After you are injured in a trucking accident, there are many ways a trucking accident lawyer can help you seek financial compensation for your injuries and their related expenses. A trucking accident or personal injury lawyer may:
- Prove the at-fault party’s negligence by proving your state’s required legal elements
- Build a solid case file of supporting documents, evidence, photos, and video footage
- Conduct information and fact-gathering sessions with you, the at-fault party, and accident witnesses
- Identify the responsible party, which may include the driver, their employer, or the truck’s manufacturer
- Assign an accurate monetary value to your potential compensation package
- Define and comply with the applicable statute of limitations in your state
- Regularly update you on the progress of your personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit
According to the American Bar Association (ABA), a lawyer may also conduct depositions that allow them to question the at-fault party under oath. A lawyer might also obtain, complete, and file insurance forms in addition to helping you assess and calculate your recoverable financial damages.
Your Lawyer Can Assign a Value to Your Injuries
Calculating the financial expenses and losses that stem from a trucking accident can involve a myriad of records, reports, documents, and receipts. On your own, compiling and calculating these costs can be daunting because your recoverable damages may include:
- Medical and rehabilitative care until your recovery is complete
- Loss of income resulting from your injuries and their treatments
- Property damage or property loss
- Mental, emotional, and physical pain and suffering and inconvenience
- Any long-term or permanent physical disfigurement
You do not have to pursue financial compensation from the at-fault party without assistance. A personal injury lawyer might be able to help prove the cause, cost, and financial impact of the accident and establish your potential right to monetary recovery due to negligence.
Your Lawyer May Help You Identify the At-Fault Party
In a collision with a passenger car, you typically know to pursue the car’s driver or owner for financial recovery. In a trucking accident, knowing who to pursue for financial recovery can be much more complex. A lawyer might be able to determine who bears liability for your injuries. To define the liable party, your lawyer may use:
- The official crash report of the accident
- The truck’s maintenance records
- The truck’s inspection records
- The driver’s logbook
- Photos of the accident scene
- Photos of the loaded cargo
The potentially liable parties might include the truck driver if their negligence led to the collision. It might also include their employer if undue pressure or improperly loaded cargo led to the collision. If the truck malfunctioned or one of its components failed to function as expected, the truck’s manufacturer might be responsible for compensating you.
Your Lawyer May Request Your Crash Report
An important use of your crash report is its ability to establish the date that ensures compliance with the statute of limitations. Your crash report may also provide your lawyer with a wealth of information, including contact details for the at-fault trucker and their employer.
Your crash report may also contain accident witness contact information and their statements. It may also list where each vehicle was impacted, where each injured party was seated, and the severity of damage to each vehicle. Obtain a copy of your crash report immediately. If your injuries prevent you from participating in building your case, your legal team might be able to request your crash report on your behalf.
Your Lawyer May Request Your Medical Records
Along with your crash report, your lawyer may request copies of your medical records. They will contain details about your current and future medical care, which can help your lawyer assign a value to the medical portion of your injury lawsuit.
Each location where you were treated, referred for treatment, or sought follow-up care might have separate record-keeping and billing departments. The assistance of a trucking accident lawyer might be helpful when gathering medical records and bills from a variety of health care facilities and medical care providers. A lawyer may help ensure all records are received before assigning a value to your compensation package.
Get Help Fighting for Financial Compensation
A trucking accident might leave you with physical injuries that lead to serious financial consequences. The financial consequences of an accident caused by someone else should not create a financial hardship for you or your family. Instead, you might be able to assign that responsibility to the appropriate at-fault party.
Find out how a trucking accident lawyer can help when you are ready to seek compensation for the financial expenses and losses of the accident. Contact the trucking accident team at Morelli Law Firm by calling (212) 751-9800 today.