According to the latest government data, truck accident injuries and fatalities are on the rise.
Unlike typical car crashes, pursuing a truck accident lawsuit often requires particular knowledge and experience in areas such as vehicle codes, individual and employer liability issues, and how to deal with the trucking company’s lawyers and insurance agents.
Be sure to ask these questions when considering hiring a prospective lawyer:
1) Where are you licensed to practice law? In order to legally practice law in the state where your truck accident occurred, attorneys must be licensed by that state’s bar association.
2) What are your legal fees? Depending on the complexity of your case, you will either be charged a contingency fee, a flat fee, or an hourly rate. Contingency fees are based on a percentage of the amount of the award in the case, so if you don’t ‘win, the lawyer does not collect a fee, but you will still have to pay some expenses. Flat fees are usually offered in simpler cases. Hourly fees accrue as the case continues.
3) Have you handled truck accident cases before? Finding a lawyer who’s experienced in dealing with truck accident claims is essential because those claims often involve multiple parties including the truck driver and the trucking company. Truck accident cases can also require technical evidence, such as proof of truck maintenance records, training records, and employment handbooks.
4) Is your truck accident lawsuit worth pursuing? One important question to ask a truck accident attorney is whether or not your case is worth pursuing. For example, some states have pure contributory negligence laws where the injured parties may not be able to collect any damages, even if they are found to be one percent at fault. So, if you reside in one of those states and may have contributed to the accident (such as following the truck too closely), it may not be an easy case to win. Your attorney will help you analyze your case from both a legal and practical standpoint. Regardless if you ask your attorney whether your lawsuit is worth pursuing or not, he should still tell you this information voluntarily, but asking the question ensures you are in the right hands.
5) What documents should you bring to your first consultation? Bring all documents relevant to your accident to your initial meeting. This can include medical records, any pictures of the damage, as well as any information or details you may have collected from other drivers/witnesses at the scene. This will help the attorney decide how strong your case is, and can help answer the previous question to the best of his ability if he gets a full picture of your situation, as every accident is different.
If you or a loved one were involved in a truck related accident, contact one of our Gacovino Lake attorneys at 1-800-246-HURT (4878) for more information.
