Truck accidents often result in serious injuries and even death for the occupants of the other vehicles involved. These vehicles are dangerous because of their exceptional size and weight. If you were in an accident involving a commercial truck, you likely face significant injuries and associated expenses.
At the 1Law St. George office, we have helped countless truck accident victims recover the compensation they need after an accident to heal and move on with their lives. Our team of experienced truck accident lawyers in St. George knows the challenges you face and is prepared to fight to get you the fair compensation that you deserve.
Determining liability in a truck accident is often far more challenging than in an accident involving two passenger vehicles. This difficulty stems from the fact that there are generally far more potentially liable parties in these accidents. If you were injured in a truck accident, you may have a case against:
This list is far from exhaustive, and with everyone pointing fingers at each other, it can be hard to uncover the truth on your own. Fortunately, an experienced truck accident lawyer knows what to look for when determining fault and can see past all the accusations to find the truth.
When you hire a truck accident attorney in St. George, one of the first actions they are likely to take will be to launch an independent investigation into your accident. It is through this investigation that they will identify the liable party. Additionally, this investigation will aim to gather evidence to support your compensation claim.
Once your attorney has compelled their investigation, they will assess your damages and calculate the full value of your claim. They will then consult with you about your options and how you would like to proceed. If you choose to file an insurance claim, they will submit the claim to the liable party’s insurer. If choosing to pursue a lawsuit, they will file your lawsuit with the court.
If you file a lawsuit, your attorney will go through the steps of the pretrial process and prepare to represent you at trial. However, in most cases, truck accident lawsuits never make it to a courtroom. At every stage of the process, your attorney will be in contact with opposing counsel, attempting to negotiate a fair settlement deal.
According to Utah Code Ann. § 78B-2-307, truck accident victims have up to four years to file a lawsuit to recover damages in most cases. However, it is essential that you know that special circumstances can apply to your case, which will limit the amount of time you have to file. For instance, if the liable party is a government agency, you will have far less time to file.
To ensure that you meet all deadlines, it is recommended that you hire an experienced truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after an accident. By getting started early, your lawyer will also be in the best position to build a strong case on your behalf. Delays can lead to lost evidence and witness memory becoming unreliable.
When you are injured in a truck accident, you are likely eligible to recover several different types of damages. These damages can be sorted into three broad categories:
Economic damages are simple. These are the monetary losses that you suffered as a result of your accident. Economic damages cover both expenses that you face at the moment and those you will face in the future. Common economic damages include:
Non-economic damages are far harder to evaluate. Non-economic damages are the losses you suffer that can never be replaced. Because non-economic damages are often quite profound, the amount of money awarded for these damages is often quite high. In most cases, these daages make up the largest part of a compensation payout.
Common non-economic damages include:
Punitive damages differ from economic and non-economic damages in a profound way. While those damages are compensatory and focused on the victim, punitive damages focus on the liable party. These damages are designed to punish the at-fault party in cases where their actions were excessively negligent or carried out with blatant disregard for public safety.
Personal injury lawyers charge their clients differently than most other types of lawyers. Instead of charging a client based on the amount of time spent working on their case, a truck accident lawyer charges based on the result of the case. This is known as working on a contingency fee basis because the lawyer’s fee is contingent upon recovering compensation for their client.
With this payment system, your St. George truck accident lawyer’s fee will be assessed as a preset percentage of the compensation that you recover. If you don’t get paid, neither do they. With this motivator, you can feel confident that your attorney will do everything within their power to ensure you get as much money as possible for your damages.
Hiring an experienced truck accident attorney is the best way to ensure that you recover fair compensation for your damages. At 1Law, our team of truck accident lawyers in St. George knows how to fight back against the trucking companies and secure favorable results for our clients.
To get started, fill out our online contact form, give us a call, or use the free legal chat tool on our website. We offer free consultations. There is no obligation to retain our services after your consultation, so feel free to reach out to us today at no risk.