If you sustained severe injuries in a semi-truck accident, you might struggle to pay your bills or obtain medical treatment – especially if you cannot return to work.
A truck accident lawyer in Oakdale, Long Island can help you obtain the fair financial compensation you need, so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Call Gacovino, Lake & Associates, P.C. today at 631-600-0000.
What Caused Your Oakdale Truck Accident?
If the negligence of a truck driver or commercial trucking company caused your injury accident, you might have a valid legal claim for compensation.
Commercial drivers and semi-truck owners and operators owe a duty of care to the public. If they violate that duty and an accident results, the law supports the victim’s right to pursue legal action.
Truck drivers must comply with a variety of laws and restrictions, including limiting the number of hours they can drive each day. If a trucker takes to the roadway when tired or impaired, or fails to heed the laws and rules of the road, the driver may have liability.
Trucking companies must maintain their vehicles properly, submit to all required inspections, and load trailers in a safe manner. Any failure to uphold their safety obligations can constitute negligence and make them liable for any subsequent injuries and damages.
How Much Is Your Truck Accident Claim Worth?
The value of your claim will depend on the nature and severity of your injuries and how they will affect your future.
Your truck accident lawyer will assemble the necessary information and documentation to determine the legal value of your injuries. Some of the information your lawyer will consider includes:
- Medical and care costs to date
- Lost wages to date
- Estimated future medical and care costs
- Estimated future lost income
- Loss of earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Value of permanent injuries or disability
In addition to your medical bills and wage statements, your lawyer will use statements and testimony from medical experts and other resources to establish the type of care you will need in the future.
For permanent or long-term injuries, your truck accident lawyer will use case law and industry standards to determine the value of your physical damages.
How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer in Oakdale Help You?
If you suffered injuries in a semi-truck accident in Oakdale or anywhere on Long Island, you would need an advocate to help you through this challenging time.
A truck accident lawyer will protect your legal rights and help you make sense of the confusing process of filing a claim for compensation. Your lawyer can do all the research and legwork to assemble your claim and submit it to the insurance company.
Meanwhile, your attorney can get you the care you need so you can focus on recovery, rather than worrying how you will get the bills paid.
In a truck accident claim, more than one party may have liability. A truck accident lawyer can sort out the complexities of the situation and negotiate with the insurance companies to arrive at a fair settlement.
To establish negligence and liability for your damages, your lawyer may obtain specific types of evidence unique to truck accidents, which may include:
- Driver logs– drivers must log their time behind the wheel, to ensure they follow legal requirements. If driver fatigue contributed to the accident, these logs might help your attorney prove it.
- Maintenance and inspection records– if the trucking company failed to inspect and maintain the vehicle correctly, these records may reflect their negligence.
- Trucking company safety records– if the company has a history of safety violations, this can help your lawyer demonstrate a pattern of negligence.
- Witness statements– talking to witnesses as soon as possible after the accident will ensure the most accurate and reliable statements. Witnesses may also have photos or videos of the accident or accident scene.
- Accident scene photos– photos can provide critical information about the accident scene, other involved vehicles, obstructions, weather, etc.
- “Black box’ data– commercial trucks have an onboard data recording device that can provide information about the truck’s speed at the time of the accident and other critical insights.
If the insurance company (or companies) try to challenge your claim, or if they refuse to offer a reasonable settlement, your truck accident lawyer can file a lawsuit and make your case in court.
Schedule a No-Cost Consultation with a Truck Accident Lawyer in Oakdale, Long Island Today
Truck accidents – specifically semi-trucks – caused more than 1,200 accidents in Suffolk County alone in 2016, resulting in 390 injuries and fatalities, based on data provided by the New York State Traffic Safety Statistical Repository (TSSR).
Across the state of New York, there were 11,573 truck accidents, nearly 4,000 of which caused injury or death in the same year.
Although any vehicle crash can cause severe injuries, 74 percent of commercial truck accident fatalities in 2015 were occupants of other vehicles involved a truck accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
After a truck accident, time is of the essence for assembling critical evidence necessary to prove negligence. Consequently, you should contact a truck accident lawyer in Oakdale, Long Island as soon as possible.
The attorneys at Gacovino, Lake & Associates, P.C. will review the facts of your case and explain your options. They can answer your questions and help you determine whether you should pursue a legal claim for your injuries.
To talk to a truck accident lawyer in Oakdale, call us now at 631-600-0000.
