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Mike Bottaro car accident attorney

Truck Accident Lawyers in North Smithfield, RI

Have you suffered life-altering injuries in a truck accident in North Smithfield, Rhode Island? If your injuries were caused by a truck driver, the trucking company, or another responsible party, our North Smithfield truck accident attorneys can help you seek the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.

At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, our attorneys are committed to helping people in North Smithfield and throughout Rhode Island. We represent truck accident victims and families who have lost a loved one in a fatal truck accident. Our firm works exclusively on injury cases, which means we have extensive experience recovering compensation from insurance companies and at-fault parties. Our legal team and staff are ready 24/7 to help you fight for the money you’re owed. With our No Fee Guarantee, you will not have to pay our firm a cent until we secure compensation for you in a settlement or at trial.

If you were hurt in a collision with a big rig in North Smithfield, reach out to Bottaro Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation. Our North Smithfield truck accident attorneys are ready to listen to your story, determine how we can help, and explain your options for pursuing justice – all at no cost to you.

Do You Have a Truck Accident Claim?

You might have a legal claim if you were involved in an accident with a commercial truck that was caused by the truck’s driver or by the negligent decisions and actions of a trucking company. A legal claim may allow you to recover financial compensation for any injuries, lost income, pain and suffering, property damage, and other losses you suffered due to the accident.

Why Truck Accident Cases Are More Complicated

Truck accident cases have several significant differences from other motor vehicle claims that make them more complicated. These differences include:

  • Truck accidents often cause more serious injuries. Due to the size and weight of commercial trucks, collisions between big rigs and other vehicles often lead to catastrophic injuries for the occupants of the smaller vehicle. More serious injuries can complicate truck accident cases since serious injuries mean more significant losses and expenses that require more compensation. The higher the amount of compensation, the longer a claim usually takes to resolve. In addition, more severe injuries result in more extended recovery periods, and truck accident victims may still be undergoing treatment when they begin pursuing a claim. As a result, a compensation award will need to include a reasonable estimate of future medical expenses and other needs.
  • Truck accidents can injure more victims. An 18-wheeler’s size also means that it can hit more vehicles in the event of an accident. When a truck wreck leaves multiple people with injuries, the financial resources or insurance coverage of the at-fault parties may be quickly exhausted and can force injured victims to pursue other avenues for financial recovery.
  • Truck accident investigations involve more kinds of evidence. The trucking industry produces a lot of documentation in the form of driver logs, “black box” data, cargo manifests, and more. All these documents and other forms of evidence must be reviewed in any thorough truck accident investigation to determine the actual cause of the crash and to identify the parties who can be held liable for injuries and losses.
  • Trucking companies can have complex insurance coverage. Some trucking companies use a layered insurance coverage scheme, in which coverage under some policies is triggered only when the coverage provided by other policies is exhausted. That can make it difficult to determine how much coverage is actually available to compensate an injured victim.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

Injuries that commonly result from truck accidents include

  • Severe skin injuries, including lacerations, abrasions, and avulsions
  • Burns and smoke inhalation
  • Broken bones
  • Ligament sprains and tears
  • Muscle and tendon strains and tears
  • Neck and back injuries, including whiplash and herniation of spinal discs
  • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
  • Internal organ injuries
  • Internal bleeding
  • Crush injuries
  • Facial injuries
  • Head injuries and traumatic brain injury
  • Traumatic amputation
Common Truck Accident Injuries

Benefits of Hiring a North Smithfield Truck Accident Lawyer

Trucking companies and their insurers have substantial resources at their disposal to fight your truck accident claim. When you hire a North Smithfield truck accident lawyer from our firm, you benefit from having a seasoned legal advocate who will fight to recover the compensation you deserve by:

  • Investigating the evidence in your case, working with accident reconstruction and trucking industry experts to determine how the crash occurred, and identifying who bears liability for your injuries
  • Giving you a thorough explanation of your rights and options, and providing you with legal advice at every stage of your case
  • Documenting your losses in full, including future estimated losses, so that you can feel confident that any settlement or verdict you obtain in your case provides you with fair and full compensation
  • Filing insurance claims on your behalf and aggressively negotiating to reach a settlement that pays you full financial recovery as quickly as possible
  • Pursuing litigation if that becomes the best way to fight for maximum compensation

What Compensation Can Be Recovered?

If you were injured in a collision with an 18-wheeler, you might be entitled to seek a financial recovery for your losses. Truck accident compensation can provide money to you for:

  • Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation
  • Long-term care expenses for permanent disabilities
  • Lost wages or income if you must take time off work while recovering from a truck accident
  • Loss of earning capacity caused by permanent disabilities that affect your ability to work
  • Physical pain
  • Emotional trauma and distress from the accident, your injuries, and subsequent medical treatment
  • Permanent disabilities or disfigurement and scarring that impact your quality of life
  • Vehicle repairs or money toward replacing your vehicle if it was totaled in the accident

How Is Fault Determined in a Truck Accident Case?

At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we are prepared to investigate your truck accident case to determine who can be held at fault for your injuries. Some of the evidence that we may use in your case includes:

  • Truck driver hours-of-service logs
  • Results from any alcohol and drug screening tests that were performed on the truck driver
  • The truck driver’s employment and driving records
  • Logs from the truck’s electronic data recorder, a “black box” device on many newer commercial trucks
  • Truck inspection and maintenance records
  • Post-accident vehicle inspection and repair records
  • Truck cargo or load manifests
  • Trucking company dispatch records
  • Police accident reports
  • Traffic citation or arrest records
  • Regulatory citation records
  • Accident scene photos and video
  • Surveillance videos, traffic camera footage, or dashcam footage
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Accident reconstruction reports

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident in North Smithfield?

Given the complex nature of the trucking industry, several different parties may have liability for causing your injuries, including:

  • The truck driver
  • The trucking company that contracted or employed the truck driver
  • The owner of the truck, if not the driver or the trucking company
  • Third-party mechanics who provide maintenance for the truck
  • The truck’s manufacturer or manufacturers of parts used on the truck, such as brakes or tires
  • The freight broker or cargo company

Statute of Limitations on Truck Accident Lawsuits in North Smithfield

Rhode Island’s statute of limitations typically requires you to file a truck accident lawsuit within three years of the date of the crash. If you file suit after the statute of limitations has expired on your truck accident claim, the parties you sued can move to dismiss your case from court on the grounds of untimeliness. If the court grants that motion, you may permanently lose your opportunity to hold the responsible parties to account.

How to Protect Your Rights after a Truck Accident in North Smithfield

Taking the following steps after a truck accident in North Smithfield can protect your rights to compensation for the losses you suffered as a result:

  • Seek medical attention as soon as possible to get examined for injuries you may have suffered from the crash.
  • Take photos or videos of the crash scene, including vehicle damage, skid marks on the road, and traffic controls and signals.
  • Follow the treatment instructions your treating providers give your.
  • Keep records to document any expenses that you incurred due to the accident, as well as your income records if you cannot work because of your injuries.
  • Keep a diary or journal to document the pain and lost quality of life that you experience due to your injuries and medical treatment.
  • Consult with a truck accident lawyer in North Smithfield to find out how you can pursue the financial compensation you deserve.

Rhode Island 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.

Talk to an Experienced North Smithfield Truck Accident Lawyer Now

When you have been seriously injured in a crash with a semi-truck, you need experienced legal representation to help you stand up against large trucking companies and insurers. Contact Bottaro Injury Lawyers today for a free, no-obligation case review with a North Smithfield truck accident lawyer.

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