Truck accidents can result in incredible levels of destruction. If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident in Rochester Hills, you’ve seen firsthand how badly a truck crash can devastate your health and finances.
Fortunately, you have options. A Rochester Hills truck accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for injury-related costs such as medical bills and lost wages. It’s important to contact a lawyer as soon as you can after a crash so they can get started building a case.
From time to time, semitruck accidents back up the roads in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Plenty of large trucks navigate the highways that run through the city. In particular, M-59 and I-75 see no shortage of semitrucks moving at high speeds. Even smaller roads, like Rochester Road, could be the site of deadly truck accidents.
These accidents are sometimes fatal and often result in life-altering injuries. Deadly truck crashes happen for many reasons, some of them preventable:
If you were the victim of a Rochester Hills truck accident, how and why the accident happened might not seem so important — what you’re worried about is your injuries and the financial issues they create.
However, the cause of the collision is extremely important to your Rochester Hills truck accident lawyer. Knowing why the crash took place is the first step in building a case so that you can recover compensation.
In most cases, compensation for truck accident injuries comes through an insurance policy. However, the insurer might not cover your costs if you cannot prove another person was fault.
This process can be challenging in any motor vehicle accident case. In truck accidents, it’s often even more difficult. That’s because liability for a truck accident can fall on several different parties.
Some trucking companies employ drivers directly. In other cases, the truck driver is an independent contractor who has a contract with the trucking company. The driver might own their own truck, or they might drive one owned by the company.
These factors all impact how liability plays out when a crash happens. Trucking accident compensation might come through the driver’s insurance policy, the trucking company’s insurer, or a combination of the two.
Therefore, finding the right path to compensation involves establishing that either the trucker or the company was responsible for causing the crash — or that both contributed to it.
For example, the driver may have been responsible because they broke traffic laws or disregarded trucking regulations. Or the trucking company may share the blame because it hired an inexperienced or underqualified driver.
Sometimes, other parties are at fault. The company that designed or manufactured the truck might be at fault if it made an error that resulted in an unsafe vehicle being on the road. If the truck was serviced by a mechanic who made a mistake that caused the accident, compensation might come through the mechanic’s insurance company.
Proving fault in a truck crash is never easy, and all of the insurance companies involved will fight hard to point the finger at another party. You need a skilled Rochester Hills truck accident lawyer on your case to sift through the evidence and identify who should pay for your accident injuries.
If you succeed in your Rochester Hills truck accident claim, the insurer should reimburse you for nearly all costs related to your truck crash injuries.
Compensation is typically split into two categories. The first is called economic damages. These are all injury-related expenses that have a dollar value. Some common examples of these include:
When truck accident injuries are severe, you may need long-term care or expect to undergo additional surgeries in the coming years. You could permanently lose your ability to work, or it might be a long time before you’re able to work again.
A skilled Rochester Hills truck accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for these potential future losses, such as your anticipated lifetime wages.
Compensation for a Rochester Hills car accident involving a truck can also include the emotional impact of the crash. This is more common in accidents involving serious injuries or death. This type of compensation is called non-economic damages. Some of the most common examples include:
Compensation is unique in every case. A good starting point is to attend a free consultation with a Rochester Hills semitruck accident lawyer. A lawyer can review your case and help you get an idea of your case value.
Time is limited after a truck crash causes injuries in Rochester Hills. In many cases, the evidence needed to prove negligence is present at the crash scene. This might take the form of an issue with the truck design or the truck driver’s blood alcohol level. If you wait to contact a lawyer, you run the risk of failing to preserve the evidence your case needs.
Once a lawyer gets involved in your case, they may perform an investigation, collect evidence, build a case, and attempt insurance negotiations. All of these steps can take time. If it becomes clear that the insurance company won’t offer the settlement you need, your lawyer will probably suggest filing a truck accident injury lawsuit.
However, every state places a time limit on how long you have to file a lawsuit. In Michigan, that time limit is three years for personal injury claims.
Since there are many steps a lawyer must take before filing a lawsuit, it’s important to get started on your case as soon as possible. Waiting to call a Rochester Hills truck accident lawyer puts you at risk of missing the lawsuit deadline.
Atnip & Associates, PLLC, is a Michigan personal injury law firm. Our skilled legal team has decades of experience helping injured clients recover the compensation they need. We carry a long track record of recovering six- and seven-figure settlements and awards for our Michigan clients.
Our client testimonials allow you to see firsthand the kind of outcomes we obtain for the injured individuals who trust our firm with their financial futures. We offer free consultations, and we don’t charge fees unless and until we win your case.
You’re not alone after a Rochester Hills truck crash harms your health and leaves you with serious financial issues. The Rochester Hills truck accident attorneys at Atnip & Associates, PLLC, are ready to review your case, advise you of your options, and fight for the injury compensation you need.
With the right legal team on your side, you can rise free from financial challenges as you adjust to life in the aftermath of a serious injury.
Don’t wait to ask for help with your claim. Contact Atnip & Associates, PLLC, today to schedule a free consultation with a skilled Rochester Hills truck accident attorney.