The commercial trucking industry is stronger than ever, as the truck traffic on Indiana’s highways clearly shows. While so many industries and employers have been devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic, truck transportation has hardly missed a beat. The movement of commercial goods is essential to the U.S. economy, and the relatively isolated nature of the work means there has been no need for a slowdown. What that means to commuters and travelers across the state, unfortunately, is that the risk of being involved in a crash with one of these 40-ton vehicles is as high as ever—if not even higher. When that happens, it’s important that you have a knowledgeable advisor and experienced Indianapolis truck accident attorney on your side, because you can be sure the trucker driver does!
Why the Stakes Are So High After an Indiana Semi-Truck Crash
Any vehicle collision at highway speeds can be devastating, but when one vehicle is significantly larger than the other, the occupants of the smaller car are at high risk of experiencing:
- Catastrophic injuries. Being run off the road, plowed over, or smashed into by an 18-wheeler can result in traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, fractured bones, and internal organ damage that will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recover from.
- Fatalities. The driver or other occupants of a passenger vehicle are at risk of being killed when their car collides with a tractor-trailer. Surviving family members may be owed wrongful death damages.
- Astronomical medical bills. The kinds of injuries sustained in these crashes can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills for emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, medications, and many months of rehabilitation.
- Resistance from the trucker’s insurance company. No matter how clear the truck driver’s fault is, his employer and the insurance company will fight claims every step of the way. You can be sure they will not cooperate with an accident victim.
As a truck accident victim, you have a lot to lose when a trucking company refuses to take your claim seriously.
An Experienced Indiana Truck Accident Attorney Can Make All the Difference
Before speaking to the trucking company’s attorneys or insurance representatives, it’s important that you meet with a personal injury attorney who has experience with catastrophic truck accident claims. At Keller & Keller, we will take the following steps on your behalf:
- Investigate the crash. As soon as possible after the crash, our attorneys will get to work finding out what happened. We will secure evidence, such as the truck’s electronic data recorder, maintenance records, and the driver’s health history and driving records, to build a strong case.
- Write a demand letter backed up with evidence. Drawing on our Indianapolis personal injury extensive experience, we will put together a demand letter that takes present and future costs into consideration. We will include pictures of the accident, medical records and prognoses, a catalog of your injuries, and additional evidence to back up our demand.
- Fight claims of shared responsibility. One way the trucking company’s insurance company will try to reduce what they owe is to pin some of the blame for the crash on you. Under Indiana’s comparative fault system, if you are more than 50 percent at fault, you will not be entitled to any compensation. If you are found to be 50 percent or less to blame, your compensation will be reduced by that amount. Our lawyers will fight any claim of partial fault.
As you take the time and space you need to recover, our team will take over the fight to get you what you are owed after a commercial truck accident. Request a Free Consultation, Start a Live Chat or call our truck accident team in Indianapolis at 1-800-253-5537 to schedule your free consultation today.
