Tractor Trailor Accidents

It Is Important To Hire A Lawyer Who Has Experience Handling Truck Accident Cases

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to deal with the insurance company without the advice of an attorney experienced with handling tractor trailer accident claims. No one knows this better than experienced tractor trailer attorneys at Van Sant Law, LLC. We have been involved in tractor trailer cases with injuries ranging from wrongful death, paralysis, catastrophic injuries to soft tissue injury cases. After defending the tractor trailer companies for years, Van Sant Law, LLC now spends their time representing those who have been injured by the negligence of tractor trailer drivers. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of the negligence of a tractor trailer driver contact an attorney today for a free initial consultation. Not only is the initial consultation free, we will handle your entire case without any cost to you until and unless we have secured a recovery for you.

There are many issues and laws that are specific to 18 wheelers, semi trucks, and tractor trailers that are unique and require specific knowledge in order to handle properly. We will put to use the experience we have gained while defending tractor trailer companies to make sure that you get full and fair compensation for your injuries. The insurance companies often send a team of experts, including lawyers, to the scene of a tractor trailer accident just hours after the accident occurs. They will take photos and have immediate access to information that could hold the key to the case. It is important to make sure you get equal access to the same information. For example, in most situations the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (“FMCSR”) will require a post accident blood test to determine if the driver was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. We will make sure you get access to these test results.

Additionally, most tractor trailer drivers are paid by the mile and because of this they will often continue to drive when they are too tired to do so. Obviously, a fatigued tractor trailer driver is very dangerous; therefore, the FMCSR’s limit the amount of time a driver can continuously operate an 18 wheeler. According to the United States Department of Labor, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has estimated that driver fatigue is a primary factor in 4.5 percent of truck-involved fatal crashes and is a secondary factor in an additional 10.5 percent of such crashes. It is important to have an attorney that has experience auditing driver logs and GPS position data in order to determine if the driver was over hours at the time of the accident. This type of negligent behavior can give rise to a claim for punitive damages.

Also, most tractor trailers are equipped with an engine control module that stores valuable data such as the speed of the vehicle at the time of the accident. We have experience downloading and interpreting data stored on the ECM. It is important that this critical information is preserved and reviewed as soon as possible.

As you can see, handling a tractor-trailer injury claim is more challenging than a simple car accident case. It is imperative that you consult an experienced tractor trailer attorney immediately. Van Sant Law, LLC has spent several years representing and defending the largest motor carriers in the world – let us put this experience to use for you.