According to U.S. National Weather Service research, snow may cause trucking accidents by changing road surfaces, obscuring visibility, and causing decreased temperatures that might create ice and black ice. Slick and slippery road surfaces due to snow in combination with truck size and weight might lead to dangerous trucking accidents.
Additional reasons snow might lead to trucking accidents include the stopping distance and time required by large trucks. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) statistics estimate the weight of large trucks at up to 30 times that of a passenger car. Snow also poses a hazard because of the height of a truck versus a passenger car. On snowy, slippery roads, a passenger car might become trapped in the undercarriage of a larger truck during a collision.
A personal injury lawyer in your area may be able to help you learn more about how snow may cause trucking accidents and the role it played in your accident. There may be additional benefits to hiring a personal injury lawyer to help you pursue the financial compensation you are entitled to due to negligence.
Compile Evidence and Documents to Build Your Case File
After a trucking accident, you might face an increasing amount of paperwork and a growing collection of accident-related documents. Your legal team may use this evidence to prove the cause of the accident and the cost of your injuries. To ensure you are able to accurately assign liability and collect the compensation you are entitled to, your lawyer may build an effective evidence file.
Your evidence file may include mechanic bills, vehicle value estimates, injury photos, accident scene photos, and other relevant information. Your evidence file may also contain your crash report, medical records, and financial data.
Crash Report
As soon as it is filed and available for pickup, obtain a copy of your crash report for your lawyer and one for your personal records. Your crash report will dictate the following information about the accident:
- Road and weather conditions
- Important contact information
- Witness contact information
- Estimated vehicle speed
Your lawyer might also glean accident causes and contributing factors from your crash report. In addition, it may help establish the date that determines the statute of limitations.
Medical Records
The at-fault party might require proof of your injuries, the care they require, and the cost of that care. To provide this proof, your lawyer may request your medical records and bills that follow a trucking accident, including:
- Emergency room care
- Hospital admissions
- Rehabilitation facilities
- Required therapies
- Surgical procedures
- Assistive medical devices
- Prescription medications
- In-home medical care
Request these documents from each of the facilities and health care providers. Share them with your lawyer immediately to help prove the cost of your medical care.
Financial Records
When you request compensation for your current and future income loss, you may need to prove the type and amount of income the accident cost you. The financial records your lawyer might require that substantiate your accident and injury-related income loss might include:
- Business documentation
- Tax records
- Check stubs
- Direct deposit receipts
Provide your legal team with this financial data right away. In addition to helping the legal team prove your income loss to date, it may help them calculate the income you are projected to lose in the future due to your injuries and their treatments.
Start Compiling Your Evidence Immediately
Start sharing accident information with your law firm immediately. The more notice they have of your intent to seek financial recovery, the more time they have to meet the statute of limitations.
Failing to comply with your state’s statute could mean you inadvertently relinquish the ability to file a lawsuit and compel compensation from the at-fault party. The sooner you contact a local personal injury team, the better because non-compliance with the filing deadline could mean you are forced to carry the financial burden for the negligent truck driver’s actions.
Get Financial Recovery After a Trucking Accident Caused by Snow
Snow may cause trucking accidents when it affects a truck driver’s visibility and road conditions. It might also lead to accidents if a truck has faulty tires or brakes. If you or someone you love was injured in a trucking accident caused by a diminished field of vision or other snow-related factors, a lawyer on our team might be able to help you seek financial compensation from the at-fault truck driver, his employer, or his truck’s manufacturer. Contact Morelli Law Firm by calling (212) 751-9800 today.