Pontiac Truck Accident Attorneys

Providing Aggressive Legal Representation for Truck Accident Victims

Truck accidents are one of the most severe collisions motorists can be involved in. Passenger vehicles are no match for larger commercial trucks weighing up to 80,000. Most truck accidents result in victims sustaining devastating injuries that can take weeks or even years to heal properly.

Injury victims who are unable to return to work can quickly find themselves in a financial crisis due to lost income. Additionally, truck accident victims who suffer life-changing catastrophic injuries such as paralysis, amputations, organ loss, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), or severe burns typically require skilled nursing care, which can be cost-prohibitive for families.

Our experienced legal team has a proven track record of obtaining maximum compensation for clients harmed due to another person’s negligence. Trucking companies often have legal teams whose only task is looking for loopholes to deny or devalue claims.

However, our highly trained Pontiac truck accident lawyers are fearless when standing up to the big insurance companies to help clients obtain full compensation for their injuries.

For these reasons, if you or a family member have been injured in a tractor-trailer accident, you must hire an experienced attorney who can protect your legal rights.

Contact the Bashore Green Law Group of Pontiac, MI, law offices to schedule a free initial consultation with a commercial truck accident lawyer who can determine your legal options.

What Factors Lead to Commercial Truck Accidents?

Motor vehicles can be involved in collisions for various reasons, and commercial trucks are no different. Although some issues, such as adverse weather conditions and poor roads, are typically out of a truck driver’s control, several other factors can be attributed to the trucking company or operator.

Some of the most common factors that lead to commercial truck accidents include:

Speeding

Unlike smaller motor vehicles that can brake and stop quickly to avoid a collision, semi-trucks take significantly longer to stop, especially if they are loaded with freight. Many drivers hurry to the next stop and speed to make up for lost time. Speeding trucks often cause rear-end collisions that can leave motorists severely injured.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is one of the most significant contributors to trucking accidents. As with other drivers, truck drivers are often preoccupied with their cellphones, GPS, or onboard computer systems and fail to pay attention to the road. Distracted driving often leads to rear-end collisions or side-swipe accidents.

Road Rage or Aggressive Driving

Truck drivers with road rage or who drive aggressively are an accident waiting to happen. Due to a semi’s sheer size and weight, smaller motor vehicles often bear the brunt of a driver’s rage or aggressive driving tactics. Accidents that result from road rage can leave drivers and their passengers with serious injuries, property damage, and PTSD.

Driving Under the Influence

When truck drivers operate their commercial vehicles under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they not only endanger their own lives but also the lives of all other drivers and their passengers on the road. Individuals with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) are subject to different rules than non-commercial drivers. For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Michigan state laws stipulate that a commercial driver is considered to be driving under the influence if their blood alcohol concentration is 0.04, half the legal limit of other drivers.

Driver Fatigue

A major cause of commercial vehicle accidents is driver fatigue. Trucking companies often push their drivers to operate over the federally mandated Hours of Service (HOS) rules to make their loads on time or early. Many fatal commercial vehicle accidents have resulted from the driver falling asleep at the wheel and losing control of their vehicle.

Some other common factors that lead to trucking accidents include:

• Failure to obey traffic laws
• Improperly loaded cargo.
• Lack of driver training.
• Lack of maintenance
• Defective equipment

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Commercial Vehicle Accident?

Professional drivers who operate commercial vehicles are held to a higher standard when it comes to obeying traffic laws and dealing with other motorists. Of course, a negligent driver can be held liable for a tractor-trailer accident; other entities could also be held accountable for a victim’s injuries and other damages.

If it can be proven that a truck crash resulted from the company pushing the operator to drive over their HOS, they can also be held liable for the accident. Additionally, if the semi-truck was involved in an accident resulting from a manufacturer’s defect, the manufacturer could also be held culpable for injuries.

Other entities that could be held liable for their negligence that contributed to a truck accident include:

• The shipper who loaded the vehicle.
• The shipper who hired the commercial vehicle.
• Independent contractors
• Any other party who may have played a role in the crash occurring.

Often, in commercial vehicle accidents, multiple liability issues can make it challenging for victims to receive the compensation they need to go on with their lives.

Therefore, if you have suffered a serious injury in a truck accident, you must hire a skilled Pontiac truck accident attorney who will protect your interests. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can thoroughly evaluate your case and determine who should be liable for your harm.

If you need help determining who should be held accountable for your medical bills and non-economic damages, contact Bashore Green Law Group immediately. One of our highly trained Pontiac truck accident lawyers will gladly sit down with you to answer your questions.

What Types of Damages Can I Recover After Being Injured in a Truck Accident?

One of the most essential questions injured victims ask regards what types of damages they may be able to recover after being injured in a truck accident. As with car crashes, individuals injured in truck collisions are legally allowed to pursue economic and non-economic damages. Additionally, if specific legal criteria apply, individuals may be able to collect exemplary damages.

Economic Damages

Commercial vehicle accident victims may be entitled to recover damages for economic losses incurred due to their injuries. Some of the most common economic damages include:

• Past and current medical expenses, including compensation for physical therapy and rehabilitation costs.
• Lost wages due to the inability to work.
• Loss of earning potential if the injured victim is no longer able to perform the same type of employment due to their injuries
• Property damage to replace or repair damages to their motor vehicle.

Non Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are awarded based on the unique events involved in the truck accident. It should be noted that just as all crashes involving commercial vehicles are different, any non-economic damages that may be obtained will also vary. Unlike economic losses with a monetary value, non-economic damages are highly subjective.

However, some frequently awarded non-economic damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress for trauma endured by the accident victim.
• Loss of enjoyment of life if the victim can no longer participate in the same activities they enjoyed before they were injured.
• Permanent disfigurement and scarring

Exemplary Damages

Michigan is unlike other states that award victims punitive damages meant to punish wrongdoers and send a warning to others not to repeat the same behavior. Instead, Michigan law allows individuals to collect “exemplary damages” if their compensation is insufficient to cover their injuries.

However, exemplary damages are rare in Michigan; only a skilled attorney can determine if they are appropriate for a personal injury case.

To learn more about the damages you may be entitled to recover, contact our law firm and ask to schedule a consultation with a Pontiac truck accident lawyer who can assess your case.

Why Should I Let a Truck Accident Lawyer Deal With the Insurance Company?

Crashes involving commercial vehicles are more complex than car accidents, as the insurers who provide coverage to trucking companies have teams of lawyers who look for ways to deny or pay less than a claim is worth. In many instances, big insurance companies utilize accident investigators and reconstructionists to try and lessen their company’s liability for personal injury cases.

The insurer often sends an insurance adjuster to speak with the injured victim shortly after the crash. Insurance adjusters are trained to look for ways to save the company money. However, accident victims should know that they are not legally bound to have to interact with the driver’s insurance company. Instead, individuals who have sustained truck accident injuries must always hire a Pontiac truck accident lawyer to assist them with their legal needs.

Bashore Green Law Group is a law firm with an experienced legal team familiar with the tactics insurance adjusters often use to try and minimize their liability. When we agree to take your case, we will deal directly with the insurance company. We want our clients to take the time to heal, focus on their recovery, and not worry about negotiating with the insurance provider.

However, one common strategy that providers often use is having an insurance adjuster contact the injured victim before they can think about hiring an accident lawyer. If you do speak with an insurance adjuster, there are several vital things to keep in mind to protect your ability to collect full compensation, which include:

• Offer information that pertains only to the facts involved in the accident, which include the time, date, location, and names of the parties involved.
• Do not apologize or admit any fault for causing the accident.
• Do not make false statements, as the adjuster will talk to others involved in the accident or those who witnessed the crash.

Finally, because multiple liability issues often determine who should be held responsible for an accident, it is in your best interest to contact a Pontiac truck accident lawyer who can protect your legal rights.

What Makes Your Pontiac Truck Accident Lawyer the Right Choice to Handle My Injury Claim?

Bashore Green Law Group of Pontiac, MI, is a civil trial law firm skilled in handling personal injury cases. Unlike other law firms that are often more concerned about their profits, our accident lawyers do not charge any legal fees unless we win your case.

We aim to ensure that truck accident victims and their families have solid legal representation as we fight to help them receive the fair treatment and justice they deserve.

Often, other law firms want to settle personal injury claims quickly so they can go on to the next case. Instead, Bashore Green Law Group is committed to helping injured victims obtain fair compensation for their damages.

Our attorneys have extensive experience handling commercial vehicle accidents and are not afraid to stand up to the big insurance companies to help you obtain a financial settlement that will provide for your needs. For this reason, we handle all the negotiations with the insurers so that you can focus on healing and not worry about dealing with the insurance company.

Like insurance companies, our law firm also has the resources to call upon expert witnesses and accident reconstructionists to help substantiate your personal injury claim. We thoroughly investigate all aspects of the truck crash to ensure that all responsible entities are held liable for their role in the accident.

Finally, our experienced legal team strives to treat our clients like family. As a result, we work diligently to keep all our clients informed of any changes or progress in their cases.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a commercial vehicle accident, contact Bashore Green Law Group, and ask to schedule a free consultation with a Pontiac attorney who will evaluate your case and determine the available legal options.