If you sustained injuries or lost a loved one in a Bellevue-area truck accident, you may have the right to substantial compensation.
Contact the experienced, Bellevue truck accident attorneys at
Metier Law Firm today to learn more.
Common Causes of Bellevue Truck Accidents
Trucks are large and heavy. It takes time to bring them to a halt in the event of an accident. Even if there is less traffic on the road, drivers must still remain alert.
Drivers were found to be using mobile devices in a number of truck accidents. They were texting, talking, watching videos, or even playing video games while driving, which caused the accident.
- Poor Truck Maintenance – Truck companies are responsible for truck maintenance and need to ensure that everything is in proper working order. Some truck companies cut corners and postpone required checks in order to save money and keep the trucks running. This leads to component malfunctions like brake or engine failures leading to an accident. Other truck companies use third party service centers to maintain their fleet.
- Overloaded Cargo - Trucks have weight and volume limits for cargo. Overloaded trucks are more difficult to drive and are more likely to be involved in an accident. The chance of an accident also increases if the freight is not balanced and evenly distributed across the truck, or if it is not securely fastened to the truck.
- Speeding and reckless driving – A number of truckers drive fast and go over the speed limit putting themselves and others in danger. A loaded truck may find it challenging to stop once it reaches a certain speed because of its momentum. When brakes are operated at high speeds, the truck can also jackknife causing an accident.
- Weather Conditions – Dangerous weather conditions also cause a number of truck accidents. Trucks should always take the safest route, both, for public safety and the safety of the driver. When truck drivers aren’t rerouted to a safer route, a company makes it clear that their profits are more important than the safety of their own driver.
- Inexperienced Drivers – Commercial truck drivers are in high demand. Every year, many newcomers enter the industry and begin driving dangerous routes under immense pressures to meet deadlines.
Every year, a number of truck accidents involved drivers who did not even have their commercial driving licenses. Inexperienced drivers with little to no training are a common cause of truck accidents.
Should I take a settlement offer from the truck company’s insurance company?
A commercial trucking accident can result in severe, long-lasting injuries. Usually, when a commercial truck is involved, the injury is not minor.
Usually, there is no upper limit on the amount of money that can be used to cover a commercial trucking injury. Because commercial trucking negligence can take many forms, the victim of a commercial truck accident must hire a law firm that is experienced in doing so. It's possible that the industry in which the truck driver works, as well as his managers and everyone else involved in making decisions about how freight is transported on our nation's highways, contributed to the accident's negligence.
It's crucial to realize that under no circumstances should anyone even consider making a first offer or approaching an insurance company representative or commercial trucking representative about settling a claim. It is crucial that they contact our company and allow us to calculate all damages. They may last a lifetime and be utterly devastating. You don't want to throw away money.
What is the Difference Between a Car and a Truck Accident?
What distinguishes a claim for a car accident from one for a truck accident? In reality, a truck accident claim differs greatly from a straightforward auto accident or car accident claim. There are particular laws and rules that apply to truck drivers in Washington. First and foremost, they need a special license to operate that truck. The business that owns that vehicle is subject to additional laws and rules. That vehicle needs to undergo safety inspections. Roadworthiness is just one example. There are specific laws that apply that forbid the driver from using a phone while operating that truck.
Due to the numerous new and distinct regulations that apply to truck accident claims, these claims are in fact distinct from those arising from automobile accidents. To be able to document the accident and the vehicles involved, we will be in the evidence gathering phase very early on in the case when we take on representation for a truck accident claim. If at all possible, our investigators will attempt to inspect the vehicle and collect the event data recorder or the black box. These are the actions we will take because truck accident claims in the state of Florida are subject to the aforementioned rules and regulations. Time is of the essence, and you don't want to lose that important information, so let's get to work on your case right away.
Common types of truck accidents
The size and class of the commercial truck may have an impact on the type of collision that occurs. For instance, if a passenger car rear-ends a big rig with high ground clearance, it may result in an underride situation, further enhancing the severity of the collision.
Our Bellevue truck accident attorneys have years of experience helping victims of many types of truck accidents. Each type of truck crash carries its own unique challenges that require experience and expert investigators.
Some of the common types of truck accidents our attorneys see are:
- Head-On Collision
- Rear-End Collision
- T-Bone Accidents
- Tire Blowout Accidents
- Override Accidents - Most override collisions involve a truck hitting a car in a high-impact rear-end collision. The massive truck may wreck the car or rip off its top as a result of the resulting force.
- Underride Accidents - An incident of this nature happens when a passenger car goes beneath a truck. The truck typically rips off the car's roof. The metal guard that most trucks have to prevent smaller automobiles from sliding underneath may break in a collision with heavy impact.
- Jackknife Accidents - Emergency braking commonly causes jackknife accidents. When the truck driver emergency brakes, the cab stops, but the trailer continues moving and swings to the side.
- Wide turn crashes
- Blind Spot Accidents
- Rollover Accidents
- Wheel-off – When an entire wheel detaches from the truck or trailer and then collides with another vehicle.
If you or a loved one was injured or killed by one of these types of truck accidents, call our Bellevue truck accident attorneys today.
Common Bellevue Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accidents in Bellevue result in fatalities. Even when no one dies, a truck accident can inflict a wide range of catastrophic and severe injuries. The vast difference in size and weight between a car and a fully-loaded truck can destroy a passenger vehicle while leaving a truck relatively intact.
Our Bellevue truck accident attorneys have seen many
types of injuries including:
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Seat Belt injuries
- Broken bones
- Rib and torso injuries
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ injuries
- Burn injuries
- Lacerations
Some of the aforementioned wounds recover over time, but many do not. In order to guarantee that the truck accident victim receives enough compensation from the persons legally responsible for their injuries, one crucial responsibility for a Bellevue truck accident lawyer is to assess the client's expected future medical needs.
