A collision with a large truck or other commercial vehicle rarely ends well for occupants of smaller cars. Even minor impacts can push another vehicle off the road, crush a car’s steel cage, or trap the vehicle under the truck.
A Springfield truck accident lawyer could help you if you have sustained injuries in a collision. Steven L. Schepps is a dedicated personal injury attorney who could help to pursue a claim for damages that may include medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering from physical injuries, and mental anguish. He could work to gather all relevant evidence and pursue the compensation that you need and deserve.
Common Causes of Tractor-Trailer Crashes
Trucks and other commercial vehicles form an essential part of Springfield’s economy. This means that it is nearly impossible to travel on either local roads or interstate highways without seeing them. This also means that collisions between trucks and other vehicles are unfortunately common.
Furthermore, the sheer size of these trucks makes them slow to react to an emergency, even if the operator is properly alert at the time of the incident. It also gives them numerous blind spots that limit a driver’s ability to see other vehicles around them.
Many accidents are the result of operator error. With many truckers operating on strict deadlines or under pressure to deliver on time, they tend to take shortcuts to increase profitability. This can tempt many drivers to drive for longer periods than is legal, drive while fatigued, to take roads not approved for large trucks, or to talk or text while driving to save time once they reach their destination. Any of these examples may be evidence of truck driver negligence. A Springfield attorney could help an individual determine who and what caused their truck accident and take legal action accordingly.
Working to Pursue a Claim for its Full Value
It is one thing to obtain payment following an accident. It is something else altogether to obtain proper compensation. Before a plaintiff even files a claim, they must be sure to accurately evaluate their losses. Though a claim will involve the costs for all past medical treatment, the injuries may be so severe as to require future treatment. A proper claim will take these costs into account.
Many plaintiffs also suffer lost wages or emotional trauma such as PTSD. An attorney in Springfield could help to place an accurate value on a truck accident claim. This is just one aspect of obtaining proper compensation. Another is defending a plaintiff’s actions prior to the accident.
Can Injured Parties Be Partly Responsible?
Springfield’s courts use a legal principle known as “modified comparative negligence”. According to New Jersey Revised Statute § 2A:15-5.1, courts must examine the actions of all parties involved in an accident in order to assign fault. If the court believes a plaintiff to bear more than half the responsibility for the accident, the court cannot award any compensation. Defendants are aware of this rule and may try to shift blame onto an injured plaintiff. A lawyer in Springfield could push back against unfair accusations of blame in a truck collision case.
A Springfield Truck Accident Attorney Could Help You
In addition to physical harm, truck accidents can also cause economic losses and severe emotional trauma. The purpose of a truck accident claim is to give you the support you need to begin—and sustain—your recovery after a tractor-trailer wreck.
Pursuing an effective truck accident claim is an intensive process. From gathering evidence from the scene of the collision to measuring your losses, to estimating potential future impacts, to demanding fair compensation, a Springfield truck accident lawyer could help every step of the way. Call today to get started.
