Side Impact Truck Accident Lawyers

There are almost 275,000 semi-trailers registered in Indiana. While trucking is indispensable to commercial activity in the state, it comes with a serious downside in the form of truck accidents, which resulted in 999 injuries and 118 deaths statewide in 2022.

Among the most destructive types of truck accidents are T-bone or side impact collisions, in which the front of a truck crashes into the side of another vehicle. These incidents can be particularly devastating to anyone seated at the point of contact, constituting 22 percent of vehicle occupant fatalities in 2021, but even non-lethal side impact truck accidents can inflict punishing injuries that few Indiana families could manage without assistance.

That assistance may be available through a personal injury case, though a favorable outcome is never certain, especially when squaring off against huge insurance companies desperate to minimize their fiscal exposure. To increase your chances of success, reach out to the Indiana truck accident attorneys at Hensley Legal Group, who have been standing up for victims of negligence since 1998.

You can call or text us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation with a dedicated Indiana side impact truck accident lawyer today.

Why Do Side Impact Truck Accidents Occur?

While every side impact truck accident is unique, the vast majority occur when one driver fails to yield to another driver who has the right of way, often in violation of a traffic control signal at an intersection.

As is true of approximately 87 percent of truck accidents, driver error is typically to blame for these sorts of collisions. Examples of driver misconduct that could precipitate a side impact truck accident include:

· Speeding – Traveling too fast is the top cause of traffic accidents, responsible for more than 15,000 crashes annually in Indiana. Drivers who speed have less time to react and need more time to slow down, which could lead them to blow through red lights or stop signs.

· Distraction – Just behind speeding as a contributor to auto accidents is distracted driving, which took 39 lives in Indiana in 2020. Distraction is a longstanding concern that has

ballooned into an epidemic with the rise of cellphones, which are linked to 12 percent of total collisions.

· Driving under the influence – Though drunkenness behind the wheel has fallen in recent decades, it still factors into 31 percent of deadly motor vehicle accidents. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can cloud judgment and delay responses, which may make a trucker likelier to disregard another motorist’s right of way.

· Drowsiness – Driving while tired can be as dangerous as driving while drunk, with one study finding that going more than 20 hours without sleep can induce the same degree of impairment as a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, the threshold for intoxication in Indiana. Because of their intense workloads, truck drivers may be more susceptible to drowsiness, which is associated with an average of 100,000 crashes, 50,000 injuries, and 800 casualties in the United States each year.

Aside from driver error, external elements could play a role in a side impact truck accident as well, such as:

· Mechanical problems

· Excessive or unsecured freight

· Road hazards

· Inclement weather

In some instances, it may not be immediately obvious which driver was in the wrong, which could create a situation in which both sides insist on diametrically opposed versions of the same event. Fortunately, our Indiana side impact truck accident attorneys are adept at resolving cases with heavily disputed liability.

What to Do After a Side Impact Truck Accident

It can be hard to think clearly in the aftermath of a side impact truck accident, but there are key steps you should take to protect yourself and any case you may have. Specifically, you should:

· Move to a safe place – You could easily experience another accident if you remain in the street for too long, so move to a safe place before doing anything else.

· Inform the authorities – Dial 911 to inform the authorities about the collision if police and emergency personnel are not already on site. Give the responding officer a full account of what happened, since an inaccurate police report could come back to haunt you.

· Seek treatment – Injuries are the rule rather than the exception in truck accidents, so seek treatment as soon as you can, ideally from a paramedic at the scene or at the nearest emergency room. Gaps in care could hinder your recovery and call into question the causal relationship between the accident and your injuries.

· Exchange information – Do not leave without exchanging essential information with the other driver, such as:

o Name

o Address

o Phone number

o Email

o Insurance company and policy number

o Truck year, make, and model

o License plate

Try to also get the names and numbers of the truck’s owner, any company making use of the truck, and anyone who witnessed the accident.

· Take pictures and shoot videos – A contemporary visual record of the crash could be invaluable in assessing fault and cataloging damages, so use your phone to take pictures and shoot videos of your surroundings. Be sure to capture any logos or text painted or printed on the truck, which might indicate additional defendants.

· Get in touch with your insurance company – You should get in touch with your insurance company promptly so that you can remain in compliance with the terms of your policy and take advantage of whatever benefits it may provide.

· Stay away from the other insurance companies – The insurance companies for the other parties may attempt to get in touch with you, but stay away from them if possible, since a savvy insurance adjuster may be able to use your own words against you. Instead…

· Speak to a lawyer – A knowledgeable Indiana side impact truck accident lawyer can analyze the circumstances and determine whether you have grounds for a case.

How an Indiana Side Impact Truck Accident Attorney Can Help

A side impact truck accident may be over in a matter of moments, but its effects can be felt for months or even years to come. Very quickly, you could have trouble merely making ends meet, much less acquiring the funds to satisfy the new demands on your finances.

You need attorneys with the compassion to support you during this difficult chapter and the wisdom to bring it to a close. You need the Indiana side impact truck accident attorneys at Hensley Legal Group. No task is too challenging or adversary too intimidating to keep us from getting justice for our clients.

If you hire Hensley, we will launch a comprehensive investigation into your side impact truck accident and everyone who may be liable for it, moving swiftly to amass the evidentiary materials to construct your claim, such as:

· Police reports

· Tickets and dispositions

· Dash cam, streetlight, and surveillance footage

· Black box data

· Eyewitness statements

· Phone records

· Hours of Service (HOS) and maintenance logs

· Accident reconstruction and forensic analysis

After putting together a rock-solid case, our Indiana side impact truck accident lawyers will work tirelessly to negotiate a settlement that takes all of your losses into consideration, including:

· Medical bills

· Lost wages

· Pain and suffering

· Psychological and emotional trauma

· Diminished quality of living

· Mobility limitations

· Loss of consortium

· Punitive and wrongful death damages (if applicable)

And if we do not receive an offer that reflects the actual value of your case, we are more than willing to proceed to trial for a verdict that does, unlike many of our competitors, who seldom, if ever, see the inside of a courtroom.

We realize you may be reluctant to agree to more expenditures when you can least afford them, so you may be pleased to learn that our firm works on a contingency basis. This means you won’t have to pay us anything unless our Indiana side impact truck accident attorneys win your case.

Hensley will shoulder all of the burdens involved in getting you the resources to return to normal.

Our Indiana Side Impact Truck Accident Lawyers Are Here for You

Hensley Legal Group has been fighting for the everyday people of Indiana for more than 25 years. If you are struggling to get your life back on track, our Indiana side impact truck accident lawyers are here for you.

You can arrange a no-cost case review with a skilled Indiana side impact truck accident attorney by calling or texting us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form now.