What if my loved one was injured or killed in an accident with a truck in Tennessee?

When you have been involved in a serious accident, it may be hard to focus on more than getting necessary medical treatment and struggling with everyday activities. However, it is important to get legal assistance as soon as possible because evidence begins to degrade and disappear almost as soon as the truck accident has happened. Although it may be difficult to decide what to do when so much is going on in your life, there are some questions that you should ask to help decide what to do.

Are truck accidents different that an accident between two passenger vehicles?

The answer is yes. Commercial trucks are regulated by state and federal laws. Truck drivers are required to satisfy more stringent safety standards. They also are required to have more insurance coverage than regular drivers. If the truck is part of a trucking company, the company has a requirement to conduct a thorough background check on the driver in order to be sure that there are no substance abuse problems. In addition, there should be ongoing evaluation of the drivers in order to ensure that new problems have not arisen. If there are any violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation Act, an injured driver can hold both the driver and trucking company responsible for the accident.

What if my loved one was injured or killed in an accident with a truck?

Although the right to bring a lawsuit rests with the victim, if your loved one was killed in the accident then you might be able to bring action on his or her behalf as representative of the estate.

Who is responsible for the accident?

In a truck accident case, this is a complicated answer. Liability rests initially with the driver who caused the accident. However, there also is responsibility that can be assigned to the owner of the cab, the owner of the trailer, and the company that may be listed on the trailer, if it is different from the trucking company. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, the loading facility that positioned and secured the load on the truck as well as the individual or company that owns the cargo being shipped may be negligent in some manner, depending on the nature of the accident.

Why is it important to act quickly after a truck accident?

There are a lot of avenues of investigation in a truck accident because of how highly regulated the industry is. Truck drivers are required to keep a log of distances traveled and other details of the trip. In addition, there is a limit on the number of hours per day that a driver may travel. Although this often was manipulated in the driver’s log to allow the driver to travel longer distances, new technology is helping to eliminate the fraudulent documentation. What all of this means is that there are many different items and statements that must be gathered. In many cases, documents may be destroyed legally after a period as short as six months.

Truck accidents are terrifying events that change lives. The injuries often are devastating. It may be difficult to do much more that travel to doctor appointments and struggle with bills, but it is important to get the advice of knowledgeable Memphis truck accident attorneys like Greer Injury Lawyers, PLLC to protect your rights. For a truck accident victim, the funds from a damages settlement or jury award are vital to your continuing recovery. In order to set up a time to discuss what happened to you, call us at 1 (888) 470-9143 at any time. At Greer Injury Lawyers, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.