Big rigs, semi-trucks, farm equipment, and construction vehicles pose tremendous hazards to passenger vehicles. Unfortunately, when a wreck happens, death or permanent physical injuries often leave families in need of legal help.
Over the decades, we have represented numerous individuals and families who have suffered the loss of a loved one, or had a family member receive brain injuries, or other permanent disabilities.
Having a knowledgeable lawyer familiar with the special regulations and insurance requirements of trucking companies is vital. The lawyer also needs to be aware of the use of black boxes, documentation, weightstations, driver logs, and time restrictions.
There are numerous special insurance and safety regulations that apply to trucks, as well as inspection and maintenance records.
Our law firm has flown experts to the truck’s destination immediately after an accident to gather evidence. Small details collected by a law firm directly after an accident can be extremely important to the value of a case. The accident scene also has to be inspected to determine if any physical evidence exists or has been overlooked. Emergency response personnel and others at the scene need to be immediately interviewed. Additionally, the cargo of the truck needs to be documented, as it may have had a role in the accident by shifting or causing other unique hazards.
There can be no doubt that the trucking companies have staff on hand that immediately respond to an accident. Persons injured, and their families, need the assistance of qualified legal representatives to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation.
Trucking Accidents — Past Case Example #1
Steven Britt, 56, a union pipe fitter, was on his way to work driving south on Highway 30 in thick fog when the driver of a flatbed semi truck inexplicably made a U-turn in front of him. Steven was killed instantly, leaving a wife and three children. Our firm filed suit for several million dollars, and shortly thereafter achieved a confidential settlement.
Trucking Accidents — Past Case Example #2
E.R., a professional truck driver, was delivering pumpkins to the Ellen DeGeneres show in Berkeley, California, when he was rear-ended by a petroleum semi-truck. E.R. suffered various injuries including a rotator cuff tear in his left shoulder. We sued the petroleum transport company and obtained a confidential recovery above and beyond the limits of E.R.’s workers’ compensation benefits from the company E.R. worked for.
Trucking Accidents — Past Case Example #3
J.J. was on the job as a delivery driver for Pony Express when he was rearended by a small corporate truck. He suffered a low back injury, and was unable to continue his work as a delivery driver because it entailed moving heavy boxes. Twenty years earlier, he had suffered a similar accident, but with extraordinary diligence and hard work he rebuilt his strength. J.J. was a legendary athlete at Jefferson High School, a three-sport athlete in the class on 1959, when Jefferson won the state championship in football, basketball, and track. J.J. played with such luminaries as the Refro brothers and Terry Baker. The defense argued that the impact was not severe and tried to attack him personally. During jury selection, a prospective juror said that he knew of J.J., and that he had been “a role model” for African American kids in Portland. Verdict: $310,000.