Truck Accident Lawyers in North Smithfield, RI

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.