Lincoln Truck Accident Lawyer

The Importance of Hiring a Truck Accident Attorney

Because commercial trucks are often larger than a common automobile, truck accidents are often more severe and damaging, and so are the injuries that result from them. Truck accident victims often face significant challenges in seeking compensation for their injuries and losses. 

Catastrophic injuries such as spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries are not uncommon and can present a lifelong challenge. If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury in a truck accident in Lincoln, you need the right attorney to represent you for the best possible financial outcome. A professional truck accident lawyer can negotiate with a trucking company’s insurance carrier on your behalf to ensure an adequate amount is offered for your injuries and losses – including coverage for your future medical needs.

If you have experienced a death related to a truck accident, please reach out to our Lincoln wrongful death attorneys today.

What Compensation Can You Win From a Truck Accident Claim?

If you have been in a truck accident and gotten hurt due to another person’s irresponsible actions, you are likely eligible to receive compensation. Truck accidents can result in serious losses, so you may be able to obtain complete financial recovery for the following:

• Medical expenses

• Property damage and repair costs

• Court and attorney fees

• Lost wages

• Lost wage-earning capacity

• Wrongful death

• Loss of consortium or companionship

• Pain and suffering

• Emotional distress

• Loss of enjoyment of life

Many additional losses may qualify for compensation, so we encourage you to work with an attorney during your claim. We can help you identify other qualifying damages, estimate the value of your claim, and maximize the compensation you can obtain through your case.

What Causes Most Truck Accidents in Lincoln, NE?

An attorneys first job when investigating a trucking accident is to determine the cause of the accident. Your attorney can hire experts, review evidence, and revisit the scene of your crash to determine the cause of the truck accident. After your attorney has determined who may be at fault, they will begin the process of identifying the potentially responsible parties. Your Lincoln truck accident lawyer can contact the insurance company and make a claim against the at-fault party while you focus on healing.

Common causes of truck accidents in Lincoln, Nebraska include:

• Broken hours-of-service regulations

• Driver fatigue

• Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol

• Driving while distracted 

• Texting and driving 

• Speeding and unsafe passing

• Poor truck driver training/negligence

• Lack of truck maintenance

• Part breakdowns

• Improper cargo loading

• Driver error

In Nebraska, the person or party responsible for causing a truck accident will be financially responsible for victims’ losses through his or her auto insurance policy.

How Do You Prove Liability in a Truck Accident Claim?

To receive compensation for your truck accident-related losses, you must demonstrate that a few essential factors are true. In personal injury claims, including those involving commercial vehicles, you should focus on proving the following four elements:

• You Were Owed a Duty of Care: Duty of care is the responsibility of well-being and safety someone owes to others. Truck companies, for example, have the duty to hire and train qualified drivers, pack products safely, encourage the health and safety of employees, and perform maintenance on company vehicles.

• Someone Breached Their Duty of Care: If someone fails to follow their duty of care, they have been negligent and increased safety risks. For instance, a trucking company might be negligent by forcing drivers to continue working through breaks.

• Negligence Caused Your Injuries: You must connect someone’s negligent behaviors to your injuries. Generally, you can prove causation by providing time-stamped medical documentation.

• You Face Losses Due to the Incident: If you face monetary damages due to your accident, you should include this information. The losses you suffer will set the basis for your case’s value.

If you need assistance proving someone’s liability during your claim, contact our experienced truck accident lawyers. They can explain the relevant laws and provide advice to give you the best chance of obtaining compensation from the responsible party.

What Makes Truck Accident Cases Unique?

Truck accident claims are unique compared to ordinary car accident cases in a few different ways.

More Severe Injuries

First, the injuries suffered in truck accidents are often more severe than those in standard car accidents in Lincoln. This is because commercial trucks are so much larger and have more force than regular cars. This means when there’s a collision, vehicles can be obliterated, resulting in far more serious injuries.

According to the IIHS, most deaths in truck accidents are the occupants in passenger vehicles since “trucks often weigh 20-30 times as much as passenger cars and are taller with greater ground clearance, which can result in smaller vehicles underriding trucks in crashes.”

Common truck accident injuries include:

• Amputations

• Burns

• Disfigurement

• Broken bones

• Traumatic brain injuries

• Spinal cord injuries

• Emotional injuries

• Wrongful death

Legal Defense

The second difference is the legal size of the adversary. Most trucking accidents are the responsibility of the trucking companies. Under the vicarious liability law, a truck company is responsible for accidents caused by its employees, including drivers. Therefore, it can be difficult to go up against a truck company alone as an injured plaintiff.

Type of Evidence

The third difference is the type of evidence available. A commercial truck accident claim could involve evidence such as the truck’s black box, electronic data recorders, truck driver logs, police reports, medical records, fleet maintenance and inspection reports, truck company compliance history, and more. 

Gathering evidence at the accident scene, such as a police report, photographs, and witness information, is crucial for building a strong case. A personal injury attorney can help you navigate all of the unique aspects of a truck accident case.

Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer in Lincoln, NE, Today

If you or someone you love was recently injured in a truck accident, the Lincoln truck accident lawyers at Knowles Law Firm can help you pursue a fair and complete physical and financial recovery. We will negotiate with an insurance carrier or represent you at trial for maximum financial compensation for your pain and suffering. Our attorneys will go above and beyond to make sure you and your family have everything you need during this difficult time.

Start your truck accident case with a free consultation in Lincoln, Nebraska. Contact us online or call (402) 431-9000 24/7 to request yours. We return client calls promptly. We work diligently to move cases forward so the best result can be achieved as quickly as possible. If the insurance company is not willing to settle your claim fairly, we are fully prepared to take your case to trial.