Saraland Truck Accident Lawyers

A truck collision is a massive danger to everyone in the immediate vicinity. Even in a single-vehicle accident, a wrecked truck can cause a substantial amount of damage. If it was carrying hazardous materials at the time of the collision, there’s a risk of explosion. The truck itself could close the roadway for hours, causing massive traffic backups and potentially causing other crashes.

When you’re involved in a truck accident, it’s important to move quickly to seek medical care and talk to an attorney so you can fight for compensation. The team at Hedge Copeland can help you do exactly that. Call us at 251-432-8844 to set up a consultation now.

There’s a Lot at Stake—We Can Help

Truck accidents have the potential to cause millions of dollars in both property damage and bodily harm. If you try to fight for compensation without talking to an attorney, you are almost guaranteed to leave money on the table and leave with less than you deserve.

A tractor-trailer can weigh dozens of times more than a passenger vehicle, and it is capable of doing much more harm. For this reason, trucks have much larger insurance policies than smaller passenger vehicles. All of that money is at stake when you start your personal injury claim—with Hedge Copeland, you can fight for what you are entitled to.

Victims often report significant losses after collisions. Medical bills can cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, and victims with severe or catastrophic injuries may need ongoing medical care for the rest of their lives. On top of that, many people injured in truck collisions have to spend at least a few days away from work. Realistically, you could spend weeks or months off of work—those who experience catastrophic injuries may never be able to work again.

You deserve support and assistance as you bounce back from your accident. Make sure you have an attorney that can help you every step of the way.

What Causes Truck Accidents in Alabama?

Although commercial truck drivers are held to very high training and testing standards, they are still human. The statistics regarding the causes of accidents are fairly similar across all types of vehicle collisions—while mechanical failures, roadway issues, and other defects may cause some collisions, the majority are due to human error. The same holds true in Alabama.

Some of the most common causes of truck accidents, per the Alabama Department of Transportation, include:

• Improper use of lanes and unsafe lane changes
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Tailgating
• Misjudged stopping distance
• Obstacles in the road
• Attempting to avoid hitting another obstacle on the road
• Unsafe turns
• Crossing the median
• Driving too fast for conditions
• Driving while distracted
• Driving while under the influence
• Driving while fatigued

Common Types of Truck Collisions in Saraland

Of course, a truck’s size and shape both contribute to the severity of accidents. However, these features also cause trucks to experience some types of collisions rarely seen among other vehicles. Know the risks of each type of crash:

• Rollover: A truck’s top-heavy structure makes it more likely to roll onto its side than other vehicles. This is incredibly dangerous, as any vehicles in the neighboring lane are at risk of being crushed.
• Jackknife: Jackknife collisions occur when a truck folds in on itself, causing the cab and trailer to form a 90-degree angle. The much heavier trailer takes over, pulling the cab along with it and leaving the driver powerless.
• Wide turn: Wide turns are fairly common for truck drivers since they often need to swing left before turning right. If they swing too far left, they may hit someone driving in the opposite direction. If they don’t go far enough left, they can run over curbs and vehicles in the right lane.
• Tire blowout: Blowouts are always a possibility since trucks are carrying massive amounts of cargo and putting on tons of miles every single day. Blowouts generally cause the driver to lose complete control of the vehicle.
• Sideswipe/blind spot: Trucks are known for their large blind spots on both sides, but other drivers don’t always know that they should stay out of those areas. When a truck driver attempts to change lanes, they may strike a vehicle in their blind spot.
• Underride: Underride collisions can cause severe or fatal injuries. They occur when a smaller vehicle drives behind a truck and does not stop in time. They get wedged underneath the rear end of the truck, and in the process, the top of their vehicle is generally ripped off.

Building Your Truck Accident Claim

There is a lot of evidence available in truck accidents. You have access to the same physical evidence available in other crashes, such as damage to your vehicle, your own injuries, marks on the roadways, damage to the truck, and photographs from the crash scene. However, there are other types of evidence that may prove useful.

The majority of trucks on the road are legally required to have electronic logging devices installed. These devices track speed, break times, hours of service, near-misses, and other types of data. Your attorney can subpoena this data and use it to prove the driver’s speed, risky driving habits, or hours of service violations.

Since truck drivers are often employed by trucking companies, liability goes beyond which driver is at fault. If the truck driver is to blame, it’s likely that liability will fall on the company. Your attorney can look into the company’s hiring practices, the truck driver’s driving history, and accident records to see if the trucking company did its due diligence when it came to hiring.

Choose the Team at Hedge Copeland

We know that you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. We’re here to walk you through this process and advocate for you every step of the way. Set up a consultation with Hedge Copeland now by filling out our online contact form or calling us at 251-432-8844.