If I Am Injured in a Truck Accident, Do I Need a Truck Accident Lawyer?

October 7, 2024

When you come across a major truck accident, it is only natural to wonder what you might do in the same situation or ask yourself “If I am in a truck accident, do I need a truck accident lawyer?”  Join us as we explain how an attorney can help if a truck seriously injures you. 

The Challenge of Truck Accident Cases 

Truck accidents present some of the greatest challenges in personal injury litigation, not least because of the inherent complexity of the trucking industry and its operations.  Even a single shipment by truck could be the work of many hands, each of whom might be pursued in the event of a crash.  Depending upon the circumstances, there could be a number of potential defendants for a truck accident case, like the: 

• Truck driver 

• Truck owner (if separate from the driver) 

• Business making use of the truck (if separate from the owner) 

• Cargo loader 

• Mechanic or servicing agent 

Some defendants might have never interacted directly with the truck, such as a government agency that neglected to repair a road condition that led to a collision or a manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of a truck component that malfunctioned in a way that brought about a crash.  In certain instances, multiple individuals and entities could share varying degrees of blame simultaneously, and you must go after each one within the time allotted by law if you hope to obtain the compensation that you deserve. 

Assuming you somehow manage to track down all of the liable parties, you may soon face stiff opposition from their insurance companies, the primary sources of financial recovery for most truck accident cases.  Commercial trucks and semi-trailers are required to carry significantly larger liability policies than the average passenger vehicle, ranging from a minimum of $750,000.00 in coverage when moving non-hazardous materials to upwards of $5 million when hauling hazardous freight. 

While insurance policy limits of this magnitude could increase your chances of being fairly reimbursed for your losses, they could also provide more incentive for an insurer to try to minimize the value of your case, especially if you don’t have a skilled legal practitioner in your corner.  A veteran insurance adjuster may take advantage of your inexperience to resolve your claim for pennies on the dollar, or simply deny it entirely, which could leave you with few options when you may already be teetering on the brink of ruin.  

What a Knowledgeable Truck Accident Lawyer Can Do for You 

Fortunately, the standard tricks and tactics that might be all too easily deployed against you will be far less effective on a knowledgeable truck accident lawyer, who can bring decades of prior dealings with insurance companies to the negotiating table.  This is a key reason why personal injury plaintiffs with attorneys statistically receive 3.5 times more than they would without attorneys. 

Once retained, your truck accident lawyer can launch an exhaustive investigation into your truck accident in order to unearth its root causes and everyone who may be responsible for it, then act swiftly to secure any proof of wrongdoing that might exist, such as: 

• Police reports 

• Tickets and dispositions   

• Crash site photos   

• Dash cam, traffic light, and surveillance footage   

• Black box data   

• Eyewitness statements   

• Phone records   

• Hours of Service (HOS) and inspection logs   

• Forensic analysis and accident reconstruction 

After putting together the strongest truck accident case possible, your attorney will strive to get you compensated for ALL of your losses, including your: 

• Past, present, and future medical bills  

• Lost income  

• Diminished earning capacity  

• Pain and suffering  

• Mental and emotional trauma  

• Reduced quality of living  

• Mobility restrictions  

• Loss of consortium  

• Punitive and wrongful death damages (if applicable)  

When confronted with compelling evidence detailing the extent of your damages and the depth of the insured’s guilt, a wise adjuster can be convinced to tender a generous settlement rather than risk a worse verdict at trial.  However, should a trial become necessary, a capable lawyer will be indispensable, since plaintiffs who represent themselves in court only win about four percent of their cases, whereas plaintiffs with professional representation are favored to prevail. 

And if your attorney can paint a vivid portrait of everything that the truck accident took from you, a receptive jury might just award you the resources you need to become whole again. 

Fighting for Honest Hoosiers Like You 

Hensley Legal Group has been fighting for honest Hoosiers like you for more than 25 years.  If you are struggling to bounce from your truck-related injuries, reach out to our dedicated Indiana truck accident lawyers to explore the remedies available to you.

You can schedule a free consultation with an accomplished Indiana truck accident attorney by calling or texting us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form at your earliest convenience.