Livermore commuters are rarely very far from a giant tractor-trailer or produce truck. When careless truck drivers are at the wheel of these big rigs, devastating crashes happen. Families heading out for dinner or a shopping trip on First Street can be traveling beside an Amazon or FedEx van when the driver makes a lane change without checking a mirror or a blind spot. Suddenly, the much smaller car is crumpled or being sucked underneath a larger vehicle.
Any type of collision with these large, heavy vehicles can put drivers and passengers at risk of traumatic injury. A Livermore truck accident lawyer works with victims and their families to see that they earn proper financial support as they heal.
A Free Consultation for Livermore Truck Accident Victims
If you or a loved one are the victims of a serious accident involving a large truck, van, or piece of farm equipment, it’s important to know what you’ll be facing in recovery. The at-fault truck driver may maintain commercial truck insurance to help victims after accidents. The company or farm that employs the driver may also have accident insurance that victims can draw upon.
Maison Law’s Livermore Truck Accident Lawyers offer all injury victims a free case strategy session to discuss their options after a collision. You’ll learn how to protect yourself from insurance tactics meant to rob you of the compensation your family will need in recovery. This consultation comes with no obligation. If you choose to have us represent your claim, you won’t pay us unless we win your case.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for My Livermore Truck Accident?
A truck driver will carry commercial truck insurance, but the policy will have a cap on what it will pay out to injury victims. That settlement check may run out with only half of your medical bills and other damages paid. The rest may have to be paid out of your own pocket. You may go into deep debt within just a few weeks.
These low insurance limits are why it’s important to target every party that can be held responsible for your injuries. Fortunately, with commercial truck drivers, their employers are often fully responsible for the mistakes their drivers make.
In reality, there may be many different parties and insurance providers that would have to provide a truck accident settlement check:
- Truck Driver – Victims may have been struck by local drivers who work for themselves. They may be contract drivers, hauling for different employers each day. They will generally only be covered by their personal truck insurance policy. These policies can also have low caps on compensation.
- Local Transport Company — Drivers may be working for a smaller, local delivery or shipping company that provides some insurance. Truck drivers may be driving for a local farm or manufacturing plant. Companies must run full background checks on their potential hires. When they are negligent in this duty, business owners and farm owners may be held liable for accidents. These companies will hopefully cover their employees with a bigger insurance policy.
- Large Corporations and National Distributors – These national and international companies, like large agricultural businesses, may hire and maintain their own fleet of trucks and drivers. They can also rely on national distribution companies that transport goods for many local companies. These businesses are liable for the drivers they hire. They must make sure they are safe drivers and offer safety training to ensure they use safe practices.
- Truck Maker – If there’s a defect with the truck that causes an accident, perhaps there’s been a recall, the manufacturer of the vehicle can also be called upon to provide compensation for their errors in production.
What Can I Receive Compensation for in a Truck Accident Insurance Settlement?
Your Livermore personal injury lawyer will want to know about every financial hardship you’ve suffered in recovery. This won’t just include the hospital bills you receive in the mail. The bills you fall behind on, like a mortgage and car payments, while missing work should also be considered when determining the size of a truck accident settlement check.
The non-economic damages such as the emotional pain you endure must also factor in. You may suffer from depression and anxiety during a long and difficult recovery. You may not be able to participate in your hobbies and in family activities. You could also endure PTSD symptoms every time you are your truck collision comes to mind.
These are just a few of the other factors that can earn you and your family compensation after an accident:
- Current hospital bills and estimates on care needed in the future.
- Cost for physical therapy, rehabilitation, and medical equipment.
- Permanent disability/disfigurement support.
- Physical pain and emotional damages suffered.
- Travel costs for medical treatment.
- Lost wages and benefits from work.
- Cost of repairs or replacement of car.
- Wrongful death benefits. Families forced to file a wrongful death claim will ask for assistance with funeral and burial costs and in paying remaining medical bills. Families must also demand help for the future when the income the deceased had contributed to family finances is no longer available.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim?
California grants accident victims up to two years after an accident to file an accident claim against a truck driver’s insurance. This deadline also applies to a case filed against a trucking company.
What if I can’t afford to hire a truck accident lawyer?
You won’t need to have any money to hire Maison Law. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for your family. Then our fee is paid out of the settlement money you receive.
Do I have to go to court when I file a truck accident claim?
Usually not. The majority of truck accident claims are settled out of court. Insurance companies want to provide fair settlement checks to victims rather than risk having to go before a judge and pay to defend their unfair practices.
Contact a Livermore Truck Accident Lawyer
After a frightening accident with a big rig, van, or piece of machinery, please contact a local truck accident attorney serving Livermore and Alameda County victims. Insurance providers for companies and corporations aren’t required to tell victims about everything available to them. Your personal injury attorney will make sure you know exactly what should be provided to you as you heal.
Contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free consultation and case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to every case. He believes that every client should be allowed to heal physically, emotionally, and financially without worry over hospital bills and lost paychecks. Those responsible for collisions should never escape accountability for accidents and injuries.
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