The personal injury lawyers at Maison Law are here to represent victims of Lathrop truck accidents in their legal matters. If you or a family member sustained injuries because of a truck accident in Lathrop caused by the poor choices or negligence of others, contact our firm today for a free consultation and no-obligation case evaluation so you understand all the options available to help you resolve this matter.
Do I Need a Truck Accident Lawyer
As the victim of a semi-truck accident, you are not required to hire a Lathrop truck accident lawyer if you wish to file a truck accident lawsuit to seek compensation for the damages you sustained. You have the right to move forward with a lawsuit that you prepare and file on your own. But keep in mind that you will need to follow the processes and procedures defined by the legal system, and you will likely face a lawyer in court who was hired to represent the liable party in the case.
What most people do not consider is the time, effort, and expertise that goes into preparing, filing, and litigating a successful truck accident lawsuit. You could feel that while you are at home healing from your injuries, you have plenty of time to prepare the lawsuit and handle it on your own. Some victims even think this step will save them money. But the facts do not reflect that. In reality, cases that are handled by the victim of a Lathrop semi accident often result in a smaller settlement or less compensation awarded than similar cases that are managed by a Maison Law truck accident lawyer.
In addition, victims of injuries from a truck accident are often shocked at the time required to complete the filing process, the stress of gathering all the information and documentation, and getting the case file properly. They also underestimate the level of stress and energy needed to focus on their recovery and healing. Many victims discover that their effort and focus is better invested in healing and rehabilitation, so they leave the legal work to the professionals at Maison Law. We are here to assist you, eliminate your added stress, and deliver the compensation you need to move past the hardships created by the Lathrop truck accident that caused your injuries.
Request Your Free Consultation
When you are thinking about a lawsuit related to a Lathrop big rig accident, you don’t know what you don’t know until you speak to a legal professional. The goal of the truck accident lawyers at Maison Law if to provide all big rig accident victims with guidance and a reliable case evaluation. Soon, you will know if your case has legal merit and why. You will also understand how the legal system and Maison Law can help you protect yourself from the expenses and losses that were created by someone else’s poor choices and negligence that caused the truck accident. Reach out to our staff today and learn more about ways to resolve these issues and regain the life you had before becoming a truck accident victim.
Calculating the Value of a Lathrop Truck Accident
As the medical bills and other expenses related to a Lathrop truck accident begin to arrive, you are sure to feel a little unsettled. Questions about how to pay all of these expenses, especially when you are unable to work, can feel very overwhelming. Fortunately, when you speak to a Maison Law truck accident lawyer at your free consultation, you will learn a great deal about the process of estimating the value of a lawsuit and the expenses and losses you can include when determining the compensation amount.
Your expenses and losses for the Lathrop semi-truck accident will be broken down into two basic categories. The economic damages are simply the items that have a specific dollar value and were caused by the accident, such as:
- All your current medical expenses related to the injuries from the accident
- The projected cost of future medical care needed for those injuries, such as ongoing treatment, future surgery, or rehabilitation
- The cost of any therapy or counseling needed to address your trauma from the accident that has caused you to have an inability to sleep or experience issues like PTSD, stress, anxiety, or depression
- The cost of transportation to and from medical appointments
- Your lost wages if the semi accident injuries prevent you from working at your regular job until you are fully healed
- Any lost earning potential if there is permanent damage or limitations that will impact your future career path or earnings in a negative manner
The aspect of your losses that is less tangible will relate to activities and your overall level of enjoyment in your daily life that has decreased because of the Lathrop truck accident injuries you sustained. These items do not have a direct dollar figure attached to them. You will work with your Maison Law truck accident lawyer to determine a fair and reasonable dollar value to assign to these losses as part of the non-economic damages you are seeking compensation for in your lawsuit. Some of the more common items in this category include:
- Your pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of daily activities like participation in sports, taking part in hobby activities, or having an active role in family activities
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional trauma like depression or fear of vehicles or driving
The Complexities of Truck Accident Liability
If you ask the average person, they would say that liability for a truck accident typically falls to the driver of the truck. In some cases, that is true. There are many ways that a truck driver can fail to meet their legal obligation to act responsibly behind the wheel of a big rig. Some of the common reasons a truck driver is found liable for an accident include:
- Driving at a speed that is inappropriate for the road or weather conditions
- Driving past the mandated limit of hours per day or week
- Driving under the influence of a mind-altering substance
- Road Rage
- Driving while overly tired
But it is critical to understand that many other factors could have caused the Lathrop semi accident that caused your injuries. And in some cases, the liability for the accident will fall to a person or entity that is not at the scene of the crash, for example:
- The owner of the truck if it is not the driver for failure to maintain the vehicle in a safe condition
- A trucking company that failed to service and maintain the truck
- The maintenance company contracted to service the truck if they failed to provide adequate care for the vehicle
- The manufacturer of the truck if it has a defect that caused a catastrophic failure and caused the big rig accident
Common Truck Accidents in Lathrop
Lathrop is a community that features many city and residential streets as well as a section of the busy highway, I-5. This means drivers in the area can encounter many large trucks on surface streets and on the highway. Goods are being trucked through the area and into the city to supply all of your shopping needs from local stores like Target and Walmart, as well as items coming right to your door from businesses like Amazon. With all of these semi-trucks in the area, you should be ever aware of the possibility of any of these common kinds of truck accidents, so that you can avoid harm in the future or know when to reach out to Maison Law to discuss the merit of your truck accident case:
- DUI truck accidents
- Road Rage incidents
- Accidents because of driver distraction
- Head-on collisions
- Side swipe accidents
- Accidents because of an overloaded truck
- Trucks spilling or dropping a load on the roadway
- Runaway truck accidents
- Food truck accidents
- Accidents caused by failure from lack of proper truck maintenance
- Rollover truck accidents
- Wide turn truck accidents
- Failure to yield truck accidents, hit-and-run truck accidents
Time Limit to File a Lathrop Truck Accident Lawsuit
As the victim of a truck accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you typically have two years from the date of the incident to have your case prepared and filed with the court. This time limit is strictly enforced, and once it has expired, you will lose the right to pursue any legal action to secure compensation for the damages from this particular accident. Keep in mind that in cases where the liable party is a government entity or agency, such as the City of Lathrop or the State of California, your allotted time to take legal action is much shorter. In these cases, you will have only six months from the date of the incident to file the case with the court.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lathrop Truck Accidents
Do most truck accident lawsuits make it to the courtroom?
In the vast majority of all Lathrop truck accident cases, the matter is settled before it goes to court. Both insurance companies and lawyers representing the liable party in a truck accident lawsuit know that going to court will only cost more money to resolve the case. The increased legal fees, court costs, and other expenses keep adding up the longer the case is open. Many experts estimate that more than 90% of lawsuits are settled prior to going to court.
How can I move the resolution process of my truck accident case along more swiftly?
When you are involved in any accident, it is always wise to document as much as you can with photos. Pictures and witness statements can take a lot of guesswork out of determining the cause and liability for an accident. The next wise choice you can make is to hire a truck accident lawyer from Maison Law to handle the matter on your behalf. Having legal representation lets everyone know that you are intent on settling the matter quickly. Other lawyers and any insurance company employees involved in the case will be responsive and possibly more eager to resolve the matter than they would be when dealing with the accident victim.
Can I still sue if I was partially to blame for the truck accident?
California is a comparative negligence state. What that means for you is that even if you shared part of the blame for your Lathrop truck accident, you can still pursue legal action. You will be assigned a percentage of the blame or liability for the accident. Once that occurs, you will be able to pursue legal action to recover compensation for your damages that is equal to the amount of liability for the accident that was assigned to others in the case. So, if you are held accountable for 30% of the liability and 70% was assigned to others involved, you can pursue legal action to recover70% of your total damages due to the truck accident.
Contact a Lathrop Truck Accident Lawyer
After being involved in a big rig accident, you are sure to have many questions and concerns about liability and compensation for your losses. The team at Maison Law is here to help by providing the answers and information you need to make wise and well-informed choices about things like hiring a truck accident lawyer and filing a truck accident lawsuit. In addition, we will handle any case that has legal merit and never ask you to pay any upfront fees or expenses.
Our firm is focused on providing you with help and real solutions. As such, we work on a contingency basis. You never pay out of pocket for our services. Instead, we get paid after winning the lawsuit or arriving at a settlement, as each of these forms of compensation will include funds to cover your legal expenses related to the truck accident.
