
Hammond Truck Accident Lawyers
As the most populous city in Lake County and Chicago’s closest Indiana neighbor, Hammond experiences a steady influx of commercial trucks passing through it each day, which can be both a blessing and a curse. While semi-trailers supply residents with essential goods and facilitate the operations of local businesses, their sheer size could transform a “fender bender” into a catastrophe, especially with Indiana permitting trucks weighing up to 127,400 pounds to travel within its borders.
Moreover, truck accidents are far from rare in the Hoosier State, where 5,410 truck-related collisions took place in 2023, and the outcomes are often dire. In fact, Indiana ranks ninth in trucking deaths nationwide, though a non-fatal truck accident could still manage to inflict punishing injuries requiring extensive treatment that few families could afford on their own.
Fortunately, you may have grounds for a personal injury case if you have been badly hurt by a truck driver in the Hammond area, and you could increase your chances of success by partnering with the Hammond truck accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group.
To learn what an accomplished Hammond truck accident attorney can do for you, schedule a free consultation by calling us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form now.
Driver-Based Causes of Hammond Truck Accidents
Despite their massive dimensions and unique features, large trucks and semi-trailers have one trait in common with basically every motor vehicle: they are driven by humans, who sometimes make mistakes – mistakes that could be disastrous when they occur behind the wheel of a big rig.
Consequently, drivers tend to be responsible for the vast majority of truck accidents. Indeed, the Indiana University Public Policy Institute blames 65 percent of crashes in the state on “unsafe [driver] actions,” whereas the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration links drivers to 87 percent of the “critical reasons” for collisions with trucks.
Examples of driver misbehavior that could lead to a Hammond truck accident include:
- Surpassing a safe speed for conditions
- Following too closely (tailgating)
- Distraction
- Improper overtaking
- Abrupt lane changes
- Ignoring traffic signals
- Failure to yield the right of way
Of course, these sorts of errors are not only committed by truck drivers, who might actually be less likely to engage in reckless conduct than the general public in light of their advanced training. However, they may be more prone to certain deficiencies thanks to the nature of their jobs, particularly when it comes to driving while drowsy, which is at the heart of about 100,000 auto accidents, 50,000 injuries, and 800 deaths each year in the United States.
Truckers drive for most of their professional lives, in contrast to the average American motorist, who drives approximately 61.3 minutes per day, though federal regulations cap truck driver shift durations at 14 hours, with no more than eleven of those hours devoted to driving. Nevertheless, so much driving could take a significant toll on anyone’s ability to stay alert and awake, frequently with tragic results for which the assistance of a skilled Hammond truck accident lawyer may be necessary.
Other Elements Associated with Hammond Truck Accidents
Aside from the driver-based causes of Hammond truck accidents, other elements may be associated with bringing about a crash or exacerbating its effects. Some of these elements may arise from flaws in a truck’s design, production, or upkeep, such as:
- Substandard brakes
- Malfunctioning turn signals
- Dying headlights
- Separating tire treads
- Broken tow hitches
- Excessive or unfixed cargo
- Jackknifing trailers
Additionally, some contributory factors could be entirely external to the trucks and their drivers, including:
- Inclement weather
- Road hazards
Yet no matter what ultimately caused the truck accident in which you were harmed, you can rely on Hensley’s seasoned Hammond truck accident attorneys to determine how best to proceed against everyone who may be liable for it.
Who Is Liable for a Hammond Truck Accident?
But exactly who is liable for a Hammond truck accident? The answer may not be immediately apparent because of the inherent complexity of the trucking industry. In Indiana alone, there are an estimated 15,829 registered trucking companies who collectively transport over 417,000 tons of freight every day. Many individuals and entities could have a hand in any one of these shipments by truck, and each of them might be culpable if something goes awry.
Potential defendants for Hammond truck accident claims might include:
- Truck drivers
- Truck owners
- Companies making use of trucks
- Loaders
- Mechanics
- Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of defective components
- Government bodies in charge of building or repairing roadways
- Subcontractors employed by the government bodies
In some situations, multiple defendants could share varying degrees of civil liability simultaneously, for which they could share varying degrees of fiscal liability too, and they must all be pursued within the period allotted by law, known as the Statute of Limitations. The Statute is two years for most truck accidents in Indiana, though it could be much narrower in cases against the government, with further stipulations that may have to be satisfied.
If you do not file suit or achieve a resolution before the Statute expires, you could be forever barred from obtaining fair compensation, but our tenacious Hammond personal injury lawyers will make sure that a careless oversight won’t ever stall your case.
How Our Hammond Truck Accident Attorneys Can Make a Difference
A truck accident could change your life in an instant, burying you under a mountain of bills while making it nearly impossible to go to work so you can pay them. Before you realize it, you could be having trouble merely making ends meet, much less meeting the new demands on your finances.
When the worst happens, you need attorneys who are compassionate enough to support you during your struggles and wise enough to overcome them. In short, you need the Hammond truck accident attorneys at Hensley Legal Group, who have dedicated their practice to getting justice for the innocent victims of negligence.
If you hire Hensley, we will launch a comprehensive investigation into your truck accident and the defendants who may be at fault for it, then establish valid claims against them by sending formal notification in writing and informing their insurance companies. If the circumstances warrant it, we can file a lawsuit as well in a court with the power to issue a binding judgment.
Next, we will move swiftly to amass the materials to shore up your claim, such as:
- Police reports
- Citations and dispositions
- Collision photos
- Dash cam, streetlight, and surveillance footage
- Black box data
- Witness statements
- Phone records
- Driving histories
- Hours of Service (HOS) and maintenance logs
- Forensic analysis and accident reconstruction
Once a rock-solid case has been assembled, our Hammond truck accident lawyers will enter into exhaustive negotiations with the defendants’ insurers for a settlement that reflects the totality of your losses, including your:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Psychological anguish
- Impaired mobility
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Diminished quality of living
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages (if applicable)
And if an offer is not tendered that is worthy of your claim, we are not afraid to go to trial for a verdict that is, unlike many of our competitors, who seldom, if ever, see the inside a courtroom – and end up leaving money on the table that belongs in your pocket.
No two Hammond truck accidents are completely the same, but we will always strive to maximize the value of yours.
You Won’t Owe Us Anything Until We Win Your Case
Agreeing to more expenditures may be the last thing you want to do after spending so much already, but our firm works on a contingency basis, which means that you won’t owe us anything until our Hammond truck accident attorneys win your case.
At Hensley, we take on clients because we believe in them, and we are willing to take on every burden involved in making them whole again.
Reach Out to Our Hammond Truck Accident Lawyers
Hensley Legal Group has been fiercely advocating for the wrongfully injured for more than 25 years. If you have no idea what to do in the aftermath of a serious truck accident in Hammond, reach out to our Hammond truck accident lawyers to explore your legal options.
You can call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form for a complimentary case review with a knowledgeable Hammond truck accident attorney today.
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