It may seem encouraging to hear that truck accidents make up just 5.7% of all motor vehicle collisions until you review other statistics revealed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). In its Traffic Crash Facts 2018, VDOT reports that there were 7,565 total crashes involving large trucks; however, 150 had at least one fatality, and almost 2,900 people suffered injuries. The implications for victims and their families are horrific, especially the physical, financial, and emotional consequences.
If you were injured in a truck crash, Virginia law does provide you with legal remedies to recover compensation for your losses. Whether you are filing an insurance claim or exercising your rights through a civil lawsuit, the process is complex. It is smart to entrust a Virginia truck accident attorney to assist with the process; please contact Hampton Injury Law PLC today to schedule a case evaluation regarding your options.
Negligence is behind most truck crashes, but the term has a special meaning in the practice of law. You are only entitled to compensation if you can prove that the truck driver breached his or her legal duty to exercise reasonable care, which led to the collision. The VDOT traffic accidents report lists some of the factors that frequently cause semi-truck collisions, including:
In addition, there are some forms of truck driver negligence that are unique to truck accidents. Cargo is a particular concern since uneven, unbalanced, and unsafe loads can lead to catastrophic crashes.
An 18-wheeler can outmatch a passenger vehicle by up to 20 times the size and weight, depending on the load. Plus, the majority of accidents from the VDOT 2018 crash report were on highways, where many trucks travel at high speeds. Combined, these factors can cause serious injuries to victims, such as:
You may be able to recover from your losses related to these injuries, including your medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and many others. The key to getting the full amount of monetary damages allowed by Virginia laws is retaining a skilled truck crash lawyer. Besides the normal complications in dealing with insurance companies, there are additional complications with truck accident claims. The coverage amounts higher, which means insurers assign their most experienced employees to fight your claim. Also, there may be multiple parties to pursue compensation. You might need to include a trucking company, employer, partnership, or other entities.
As you can see, there is a multitude of reasons you should rely on a skilled lawyer to assist with the truck crash claims process. To learn more about your rights as a victim, please call Hampton Injury Law to set up a case evaluation with a truck accident lawyer.
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