Truck Accident Lawyers in Pawtucket, RI
If you were injured in a collision involving an 18-wheeler or another large commercial vehicle, you deserve knowledgeable assistance from an experienced truck accident lawyer in Pawtucket. If a negligent trucker, their employer, or another entity caused the crash, you could be owed significant compensation.
Not every lawyer will have the experience and resources to handle your case since complex federal motor carrier safety rules and regulations must be considered when seeking compensation.
At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, our award-winning truck accident attorneys are ready to assist you if you’ve been hurt in a collision in Pawtucket or surrounding areas of Rhode Island. We know that you need to act quickly to ensure you have the best chance at recovering maximum compensation from the parties at fault for your crash.
When you face significant financial burdens due to medical bills and lost wages from a truck crash, you can rely on our No Fee Guarantee. You do not have to worry about paying fees upfront for the legal representation you need. We get paid only when we win money for you.
If you have been severely injured in a truck accident, turn to Bottaro Injury Lawyers for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to discuss your legal rights and options with a Pawtucket truck accident attorney.
Do You Have a Truck Accident Claim?
You might be owed significant compensation if a big rig hits you. If negligence on the part of the driver, the trucking company, a third-party maintenance company, a third-party cargo loading company, a defective parts manufacturer, or others caused your crash, you can demand justice and accountability. A viable injury claim requires you to have sustained injuries, property damage, or other expenses and losses that you could be compensated for.
Why Truck Accident Cases Are More Complicated
Truck accident cases often turn out much more complex than the average motor vehicle accident claim for several reasons, including:
- Truck accidents often result in severe injuries. The size of a tractor-trailer means a collision with one of these vehicles involves significant forces that can result in catastrophic injuries. More severe injuries can complicate truck accident claims because trucking companies and their insurers will vigorously oppose greater demands for compensation. Serious injuries can also complicate matters when an injured victim is still treating their injuries while negotiating a settlement or going to trial. Their compensation award will need to include an estimation of future expenses and needs.
- Multiple people might be injured in a truck crash. Truck accidents can easily involve multiple vehicles, especially on a busy road. When a truck crash injures many people, they will all demand full compensation for their losses. Multiple claims can exhaust the insurance coverage and financial resources of at-fault parties, potentially leaving some of or all the injured victims to fight over only partial financial recovery.
- Truck accident cases require in-depth investigations. The complex, highly regulated nature of the trucking industry means that investigating truck accidents requires reviewing much more evidence than other kinds of motor vehicle accident claims. Analyzing all this evidence may be needed to determine what caused the crash and who can be held liable for injured victims’ injuries.
- Multiple insurance policies might be in play. Some trucking companies use layered insurance policies, in which specific coverage amounts are triggered only when other policies are exhausted. It can be more complicated to determine how much insurance coverage is available to compensate you for your losses.
Benefits of Hiring a Pawtucket Truck Accident Lawyer
When going up against big trucking companies and their insurers, you can benefit from having a Pawtucket truck accident lawyer from Bottaro Injury Lawyers who will:
- Thoroughly investigate the truck accident and carefully examine all available evidence to determine what caused the crash and what party or parties can be held liable for your injuries and losses.
- Determine the full scope of insurance coverage or other financial resources available to compensate you.
- Calculate your past, ongoing, and future financial expenses and personal losses and suffering.
- Sit down with you to discuss your needs and concerns in your case and go over your rights and options to decide on the best strategy to achieve your goals.
- File insurance claims on your behalf and aggressively negotiate with adjusters to try to achieve a settlement that pays you fair and full compensation for your losses.
- Pursue your claims in court and at trial when litigation represents the best option for fighting for the financial recovery and justice that you deserve.
What Compensation Can Be Recovered?
If you have been injured in a truck accident due to the negligence of a truck driver, the company responsible for hiring, training, or supervising them, or another entity, you might be entitled to fair compensation. Depending on the severity of your injuries and the nature of the crash, this could include:
- Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation of your injuries
- Costs of long-term care, if your injuries result in permanent disabilities that have a substantial effect on your ability to perform daily tasks
- Lost wages and income from missed time from work after the accident
- Lost earning capacity, if you are disabled from returning to full-time work
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life because of disabilities or disfigurement/scarring
- Property damage, such as repair or replacement costs for your vehicle
How Is Fault Determined in a Truck Accident Case?
Examples of evidence that an experienced truck accident attorney will look for and potentially use to determine fault for a truck crash include:
- The truck driver’s logs, which record the hours a truck driver spends on duty and behind the wheel.
- Drug and alcohol test results when a screening is performed on the truck driver following a crash
- The truck driver’s employment and driving records
- Information from the truck’s electronic data recorder, a “black box” device fitted to many newer commercial trucks
- Trucking company dispatch logs
- The truck’s cargo or load manifest
- Truck inspection and maintenance records
- Post-accident truck inspection and repair reports
- Police accident reports and traffic or criminal summonses and records
- Accident scene photos
- Videos from surveillance cameras, traffic cameras, or dashcams
- Eyewitness testimony
- Reports from expert witnesses in fields such as accident reconstruction, vehicle engineering, or the trucking industry
Who Could Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident?
Because multiple parties could potentially be responsible for the operation of a truck, supervision of the driver, and the cargo that is being transported, these entities could also share responsibility for an accident. The potentially liable parties could include:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The truck’s owner, if not the truck driver or the trucking company
- The cargo company or freight broker
- The truck’s mechanic
- The truck’s manufacturer
- A third-party manufacturer of parts used on the truck
Statute of Limitations on Truck Accident Lawsuits in Pawtucket
Under Rhode Island’s statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits, you usually have only three years from the date of a truck wreck to file suit against the truck driver or other entities responsible for the accident.
If you file a lawsuit after the statute of limitations has passed on your truck accident claim, the court will be barred from hearing your case. For that reason, you need to speak with a truck accident attorney in Pawtucket as soon as possible to begin the process of preparing your legal claim.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
The size and speed of heavy trucks mean that these vehicles impart devastating forces in a collision. Injuries that victims of accidents with 18-wheelers commonly suffer include:
- Severe lacerations, abrasions, or avulsions
- Burns and smoke inhalation from vehicle fires triggered by a truck crash
- Broken bones
- Ligament, tendon, and muscle injuries
- Neck and back injuries, such as whiplash
- Nerve injuries
- Spine and spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Internal injuries and bleeding
- Traumatic amputation
- Facial injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
How to Protect Your Rights after a Truck Accident in Pawtucket
If you want to protect your rights for pursuing a claim for compensation after a truck accident in Pawtucket, you should follow these steps:
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible after a semi-truck crash to have a doctor examine you for any injuries you may have suffered. Follow the treatment recommendation and instructions that your providers give you.
- Document the accident scene by taking pictures or videos with your cell phone. Try to photograph or video vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic controls at the scene, and the weather, lighting, traffic, and road conditions at the time of the crash. Photograph any visible injuries.
- Keep copies of all receipts, bills, and invoices for expenses you incur due to medical treatment, vehicle repair, or other services needed after the accident.
- Obtain copies of your income records if you miss work or are disabled from employment following an accident with a big rig.
- Document your physical pain and emotional distress by keeping a diary or journal during your recovery.
- Contact a truck accident lawyer in Pawtucket to discuss the specifics of your case and your rights and legal options.
Talk to an Experienced Pawtucket Truck Accident Lawyer Now
Contact Bottaro Injury Lawyers right away if you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Pawtucket. We’ll provide you with a free initial consultation. If you hire us, we’ll represent you on a contingency-fee basis, which means you won’t owe us anything until we win your case.