Global companies and local businesses all call Glendale, California home and make our city a thriving place for manufacturing and distribution. The goods and products that enter and leave the city every day do bring an element of danger to our streets and highways. Large tractor-trailers, box trucks, and vans rush about at all hours, sometimes putting other drivers in hazardous situations on the road.
A double-tractor trailer can slide back and forth across the lanes, leaving you afraid to even attempt to pass. Delivery trucks may be operated by drivers looking at their phones for directions instead of actually watching the road in front of them.
All of these potential instances and more put other drivers and passengers in cars and SUVs, and those on motorcycles and on foot, in frightening situations around Glendale. One small mistake by a truck driver can lead to severe consequences for those they share the lanes with.
Securing Assistance for Truck Accident Victims In Glendale
You may be trying to determine where a giant transport truck is headed when suddenly you’ve been forced into a collision. As you recover from your injuries, you’ll wonder if you’ll be left with all of the hospital bills and other damages that have turned your family’s life upside down.
Martin Gasparian founded Maison Law for people in these difficult situations. You may suddenly find you’re in some sort of showdown with insurance adjusters and corporate lawyers simply because you’ve asked them to provide what’s fair. Mr. Gasparian has helped countless people face down these obstacles and earn the compensation they need to rebuild their lives.
Contact our offices for a case evaluation that comes at no charge or obligation to you. We want to help you avoid the pitfalls victims can fall into when dealing with an auto insurance company.
Traumatic Injuries After a Truck Accident in Glendale
Collisions between large, heavy trucks and smaller cars and SUVs often result in major injuries for anyone inside. A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000lbs or more and extend up to 53 feet.
With that weight behind the semi, a fully loaded tractor-trailer going 65 mph will need about the length of two football fields to come to a complete stop. By comparison, a car or SUV needs only about half that length of road to fully brake.
Whether it’s a semi-truck hitting you from behind, or it’s you slamming into the tractor-trailer or winding up underneath it, the injuries can be devastating. The recovery may take longer than a single night in the ER. In fact, you could still require surgeries and adjustments weeks and months into the future.
Victims with these sorts of injuries are often tricked into signing off on quick insurance settlements that don’t account for treatment and care that might be needed in the years to come. These “lowball” settlements especially won’t cover the costs when something as serious as a physical disability is involved.
These are a few of the additional physical and financial hardships victims suffering a disability can deal with:
- Initial Hospital Care – Emergency room care and a stay in a hospital will be enormous expenses. Victims can require 24 hour-a-day monitoring in intensive care while they heal. Victims can face an amputation. Doctors may not be able to reverse a spinal injury and a victim could be robbed of his or her mobility.
- Rehabilitation– Victims will need expensive physical therapy as they learn to live with their new disability. They could suffer from brain damage and have to relearn certain movements and routines in order to enjoy some freedoms.
- Home Upgrades and Medical Equipment – Rehabilitation also takes place in the home and expensive medical devices and home renovations are part of the transition. Wheelchair ramps and bedroom and bathroom redesigns are often necessary to give the victim as much control over their lives as possible. Families will need training on facilitating life for a loved one with a disability.
- Job Training – The nature of the disability could keep victims from being able to perform their work duties. They would have to consider a new career. This would entail job training, class enrollment, and job search services. At-fault drivers and their insurance companies can’t be allowed to escape liability for this consequence.
A permanent disfigurement also factors into the compensation a victim might receive. Settlements are usually much greater when a visible scar from the accident affects a victim’s self-perception and the way the public views him or her.
After such a traumatic change in a victim’s life, it’s easy to see why so many patients suffer through emotional anguish during recovery and afterward. Anxiety and depression are treatable illnesses, but an insurance provider must step up and provide for the costs of counseling for victims for as long as it’s required.
Who Can I File a Claim Against After A Truck Accident
After you’ve been the victim of a truck collision, you’ll wonder about the fault in the accident. If the truck driver was to blame, it doesn’t mean it’ll be their insurance company involved in your claim.
That driver likely works for a local small business or a giant nationwide corporation. You might be filing a claim against several different parties in order to get all of your hardships paid for.
A personal injury lawyer can help you determine just who may hold liability in your crash. It may be several parties who combine to cover your recovery costs. These are a few of the possibilities:
- Independent Driver — A local driver who owns his own truck should have a car insurance policy to file a claim against.
- Local Trucking Company — Drivers may be working for a smaller, local delivery or shipping company. Those companies have to take responsibility for their drivers’ actions. It may be a combination of the driver’s insurance and the company’s insurance that ultimately provides you with all of the support you need.
- Corporate Trucking Company – The driver may be behind the wheel for a national trucking chain. A local company may also be contracting out its workers to a national corporation. In either case, everyone involved could be held liable and have to provide support to you as you heal.
- Truck Manufacturer – A defect with the way a truck is put together could have caused your accident. In this case, the company that builds the truck can also be called upon to provide compensation for their mistake. Your personal injury lawyer will also be checking for any recalls involving the truck. Maintenance may also have fallen behind on the vehicle and have led to a crash. This would leave the trucking companies with greater liability in an accident.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer Serving Glendale
After an accident involving a serious injury caused by a scary encounter with a truck, contact a Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer such as Martin Gasparian. He offers a free and confidential case consultation for victims and their families.
Accident victims deserve time to focus on their recovery and healing while someone else handles their injury case and the battle with insurance adjusters. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to your case and makes sure you aren’t left with the costs of your recovery due to the shady practices of insurance companies. Trust your case and your future to an attorney with experience at the negotiating table and in the courtroom.
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