Richmond Truck Accident Attorneys

Helping Injured Trucking Accident Victims Pursue Compensation

Every year, thousands of drivers and passengers sustain serious or even fatal injuriesin collisions involving large trucks and passenger vehicles. Such accidents tend to be much more severe than the average car accident because of the significant difference in size between a standard passenger vehicle and a semi-truck. The consequences of such an accident can be even more tragic if the cargo inside the tractor-trailer is flammable or toxic, leading to painful catastrophic injuries or death for the victims involved in the truck accident.

If you suffered injuries or lost a family member due to a truck accident in Richmond, VA, it’s essential to know you’re not alone as you begin the healing process. You’re entitled to legal advice from Richmond truck accident lawyers who can tell you if you have a solid truck accident case to pursue. When you get guidance from experienced truck accident attorneys serving the Richmond, VA area, you’ll have a chance to get the compensation you need for the expenses you have after a serious truck accident. If you’re ready to learn more about initiating a truck accident claim, call Jurach, Tacey&Quitiquit, PLC for a free consultation with compassionate Richmond truck accident lawyers.

What Are the Most Common Types of Truck Accidents?

There are many ways for commercial trucks to collide with passenger vehicles, causing severe injuries for drivers and passengers in Richmond, VA. Some of the most common types of trucking accidents include:

• Jackknife accidents: This describes a truck accident where the trailer swings to the side of the truck’s cab, forming an angle that mimics an unfolding jackknife. This often happens when the truck driver slams on the brakes or the trailer loses traction with the road due to a slippery surface, potentially colliding with numerous vehicles in surrounding lanes
• Rollover accidents: The height of the typical semi-truck makes it prone to rolling over when the driver loses control of the vehicle, such as when they’re speeding, driving while distracted, or carrying cargo that was improperly loaded. Rollover crashes are among the deadliest types of trucking accidents since a large truck can easily crush other vehicles and pedestrians while rolling
• Blind spot accidents: Semi-trucks are known for having large blind spots that make it difficult for truck drivers to see cars driving next to them. When a truck driver isn’t careful to check their blind spot before switching lanes, a blind spot collision can occur, usually resulting in severe injuries to anyone in the passenger vehicle
• Rear-end crashes: Semi-trucks take longer to stop than smaller vehicles, so if a truck driver is distracted or tailgating other cars on the road, they risk hitting the back end of the vehicle in front of them when it’s time to slow down or come to a stop. This can crush the passenger vehicle ahead of them, causing catastrophic injuries or death, especially to anyone in the back seat
• Underride accidents: This type of truck accident occurs when a smaller car collides with the side or back of a trailer and becomes trapped under it. Underride crashes are most common when smaller cars or motorcycles tailgate tractor-trailers, especially if the truck’s brake lights are out or the truck is not properly equipped with underride guards
• Cargo spills: Some truck accidents occur when the cargo a truck is carrying starts to fall onto the road or other vehicles. This is especially dangerous to others when the cargo is a toxic substance, and it usually occurs because someone loaded the cargo improperly

If you were involved in any of these or other types of truck accidents, you should contact a skilled accident lawyer in Richmond to find out if you can file a personal injury claim. Doing so could get you the settlement you need to pay for your medical bills, car repairs, and other financial losses suffered in the truck accident. Contact Jurach, Tacey&Quitiquit, PLC to schedule your free initial consultation with caring Richmond truck accident attorneys.

What Are Some Common Causes of Trucking Accidents?

Whether you were injured in a rollover accident, cargo spill, or another type of truck accident, part of your insurance claim is determining who and what caused the crash. A skilled Richmond truck accident attorney can handle this step based on the details of the accident, so be sure to hire one before you begin your truck accident claim. Some of the most common reasons behind truck accidents include:

• Speeding
• Tailgating
• Impaired driving
• Distracted driving
• Overloaded or improperly loaded cargo
• Truck driver fatigue
• Equipment failure
• Poor vehicle maintenance
• Insufficient truck driver training
• Extreme weather
• Poorly designed roads

Once the reason for the truck accident is apparent, your Richmond truck accident lawyer will begin the process of proving fault. In many semi-truck accident cases, more than one party is to blame, depending on what led to the crash. This is why truck accident claims are often considered more complex than most car accident cases, though they’re also usually worth more since you can pursue compensation from more than one insurance company.

For example, if your truck accident lawyer discovers that the cause of the crash was driver fatigue, speeding, or drugged driving, they might investigate why the truck driver made these decisions behind the wheel. While truck driver negligence could be solely to blame for the crash, their employer could also be liable. This is because some trucking companies pressure truck drivers to arrive at their destination as soon as possible, even if that means sleeping too little, driving too fast, or taking drugs to stay awake at the wheel.

Another example of a truck accident case with more than one liable party is when a truck driver was not adequately trained by their employer, so they could not safely change lanes or stop the truck before colliding with other vehicles. If this is found to be the cause of a serious truck accident, the truck driver and the truck company that employs them could be held responsible for the victim’s losses.

In some cases, truck drivers and the trucking companies that employ them are not the only liable parties named in a VA truck accident claim, assuming other factors led to the collision. For instance, if the brakes, tires, lights, or other truck parts malfunctioned, the investigation into the truck accident will consider what caused this.

If there’s evidence that a truck mechanic was supposed to inspect the semi-truck for mechanical issues and didn’t do this properly, they could be partly or wholly liable for the crash. If the truck parts that caused the collision were defective from the start, the truck manufacturer could be to blame.

Some truck accident cases even hold government agencies responsible for truck accidents, such as when it’s clear that a road was poorly designed or not well maintained by the city or state agency in charge of road safety. Experienced Richmond truck accident attorneys know how to conduct thorough investigations to determine who and what caused the truck crashes that injured their clients. If you want to learn more about how a trusted law firm can provide truck accident litigation help, call Jurach, Tacey&Quitiquit, PLC for a free consultation.

What Injuries Do Truck Accident Victims Often Sustain?

The larger size and weight of commercial trucks means colliding with them can cause severe or even deadly injuries for drivers and passengers in smaller vehicles. This is why filing a truck accident claim for enough compensation to pay for medical expenses and more is important, as these bills can add up fast after a severe injury. Some of the most common truck accident injuries include:

• Burns
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Organ damage
• Fractured or crushed bones
• Dislocated joints
• Soft tissue damage
• Limb amputation
• Scarring
• Paralysis
• PTSD

If you or a loved one suffered these or other severe injuries in a commercial truck accident, it’s time to consult a Richmond truck accident attorney who can ensure the at-fault parties are held liable for your losses. Whether your injuries are permanent or will require surgery and physical therapy to fully heal over the years, you should not have to pay for these medical expenses on your own. A skilled Virginia truck accident lawyer will pursue the money you need from the insurance company of the tractor-trailer driver, trucking company, truck manufacturer, or other liable parties.

At Jurach, Tacey&Quitiquit, PLC, we understand that injured truck accident victims are usually in pain and may be worried about the many doctor appointments and medical bills they have to deal with after a trucking accident in Richmond, VA. This is why we aim to make it easy for them to get the legal help they need when initiating a Richmond truck accident claim. If you sustained severe injuries in a collision with a large truck, contact our law firm to discuss your truck accident claim.

How Much Is Your Truck Accident Claim Worth?

When you’re hurt in an accident that you didn’t cause, you deserve to have all of the related expenses paid for by the responsible party so you’re not in debt as you heal from your injuries. After all, it’s unfair to expect a truck accident victim to pay for their own car repairs, medical bills, and missed income because someone else was negligent behind the wheel. This is why you should contact a Richmond truck accident attorney for help determining who caused the accident and how much your claim could be worth.

The amount you can pursue from the at-fault party’s insurance company will vary depending on your actual expenses and the overall effect the accident has had on your life. This means your Virginia truck accident attorney will add up all your current and likely future expenses from the tractor-trailer crash to determine your economic damages. They will then consider how the accident changed your life in ways that are harder to calculate, known as non-economic damages. Most victims of Virginia truck accidents can pursue the following economic and non-economic damages:

• Lost wages
• Medical expenses
• Property damage
• Loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of quality of life
• Emotional distress
• Depression
• Mental anguish

These damages are common for personal injury claims made by injured trucking accident victims. However, if you lost a close family member in a tractor-trailer accident, you might qualify to file a wrongful death lawsuit, which pursues slightly different types of compensation. Your wrongful death settlement will depend on whether you relied on your deceased loved one for income or were left with unpaid bills associated with their death due to a commercial truck accident. In general, you can pursue the following damages in a Virginia wrongful death claim:

• Unpaid medical bills
• Loss of income
• Funeral and burial costs
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of guidance

Experienced Richmond truck accident lawyers know what types of compensation victims of serious accidents are likely to receive through truck accident lawsuits, so they can use their legal knowledge to guide clients. If you’re curious about how much your tractor-trailer accident claim is worth or want to know what evidence you need for your case, call Jurach, Tacey&Quitiquit, PLC, to schedule a free initial consultation with caring Virginia truck accident lawyers.

What Can Richmond Truck Accident Attorneys Do for You?

If you’re interested in pursuing compensation from the commercial driver, trucking company, or anyone else in the trucking industry who might share liability for the accident, there are certain steps you can take for the best possible outcome. Most of them should be done immediately after your crash with a semi-trailer truck to ensure your safety and improve your claim. These steps include the following:

• Call the police so you can fill out a police report when they arrive
• Get medical help for your injuries, either by taking an ambulance to the hospital or scheduling a doctor’s appointment once you leave the scene of the accident
• Take pictures of your injuries, the damage to your vehicle, the position of the tractor-trailer and your car, and any traffic signs nearby
• Get contact information from any witnesses who saw the commercial vehicle collide with your car
• Exchange insurance information with the truck driver
• Call a lawyer who has provided legal guidance to numerous victims of Virginia trucking accidents

Completing these tasks directly following the accident can help strengthen your truck accident claim, but you can still file a claim even if you were not able to get through all the steps. The right legal team for your case will consider your description of the tractor-trailer accident and review the evidence you might have gathered from the scene.

They will then begin looking for more evidence to determine the cause of the crash before deciding which insurance company to file a claim against. Experienced lawyers often do the following to find sufficient evidence after truck accidents in Virginia:

• Visit the scene of the accident to collect evidence that may have been missed
• Request truck driver logbooks, urine and blood test results, and cell phone records to determine if fatigue, impaired driving, or distracted driving played a role in the crash
• Ask the trucking company for truck maintenance records to ensure the truck was recently inspected
• Find out if any traffic cameras may have recorded the accident
• Reach out to possible witnesses who can describe what they saw before and during the accident

At Jurach, Tacey&Quitiquit, PLC, we have helped countless clients get the compensation they’re entitled to after being injured in Virginia truck accidents. Our experience has taught us that commercial truck drivers and the truck companies they work for are usually hesitant to turn over the information you need to make a claim against their insurance company. That’s why we urge you to leave the legal tasks to our team, as we know what to expect from the process involved in pursuing fair compensation for victims of truck accidents.

Determining fault in tractor-trailer accidents is only the beginning of a case, as the next steps involve presenting evidence, calculating compensation, and negotiating with the insurance company. When the at-fault party’s insurer refuses the claim or doesn’t agree to pay a fair amount, bringing your lawsuit to the courtroom for litigation may be necessary, which is why you need a skilled lawyer on your side.

If it turns out you’re suffering the consequences of an uninsured truck driver accident, the case is even more complex and requires the guidance of lawyers who have successfully handled cases involving truck crashes. If you’re ready to learn more about how to pursue the compensation you deserve after a semi-truck crash, call Jurach, Tacey&Quitiquit, PLC at 804-531-5524 for a free initial consultation with compassionate lawyers serving Virginia.