Truck Accident Lawyers in Providence, RI

Truck accidents in Providence are among the most dangerous crashes. Tractor-trailers and other commercial trucks are among the biggest vehicles on the road. That means they can cause the most damage. Injuries from truck accidents are often severe or even fatal.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a truck accident in Providence that was not your fault, you could be entitled to full compensation for your injuries and lost wages.

Victims of truck accidents often sustain severe or fatal injuries. Even if your truck accident seems minor, lasting neck injuries, concussions, and other injuries can cause you to lose time at work and incur medical bills. These injuries may affect your ability to work now or in the future.

Insurance companies often try to settle for only a fraction of your financial losses. At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we understand the true financial impact of severe injuries from a truck accident in Providence. We will fight the insurance company for full compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

We will work for you to ensure that you get the medical treatment you need. We will also investigate the cause of your accident and work with experts to calculate the current and future financial impact. We will then work with the insurance company to get you a fair settlement. If they do not offer enough compensation, we will prepare your case for trial.

If you have been injured in a Providence truck accident, you need to get experienced legal representation right away. We are available 24/7 by phone, text, email, or online. With our No Fee Guarantee, you pay nothing if we don’t get compensation for you.

Do You Have a Truck Accident Claim?

You may be entitled to pursue a claim for compensation if you were involved in a Providence truck accident due to the negligent or reckless actions of another party, such as the semi-truck driver, the trucking company, or a maintenance company if a mechanical failure caused the accident.

Rhode Island follows a pure comparative fault system, which means that you can recover compensation from the at-fault party even if they are only 1 percent responsible for the accident. However, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. An attorney can work to build a strong case on your behalf to protect your right to pursue full compensation.

Why Truck Accident Cases Are More Complicated

In most cases, truck accident victims quickly realize that their truck accident case is much more complicated than the average car crash claim. A truck accident case’s complexity arises from:

• More serious injuries suffered by accident victims – The size of big rigs, combined with the speed they can have in a collision, means violent forces are involved in accidents that tend to cause serious injuries. When a truck crash badly hurts someone, they not only incur substantial losses that require greater compensation, but they may also be still undergoing treatment when negotiating a settlement or taking a claim to trial. That can make arriving at a compensation award more difficult, especially if future expected losses must be included in the award.
• More victims of the accident – Truck accidents that take place in heavy traffic or on the highway can involve many vehicles, greatly increasing the number of injured victims. With many individuals seeking compensation, the at-fault parties’ insurance coverage and financial resources may be quickly exhausted, potentially complicating the process of seeking financial recovery.
• More evidence involved in the investigation process – The heavy regulation of the trucking industry means that a thorough investigation of a truck crash requires reviewing many more pieces of evidence than in most other kinds of auto crash claims.
• Trucking companies’ complicated corporate and insurance structures – Determining liable trucking companies’ financial resources and insurance coverage can be more difficult when they have confusing company structures or layered insurance policies, where certain coverages are triggered only after exhausting coverage under another policy.

Benefits of Hiring a Providence Truck Accident Lawyer

When you are trying to recover from a serious physical injury suffered in a commercial truck crash, you may not have the time and energy to also devote to pursuing a truck accident case. For that reason, you should hire a Providence truck accident lawyer from Bottaro Injury Lawyers to help you with aspects of your case, such as:

• Thoroughly investigating the crash to recover evidence that can be used to build an effective, persuasive case
• Retaining accident reconstruction and trucking industry experts to provide persuasive opinions in support of your claim
• Ensuring you understand your rights and legal options and what to expect during your case
• Identifying parties that can be held liable to compensate you, as well as potential sources of compensation such as insurance coverages
• Calculating the full extent of your losses to determine what compensation to pursue in your case
• Filing insurance claims and demands for compensation on your behalf
• Aggressively negotiating with insurers and at-fault parties to try to reach a fair and full settlement
• Taking your claims to court and trial when the other side won’t agree to a fair settlement, making litigation necessary to thoroughly pursue your legal options

What Compensation Can Be Recovered?

If you were involved in a truck accident caused by another party or other parties, you may be entitled to demand financial recovery for injuries and losses you have suffered. Truck accident compensation in your case may cover expenses and losses such as:

• Costs of medical treatment and physical rehabilitation of injuries suffered in the crash
• Lost wages or income if you miss time from work to recover from the accident
• Lost future earnings and employment benefits if you are permanently disabled from your job or returning to full-time work
• Physical pain
• Emotional distress and trauma
• Physical disabilities
• Visible scarring or disfigurement
• Repair bills for your vehicle or the pre-accident value of your vehicle if it is declared totaled after the accident

How Is Fault Determined in a Providence Truck Accident Case?

To determine what caused a truck accident and what parties can be held at fault for your injuries and losses, our truck accident law firm can review evidence from the accident, such as:

• The truck driver’s hours of service logs, which show how long the driver had been on duty or behind the wheel prior to the accident
• Results from an alcohol and drug screen of the truck driver, when one is performed after a truck accident
• The truck driver’s employment and driving records
• Information from the truck’s electronic data recorder or “black box”
• Surveillance or traffic camera footage or dashcam footage from the truck or another vehicle
• Dispatch logs from the trucking company or freight company
• Truck inspection and maintenance records
• Post-accident vehicle inspection and repair records
• The truck’s cargo or load manifest
• Eyewitness statements
• Police accident reports
• Internal investigation reports from the trucking company
• Accident scene photos and videos

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident?

Due to the complex nature of the trucking industry, liability for a truck accident may fall on several different parties. Examples of the persons and companies that may have liability for a truck crash in Providence include:

Statute of Limitations on Truck Accident Lawsuits in Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, the statute of limitations places a time limit on filing a truck accident lawsuit. You typically have only three years from the date of a truck accident to file suit against the parties at fault for the crash.

Filing suit after the statute of limitations has expired on your claim means the trial court can permanently dismiss your case as untimely. That means you would lose your right to recover compensation for expenses and losses you suffered.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

Injuries that victims of truck accidents often suffer include:

How to Protect Your Rights After a Truck Accident in Providence

When you have been injured by a truck accident in Providence, you can take steps to protect your rights to pursue a truck accident claim. Actions to take after the crash include:

• Getting a physical exam from your primary physician or another doctor as soon as possible to diagnose the injuries you sustained in the crash.
• Using your cell phone to take photos or videos of details of the accident scene. If you are too injured to do so yourself, have someone you trust take photos and video for you as soon as possible.
• Following treatment instructions and recommendations you are given.
• Keeping copies of bills, receipts, invoices, and other records of your expenses and financial losses, such as lost income.
• Documenting the pain and difficulty that your injuries and treatment cause you by keeping a diary about your recovery from your injuries.
• Avoiding discussing the accident, your injuries, or your case on social media or posting photos or videos of yourself while still treating injuries from the accident. Insurers may be monitoring your social media accounts for posts they can use to challenge the credibility of your injury claims or your recollection of the accident.
• Talking to a truck accident attorney in Providence at Bottaro Injury Lawyers to discuss what further actions you and our firm can take to pursue your rights to financial recovery.

Talk to an Experienced Providence Truck Accident Lawyer Now

If you have been injured in a crash with an 18-wheeler or other heavy truck in Providence, you may be entitled to pursue financial recovery for the losses you sustain due to your injuries. Contact Bottaro Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn how an experienced truck accident lawyer in Providence can advocate for your rights and interests.