Indianapolis Truck Accident Lawyers

Talk to an Indianapolis Truck Accident Lawyer

"It was like getting hit by a truck." That is one way people describe an event that has had an enormous, and often devastating, impact in their lives. Semi-trucks are not able to stop as fast as a car and they are unable to easily maneuver around other vehicles. The damage a semi-truck can do to other cars and vehicles is much greater than occurs in almost all other traffic accidents.

If you have been involved in a collision with an 18-wheeler or semi-truck, you know that it is it not like a regular car accident. Calling an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer immediately after the accident can help preserve evidence of your claim. Call us for a free consultation at (317) 969-8000.

Getting Compensation for Your Injuries

If you have been injured in an accident with a truck, you may be facing a severe hardship. Unfortunately, insurance companies are in business to make money, and they frequently offer a lowball settlement that doesn’t even cover your medical expenses. That’s why it’s essential to contact an experienced personal injury attorney who will fight for your rights.

Your personal injury lawyer will conduct an investigation of the collision and demand a fair settlement from the insurance company. You may be entitled to compensation for:

• Past, current, and future medical expenses. This includes ambulance rides, surgeries, doctor’s office visits, rehabilitation, and physical therapy.
• Lost wages. You can be reimbursed for time missed from work.
• Lost earning capacity. If you can’t work because of the injuries you suffered in a truck accident, your ability to earn a living is significantly impaired. You could be entitled to compensation for the loss of your earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering. The physical and psychological injuries caused by a truck accident can result in significant stress and trauma.
• Permanent injury. Victims of truck accidents often need surgery. While surgery repairs the immediate injury, it leaves devastating scars. Many truck accident victims are often left permanently disfigured. These scars are a visual reminder of the pain and trauma suffered in the collision, causing severe emotional distress.
• Wrongful death. If you have lost a loved one because of the negligence of a trucking company, we can help you hold the trucking company responsible for their actions and ensure that this doesn’t happen to another family.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

Semi-trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds and their stopping time on the highway is over 500 feet. A truck can do tremendous damage when it collides with a car on the highway. That’s why truck drivers must be alert at all times. If a truck driver doesn’t react immediately to a change in the traffic flow, it can have devastating consequences for other drivers, causing serious injury or even death.

Truck collisions often are caused by:

• Distracted driving. Even a split-second delay by a truck driver in responding to a road hazard can be deadly. Unsafe habits such as texting while driving or changing the radio can divert the driver’s full attention away from the road long enough to cause a serious accident.
• Driver fatigue. Trucking is heavily regulated by the federal government to protect everyone on the road. There are strict regulations regarding the number of hours truckers are allowed to drive per day and per week so they won’t become too fatigued to drive safely. Unfortunately, trucking companies often push drivers too hard and offer bonuses if drivers meet deadlines.
• Speeding. When truck drivers go too fast, it reduces their reaction time and increases the likelihood that they will injure other drivers and their passengers if a collision occurs.
• Drug and alcohol use. No one should be on the road if their judgment and reaction time has been impaired by drug or alcohol use. Trucking companies are responsible for hiring drivers who don’t have a history of driving under the influence and making sure that their drivers are safe and sober on the road.
• Careless driving. Trucks have large blind spots where they cannot see other vehicles on the road. For this reason, drivers must be very cautious when changing lanes. They should signal lane changes in advance and make sure the lane is empty before proceeding. Many accidents occur because truck drivers carelessly merge into lanes that have cars the driver didn’t see.
• Equipment failure. Because they can do so much damage in a collision, it’s essential for trucks to be properly maintained. The companies that own the trucks can be held liable for collisions caused by faulty equipment such as poorly maintained brakes, bad tires, transmission failure, or defective lights and turn signals.

When the negligence of a trucking company harms you or your loved one, it is important to hold them accountable to prevent this from happening to another family.

I’ve Been in a Truck Accident in Indiana, What Should I Do?

If you have been involved in a jackknife accident or any other type of truck collision, you need the help of an experienced attorney. Call Indianapolis truck accident lawyer Jill Bracken-Emerson to learn your options. Jill Bracken-Emerson, suggests the following:

Seek Prompt Medical Attention

If you have sustained injuries in a trucking collision, you need to get medical attention as soon as possible. Even if you feel fine, internal injuries such as brain damage or a spinal cord injury frequently go undetected without a prompt medical exam. Just as important, seeking immediate medical attention provides you with evidence as to the cause of your injuries. Such evidence can help your accident lawyer to prove that the truck accident was the cause of your injuries.

Preserve Evidence

While evidence of your injuries and medical attention is important, just as important can be evidence from the scene of the collision. Ask the police to photograph the accident scene. If you are well enough and have access to a camera, take pictures of the accident scene on your own. Also, you should preserve the car, truck, or van that was involved in the accident until you speak with an attorney. Call Indianapolis personal injury attorney Jill Bracken-Emerson to learn your options.

Injuries Caused by Truck Accidents

Catastrophic injuries are common when a truck collides with a much smaller passenger vehicle such as a car or van. These injuries often require extensive medical treatment, and in many cases the victims will never fully recover, suffering from limited mobility or disabilities for the rest of their lives. Common injuries suffered by drivers hit by trucks include:

• Head and brain injuries
• Broken bones
• Internal injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Spinal cord injury and paralysis
• Severe burns
• Loss of limbs

We’re on Your Side

Getting hit by a truck when you’re driving is an extremely traumatic event. Our team of experienced accident attorneys at Emerson Divorce and Accident Injury Attorneys, L.L.C. will treat you with compassion from the moment you contact our office. We’re here to help you get a fair settlement that will help you put your life back together. Call (317) 969-8000 today to find out how we can help you.