• Rear-end collisions
• Jackknife accidents
• Underride accidents
• Rollover accidents
• Cargo spill accidents
• Blind spot accidents
• Wide turn accidents
• Runaway truck accidents

Knowing which type of accident led to your injuries could be the first step in determining the cause of the accident and who was responsible for your harm. While the authorities should conduct a thorough post-accident investigation, this is something that your legal team should do as well.

Truck Accident Injuries Can Be Severe

If you’ve been involved in a crash with a commercial truck, it’s likely that your injuries are severe and you could even suffer permanent impairment. Trucks can weigh 20 times or more as much as a passenger vehicle, so this isn’t a fair matchup.

Commercial truck accidents result in a wide variety of injuries. Some examples are spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), crush and amputation injuries, and injuries to internal organs. Not only are these painful, but they also create havoc in other areas of your life, both emotionally and financially.

As an accident victim, you have the right to demand full and fair compensation for your losses. Your damages might include the cost of medical care, lost wages, future earning capacity and lost retirement benefits, pain and suffering, and mental anguish.

Who Is Responsible for Your Truck Accident?

One of the most critical aspects of any truck accident case is determining and then proving liability. Since drivers must follow certain rules set forth by the FMCSA, this is something that should always be investigated, although it can be difficult to prove.

When you work with a seasoned personal injury attorney who understands the ins and outs of trucking accidents, you have a greater chance of obtaining a positive result. Some of the parties that could be responsible for your accident include:

• The truck driver. When the truck driver failed to follow the rules of the road, drove drunk or drugged, drove drowsy or distracted, these are all instances in which they should be held responsible for your damages.
• The trucking company. A trucking company might have failed to properly train its drivers, failed to do a thorough background check, failed to maintain safe vehicles, or even pressured drivers to continue working beyond the federal hours of service requirements.
• A parts designer or manufacturer. Since trucks are complicated pieces of equipment, a defective part could lead to a devastating crash. Examples include faulty brakes and defective tires.
• The shipper or loader of cargo. The company that ships or loads cargo could be held responsible if the cargo is dangerous or loaded in a manner that creates a dangerous situation on the road.

Truck Accident Cases are Unique and Complex

If you or someone you care about has been injured in an Alabama truck accident, this is not something you want to try to handle on your own. There are too many variables at play in truck accident cases, and the parties responsible will be quick to minimize their risk by hiding or destroying evidence, telling falsehoods, or offering you much less than your case is worth for a quick settlement.

The experienced personal injury attorneys who work with Hawk Legal have aggressively pursued these responsible parties on behalf of truck accident victims just like yourself. While these cases are complex, having the right legal advocate in your corner can make all the difference in your outcome.

Contact our office now at (251) 690-7799 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case strategy or message us through our web contact form.