Are you preparing to file a commercial truck accident claim? You should know that filing this type of claim differs from filing, say, a car accident claim.
For this reason, those filing semi-truck accident lawsuits and other large vehicle collision claims should hire the right accident attorneys to help. You should also be aware of what makes filing a commercial truck accident claim different.
Learn about several key differences that set truck accident cases apart below.
They Involve More Serious Injuries and Property Damage
The average passenger car weighs significantly more than it used to, clocking in at just over 4,300 pounds. This is roughly 1,000 pounds heavier than the average passenger car was in 1980.
Despite this, the average passenger car weighs nowhere near the average commercial truck. Semi-trucks start at between 10,000 and 25,000 pounds, and some trucks might weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, if not more, when they’re filled with cargo.
Because of this, commercial truck accidents often have much bigger impacts than car accidents. They can cause serious injuries, including:
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries to the liver, kidneys, and other vital organs
- Burns
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
They can also do serious property damage to passenger cars. Large trucks are more likely to total the cars they hit during collisions.
Each of these aspects makes filing a commercial truck accident claim more complicated during the truck crash legal process.
They Can Be Filed Against a Wider Range of Responsible Parties
Determining truck accident liability isn’t usually as simple as determining car accident liability. So many more parties may be held responsible for large truck crashes.
When one car hits another car, one of the two drivers involved in an accident like this is normally held responsible for the crash. But when a truck is involved in an accident with a car, the blame might fall on:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- A cargo-loading company
- A truck part manufacturer
Before filing a commercial truck accident claim, you and your attorney must analyze your crash from every angle to determine who may have been liable for it.
They Tend to Be Worth More Overall
In many cases, recovering from a truck accident is harder than recovering from a car accident. Since truck crashes cause such catastrophic injuries and do so much damage, it will cost a lot of money to recover from them in both a physical and financial sense.
This explains why the average commercial truck accident claim is worth more than the average car accident claim. You may be able to push to collect more commercial vehicle crash compensation to cover costly medical bills, lost wages, and more.
At the same time, this might make it challenging for the plaintiffs in truck accident cases to come to agreements on trucking accident settlements with defendants. The stakes are often very high in these cases, so defendants aren’t always willing to give in to the demands of plaintiffs.
Need Help Filing a Commercial Truck Accident Claim? Call Us Today
Filing a commercial truck accident claim will come with its fair share of complications. If you’re having difficulty figuring out where to begin, let an experienced truck accident lawyer from Stewart & Stewart Attorneys lend a hand.
We will evaluate your truck crash and piece together a compelling case before filing it on your behalf. We will also aim to work out a settlement with the defendant in your case or even take your case to trial if necessary.
Contact us at 800-333-3529 today to schedule a consultation.