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Truck Accident Lawyer in East Providence, RI

Commercial trucks account for the largest vehicles on the roads and highways in and around East Providence. Innocent people are frequently severely injured or even killed when involved in a collision.

If you’ve been hurt in a truck crash caused by someone else, don’t despair. An East Providence truck accident attorney can help you seek fair compensation for your injuries and losses.

At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we believe that truck drivers and trucking companies should be held accountable when they hurt innocent people. That’s why we work tirelessly on behalf of people who have been injured in truck wrecks in East Providence and throughout Rhode Island.

When you turn to our award-winning firm, you can rest assured that you have put your case in the hands of professionals who have secured millions of dollars in compensation for people in similar situations. You can also trust in our firm’s No Fee Guarantee, which means you won’t have to pay us a thing until we win compensation for you.

If you were injured in an accident with an 18-wheeler or other heavy truck in East Providence, you should “Get to Know Mike Bottaro.” Contact Bottaro Injury Lawyers today for a free case evaluation and discuss your legal rights and options with an East Providence truck accident lawyer.

Do You Have a Truck Accident Claim?

You may have a claim to recover compensation following a truck accident if the crash was due to careless or reckless actions by a truck driver or trucking company, or if the crash was caused by a semi-truck suffering mechanical failure due to a part defect or inadequate or improper maintenance.

Why Truck Accident Cases Are More Complicated

Pursuing a truck accident claim is often more complicated than doing so for other kinds of motor vehicle accidents because:

  • Truck accidents tend to cause more severe injuries. The size and weight of commercial trucks mean that these vehicles impart significant force in a collision. As a result, victims of truck accidents often suffer catastrophic injuries. That means that injured victims will have considerable losses for which they can demand compensation. In addition, if an injured victim is still receiving medical treatment when they begin seeking compensation, they will need to ensure that any settlement or award also includes expected future expenses.
  • Truck accidents can involve more victims. Truck crashes can involve several vehicles, especially when an accident occurs in heavy traffic. More vehicles mean more victims, which means more people can pursue compensation for their losses. That can complicate a truck accident case when the liable parties don’t have sufficient insurance coverage or other financial assets to fully compensate each victim.
  • Truck accident investigations involve a lot of evidence. The causes of a truck accident can sometimes go beyond a truck driver’s simple negligence. To determine the actual cause of a crash, an attorney will need to review a wide range of evidence – a much wider range than in most other collisions.
  • Trucking companies can have complex corporate and insurance structures. Trucking companies may have complex corporate structures that make it difficult to determine the correct parties to sue. And many companies also use layered insurance policies that can make it difficult to determine how much coverage may be available to compensate you.

Benefits of Hiring an East Providence Truck Accident Lawyer

You shouldn’t have to take on the big trucking corporations and their insurers on your own. When you turn to an East Providence truck accident lawyer from Bottaro Injury Lawyers, you’ll have a skilled legal advocate who can help you by:

  • Investigating the crash to recover evidence showing who bears responsibility for the accident and your injuries.
  • Working with accident reconstruction and trucking industry experts as needed to help persuasively argue technical issues in your case.
  • Documenting your injuries and losses fully to ensure we pursue a full financial recovery.
  • Explaining your legal rights and options so that you know what to expect in your case.
  • Presenting your demands for compensation to the trucking companies and their insurers.
  • Aggressively negotiating for a settlement that pays you fair and full compensation.
  • Taking your case to court and trial if litigation becomes necessary to pursue your legal rights and interests fully.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

The sheer size of big rigs and other commercial trucks means that they can cause severe injuries in the event of a collision. Some examples of common truck crash injuries include:

  • Lacerations and abrasions
  • Burns
  • Broken bones
  • Ligament sprains
  • Muscle and tendon strains
  • Internal organ injuries and internal bleeding
  • Whiplash
  • Herniated spinal discs
  • Nerve damage
  • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
  • Facial injuries, including eye or ear damage
  • Head and traumatic brain injuries
  • Crush injuries and traumatic amputation
Common Truck Accident Injuries

What Compensation Can Be Recovered?

If you were hurt in a truck crash that was someone else’s fault, you might be entitled to recover money for your losses. Truck accident compensation can provide you money for:

  • Costs of medical treatment, including emergency room care, hospitalization, surgeries, prescriptions, doctor’s appointments, and physical/occupational therapy
  • Costs of long-term care for permanent disabilities
  • Lost wages or income if you miss time from work because of the accident
  • Loss of future earning capacity due to disabilities that prevent you from going back to work
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional suffering
  • Permanent scarring or disfigurement from injuries
  • Repair costs for your vehicle that was involved in the crash or the value of the car if it was totaled

How Is Fault Determined in a Truck Accident Case?

To determine fault in a truck accident case, an attorney will review many pieces of evidence, such as:

  • The truck driver’s logs, which show how long the driver has been on duty and driving
  • Truck inspection and maintenance records
  • The truck driver’s drug and alcohol test results
  • The truck driver’s employment and driving records
  • Logs from the truck’s electronic data recorder or “black box”
  • The load manifest, which documents what cargo the truck was carrying
  • Accident scene photos
  • Surveillance, traffic camera, or dashcam videos
  • Police accident reports
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Post-accident vehicle inspections

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident?

In most motor vehicle accident cases, fault is assigned to one or more of the drivers involved. Truck accident cases, however, can involve many more liable parties, including:

  • The truck driver
  • The trucking company
  • The truck’s owner, if not the truck driver or trucking company
  • The freight broker
  • The truck’s mechanic
  • The truck’s manufacturer or the manufacturer of a defective part used on the truck

Statute of Limitations on Truck Accident Lawsuits in Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, the statute of limitations typically gives you only three years from the date of a crash to file a truck accident lawsuit. If you file suit after the three-year period has ended, the trial court will likely permanently dismiss your lawsuit, and you will lose the opportunity to recover compensation.

How to Protect Your Rights after a Truck Accident in East Providence

When you have been involved in a truck accident in East Providence, you can take several steps to protect your rights to financial recovery and justice. These steps include:

  • Seeing a doctor or other medical provider as soon as possible for a physical exam to identify injuries that you suffered in the accident.
  • Following all treatment recommendations from your providers.
  • Taking photos and videos of the crash scene, including vehicle damage, traffic signals and controls, visual obstructions, any marks on the road, and weather, lighting, road, and traffic conditions.
  • Keeping copies of bills, invoices, and receipts for expenses you incurred because of the accident, as well as records of your income if you end up missing time from work.
  • Avoiding posting about the accident or your injuries on social media, as insurers often monitor accident victims’ social media accounts for evidence they can use against the injured party.
  • Speaking to a truck accident lawyer in East Providence to discuss pursuing your rights to compensation through a truck accident lawsuit or other claim.

Providence Truck Accident FAQs

Truck Accident

Should you go to the hospital if you get rear-ended?

Yes. Going to a hospital, urgent care clinic, or doctor’s office is one of the most important steps you can take in the aftermath of a rear-end accident. Not only will your provider diagnose and treat your injuries, but they will also document your condition in your medical records, which will play a key role in your injury claim. 

What happens to your body in a rear-end collision?

In a rear-end truck accident, the truck’s momentum is transferred first to your vehicle and then to your body. Even a relatively low-speed collision can force your body to fly forward into your seatbelt, airbag, or dashboard, then snap back into your seat. In many rear-end accidents, the head snaps back and forth more rapidly than the rest of the body, which is restrained by a seat belt. This leads to common injuries like whiplash and concussions.

Can a minor car accident cause back pain?

Yes. Even a relatively low-speed rear-end truck accident can result in serious injuries with painful symptoms like back pain. The violent backward and forward motion of the human body in a rear-end collision can easily stretch and damage soft tissue, including the ligaments, tendons, and musculature of the back. If you have back pain from a minor rear-end truck accident, you could be entitled to compensation from a personal injury claim.

Should I get a lawyer if I got rear-ended?

Yes, it’s always a good idea to consult a lawyer after a truck accident, no matter how minor it seems at first. Truck accident cases are complex and confusing, and trucking companies and their insurers use this fact to their advantage. Our knowledgeable truck accident lawyer can protect your interests, fight back against underhanded tactics aimed at denying or undervaluing your claim, and demand full compensation for your losses.

 

What is a commercial truck?

A commercial truck typically refers to a vehicle large enough that a commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required to operate it legally. Examples of commercial trucks include box trucks, semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, tanker trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks, and cement trucks.

How are truck accidents different from other types of vehicle accidents?

Cases arising from truck accidents often prove more complex and time-consuming than other types of motor vehicle accident cases for several reasons, including because they often involve:

  • More liable parties – Truck drivers as well as the freight companies that employ or contract with them may bear responsibility for causing an accident. That means that truck crash claims may become more complex, as multiple liable parties try to contest their legal liability or share of liability to compensate injured victims for their losses.
  • More injured parties – Truck accidents often involve many vehicles, especially when a crash occurs on a busy road. If many people suffer injuries from a truck crash, it can make resolving claims more complex.
  • More evidence – Thoroughly investigating a truck accident often requires reviewing many more types of evidence, including items like truck driver logs, logs from the truck’s electronic data recorder (black box), surveillance or traffic camera footage, truck inspection and maintenance records, and the load manifest detailing the truck’s cargo.
  • Complicated insurance and corporate structures – Many trucking companies have complex corporate structures and layered insurance policies that can make it difficult to determine the proper party to sue or how much insurance coverage exists to compensate injured victims.

Why should I hire an attorney to help me with my truck accident case?

Trucking companies and their insurers have considerable financial resources to defend themselves against truck accident claims. You should hire a Rhode Island truck accident attorney from Bottaro Injury Lawyers to help level the playing field. Our seasoned attorneys can thoroughly investigate your case to determine who caused the accident, recover evidence needed to build a persuasive claim, and aggressively pursue truck accident compensation through settlement negotiations or at trial.

What should I do after a truck accident?

Taking the following steps after a truck accident can help strengthen your future legal case:

  • Document the accident scene. You or someone you trust should take photos or video of the accident scene as soon as possible. Take pictures and videos of the vehicle damage, traffic controls, skid marks in the road, and weather, lighting, and traffic conditions at the time of the crash.
  • Seek medical attention immediately. No matter how mild your injuries may seem at first, you should get a complete medical exam as soon as possible. Even minor injuries can become serious if not treated properly. A doctor can diagnose the injuries you sustained and provide documentation that they were caused by the truck accident. This medical care is also an essential part of your physical recovery.
  • Keep copies of bills and invoices. If you miss work, make sure to keep records of your wages or income. That can help you calculate your financial losses.
  • Start a journal about your recovery. Document the physical pain and distress that your injuries and medical treatment cause you and their effects on your quality of life.
  • Avoid social media. Don’t post about the accident, your injuries, or your legal case. Also, avoid posting photos or videos of yourself while still recovering from your injuries. Insurers frequently monitor accident victims’ social media accounts for any posts that they can take out of context to contradict the accident victim’s claims and allegations.
  • Contact a lawyer. After a truck accident, you’ll likely be approached by investigators and insurance adjusters hired by the trucking company. Their main objective is to minimize possible expenses and legal liability for the trucking company, so they may offer you a lowball settlement. Consulting with an attorney as soon as possible can help protect your rights to compensation before accepting a low settlement or offering a statement.

How much does it cost to hire a Rhode Island truck accident lawyer?

If you’re facing serious financial pressure while trying to recover from the injuries you suffered in a truck crash, you may be worried about the cost of engaging an experienced truck accident attorney in Rhode Island. That’s why the truck accident law firm of Bottaro Injury Lawyers offers clients a No Fee Guarantee. This means you do not need to pay anything unless and until we win compensation in your case. There are no upfront retainers or charge hidden fees. We want you to get the legal representation you need without worrying about how to afford it.

What is the most common injury caused by rear-end crashes?

Rear-end crashes affect everyone differently, but one of the most common injuries they cause is whiplash. Whiplash is a neck and upper back injury that occurs when the head and neck are forcibly snapped backward and forward, much like the cracking of a whip. Many whiplash injuries result from the violent back-and-forth motion that occurs when a car gets rear-ended and its occupants launch forward into seat belts and airbags.

What kind of damage can a rear-end collision cause?

The damage your vehicle sustains in a rear-end collision depends on where precisely it is hit. If your car gets hit by a truck from behind, the impact could damage your trunk, taillights, exhaust system, muffler, catalytic converter, and more. If you run front-first into the back end of a truck, the collision could damage your front bumper, headlights, hood, windshield, engine, transmission, and radiator.

Get a trusted car accidents lawyer on your side

Talk to an Experienced East Providence Truck Accident Lawyer Now

Don’t wait another day to demand the justice and financial compensation you deserve after being injured in a truck accident that wasn’t your fault. Contact Bottaro Injury Lawyers today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn more about how an experienced East Providence truck accident lawyer can help you pursue your truck accident claim.

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