Richmond Truck Accident Lawyer
Don’t let your big rig wreck cause even more stress and turmoil in your life than it already has. A Richmond semi-truck crash lawyer with the Halperin Law Center can take over the difficult claim process for you so you can focus on your health.
Wrecks involving semi-trucks are almost always catastrophic. In Virginia, our laws recognize these dangers and have tried to restrict commercial vehicles to the right-hand lanes whenever possible, but that doesn’t prevent all accidents from occurring. Until commercial truckers have their very own roads, they will continue to be a danger to the average vehicle. Crashes involving tractor-trailers often lead to devastating injuries, such as broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and head injuries. These serious injuries will leave you with a load of damages, quickly making a mess of your life. Fortunately, filing an injury claim can get you the compensation you need to clean up this mess. And you don’t have to file your claim without help. A Richmond truck accident lawyer with our firm is ready to help you with your claim.
What Could Lead to a Commercial Truck Crash in Richmond?
To prove the liability of a trucker or other involved party, you must be able to show the reason the collision took place. There are a million reasons why a truck could collide with you, and it’s your Richmond big rig wreck attorney’s job to find the reason for your unique crash. Investigating your commercial trucking wreck will be a key step in getting to the bottom of your crash and proving that another party is liable for your injuries and damages. Below are a few examples of common reasons tractor-trailers collide with other vehicles on the road:
- Drowsy Driving – Long hours on the road lead to sleepiness. When you’re driving an enormous 18-wheeler, you need to be alert. Drowsy driving is a common reason for semi-truck crashes. If drowsy driving caused your crash, you can name the trucker and possibly the trucking company in your claim.
- Dangerous Road Conditions – Hazards on the roadway can cause a truck crash. If it can be proven that the hazard is what caused your 18-wheeler collision, then you may be able to seek compensation from a government road authority.
- Speeding and Reckless Driving – Driving too fast for the conditions of the road leads to serious accidents. The same goes for many other reckless driving behaviors. You can sue the trucker and maybe even the trucking company if it can be proven that reckless driving played a role in your Richmond truck crash.
- Defective Truck Parts – Manufacturing companies are responsible for producing quality products that work the way they were designed to. If one of the parts on a truck malfunctioned and caused your crash, you may be able to hold the manufacturer of that part financially accountable.
- Errors with Mechanical Repairs – Repair shops and mechanics can cause trucking wrecks if they perform subpar service. You can hold a mechanic and the shop liable if it turns out that shoddy repairs caused your crash or played a role in your injuries.
- Drunk Driving – A criminal act, drunk driving is known to lead to accidents. These are preventable accidents, and those responsible for driving while intoxicated should be held accountable for the harm they do to others. When a trucker has caused your injuries because he or she chose to drive drunk, he or she is responsible for your damages.
Personal Injury Laws in Virginia
What is negligence? When a person harms someone, especially because of carelessness or recklessness, that person is accountable for the damages the harm has caused in the victim’s life. Even if a person didn’t intend to harm you, that party must still make things right by compensating you for your losses. This compensation often comes from an insurance company. The statute of limitations for a truck crash claim in Virginia is generally two years from the date of your accident. You must file your claim within that time period, or you risk losing your right to seek compensation at all. Pure contributory negligence has to do with the fact that more than one person can play a role in the accident, including you. For instance, you might have been checking your phone when a drunk trucker slammed into you. In Virginia, if you’re found to be even 1 percent at fault, you won’t be able to recover compensation.Fortunately, a qualified and experienced lawyer can make sure you aren’t unfairly blamed for what happened—protecting your ability to recover full compensation for your truck accident damages.
Insurance Companies and Your Richmond Big Rig Accident
After a truck accident, you may end up requesting payment from the at-fault party’s insurance company. It could be from the trucker’s insurance company, or it could be from the trucking company’s insurer. It could also be from a mechanic’s insurance company or a manufacturer’s. The list goes on. As you can see, you will likely deal with insurance companies in order to get the money owed to you. Dealing with insurance companies isn’t the easiest process in the world. Insurers are stingy with payouts, and they will fight your claim in any way they can. They aren’t really trying to be mean. But they are trying to keep your claim’s value low because they’re businesses first and foremost, and your claim could hurt their profits. Luckily, you can have your truck accident lawyer in Richmond handle the insurance companies on your behalf. You will more than likely have a better chance of getting the compensation you need when you have an experienced attorney on your side.
Monetary Compensation for a Richmond 18-Wheeler Collision
The injuries in big rig wrecks are usually pretty serious. The more serious your injuries are, the more likely it is that you’ve suffered hefty losses. Monetary losses are the expenses you’ve incurred as a result of your accident. Non-monetary damages are the unquantifiable effects of your wreck, such as the pain and suffering you’ve been through. All of your losses can be added to a truck wreck claim, and your Richmond tractor-trailer crash lawyer will do everything possible to see to it that you receive full compensation for every single damage. See the list below to get an idea of damages commonly listed in personal injury claims involving semi-truck crashes:
- All related medical care, including hospital bills, medications, doctor visits, and surgeries
- The pain and suffering you’ve experienced
- The loss of work wages and the inability to return to work
- Loss of your ability to enjoy your life
- Scarring and disfigurement
Get in Touch with a Richmond Semi-Truck Accident Attorney
Most people don’t already have a lawyer, so when something like a truck accident occurs, they may not know where to turn. The only silver lining with a serious big rig wreck is that you can file an injury claim to recover your damages and that you have options when choosing an attorney. We hope you’ll choose us. We are experienced truck crash attorneys, and we will work tirelessly to get you the full compensation you deserve. We offer free consultations to those who complete our online contact form below or call a Richmond truck accident lawyer at the Halperin Law Center at 804-527-0100. Let’s get started on your claim today.