1. Different Regulations Apply to Truck Accidents

Unlike car accident cases, truck accidents are governed by specific federal and state laws. These regulations stipulate how long drivers can be on the road, maintenance standards for trucks, and proper loading techniques, among others. Failing to adhere to these laws can provide a solid ground for your lawsuit. Therefore, it’s crucial to work with an experienced attorney who understands these regulations and can use them to build a strong case.

2. Determining Liability Can Be Complex

The complexity of a truck accident extends beyond the collision. Multiple parties could be held liable, including the truck driver, the trucking company, the truck’s manufacturer, or even the company responsible for loading the truck. Each of these entities has an insurance company and a team of lawyers who will try to limit their liability. Consequently, determining liability demands a thorough investigation and the ability to stand up against various parties.

3. Accidents Involving Commercial Trucks Often Result in Serious Injuries

Truck accidents are often more severe than other vehicle accidents due to the size and weight of the truck. This can result in significant physical injury, emotional distress, and financial burden. By acknowledging the extent of the damages, you can aim for an appropriate compensation that covers medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other associated costs.

4. Proper Documentation is Key

Proper and thorough documentation can substantially influence the outcome of your case. This can include photos of the accident scene, witness testimonies, police reports, medical records, and any communication with insurance companies or the parties involved. It’s also advisable to keep a personal journal detailing your injuries and recovery progress. This can provide additional evidence of the impact the accident has had on your life.

5. Quick Action is Crucial

Time is of the essence in truck accident lawsuits. Most jurisdictions have a statute of limitations, meaning you have a specific timeframe within which you must file a lawsuit. Waiting too long can risk losing your right to compensation. Moreover, acting quickly ensures that evidence is fresh and witnesses’ memories are still intact, both of which can be beneficial to your case.

Filing a truck accident lawsuit can be a daunting task. However, with proper knowledge and the right legal guidance, you can navigate the process with confidence. Remember, understanding the unique regulations for truck accidents, determining liability, acknowledging the extent of damages, having thorough documentation, and acting swiftly can make a significant difference in the pursuit of justice and fair compensation.

If you are involved in a trucking accident, you can contact our lawyers in the following cities:

• Truck Accident Lawyer in Bloomington
• Truck Accident Lawyer in Eagan
• Truck Accident Lawyer in Minneapolis

The post Five Essential Things You Need to Know Before Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit appeared first on Weston Law Office.

Which are the most common causes of truck driving accidents?

Driving a large commercial truck but not only requires a lot of attention to detail and skills. Many accidents are preventable, which is why truck business owners are encouraged to educate their staff. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents are listed below.

#1 Driver Fatigue

One of the most frequent causes of truck accidents is driver fatigue. Driving trucks comes with a lot of pressure, which is why it’s ranked as a high-stress job. Depending on the cargo and the company a trucker is working for, the number f miles to be driven requires several days on the rod at a time. Hence, driver fatigue can occur and lead to loss of coordination and concentration.

Keep in mind that there are specific laws and regulations for how many hours a trucker can drive in one shift. Following these guidelines thoroughly is extremely crucial for preventing driver fatigue.

#2 Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is another problem everywhere. It refers to any activity that diverts attention from the primary task of driving. And sometimes truckers are tempted to perform several tasks at once while driving.

When a driver takes their eyes off the road, even if it’s for a second, there’s the possibility of a disaster. It is estimated that up to 10% of fatal crashes are caused by distracted driving. So, driving for long distances might be boring, but a driver must always be attentive, especially if he’s driving a truck.

#3 Speeding

Did you know that truckers are tempted to speed and overtake? Well, sometimes, it might not be achievable to make a delivery in a pre-established time without keeping up a specific speed.

However, speeding and overtaking can lead to hazardous situations. This is one of the reasons why enlisting truck drivers in preventive driving courses can help them understand how to drive safely while still making it to the destination in time.

Which are the best prevention tips for truck drivers?

Accident prevention tips are invaluable. Accidents do happen, but the majority of accidents can be avoided by implementing some simple, common-sense tips. Here are some prevention tips you should follow at all times while driving a truck.

#1 Take your time

A professional driver must always take his time. For example, pulling in and out of the drop, yard must be done slowly. No matter what task you’re performing, it is essential to move slowly and think thoroughly about what you’re doing. Speed is one major contributing factor in many preventable accidents. Caution is key to preventing unnecessary hazardous situations.

#2 Check your truck before departure

This is a common-sense prevention tip, but it is extremely important. Before you start your shift, ensure you are thorough and check your truck accordingly. A complete pre-trip inspection can save you a lot of trouble. A piece of pro advice is to do things in the same order each time. This will help you remember every time to verify everything.

#3 Get plenty of rest

A common cause of truck accidents is not getting enough sleep. A truck drive experiences a lot of pressure since the hours spent on the road influence his paycheck. However, getting plenty of rest ensures you are able to drive safely and be attentive. When you’re sleep-deprived, your reflexes are slow. Keep in mind that you should follow a rest schedule to prevent getting too tired or even experiencing burnout syndrome.

#4 Plan your trip

Trip planning must be part of your routine. Driving a truck and identifying your final destination can be challenging. Luckily, with the help of a map, a GPS, and other fellow truck drivers, you can receive the necessary guidelines to reach your destination safely.

#5 Get to know your truck

Each truck has its own specifications, including size, height, and blind spots. This is a compelling reason why you should take your time and get to know your truck. This will help you plan your trip and avoid accidents. Besides, it can offer insights on proper maintenance and what to look for before departure. Headlights, turn signals, tire pressure, or similar aspects must all be taken seriously.

Which are the most recurrent truck driver injuries?

Now that you know the most common causes of truck driving accidents and some professional tips on how to avoid them let’s discuss the injuries. In case of a truck driving accident, a trucker can experience life-threatening injuries, including:

• Musculoskeletal injuries, like overexertion injuries of the joints, neck, back, and extremities.
• Slip and fall injuries, like falls from elevation, bone fracture, sprains, and strains.
• Crushing injuries, like being struck by falling objects or being struck by binders or chains.
• Driving-related injuries happen in vehicle crashes due to a driver losing control of a truck or being hit by another driver.

Depending on the accident type, a specific period of recovery will be necessary. But in severe injury cases, extensive medical care and rehabilitation will be mandatory. These will interfere with the quality of life and will necessitate specific trucking workers’ compensation coverage.

Are there any other common injuries?

Besides accidents on the road, there are some other common injuries a truck driver might experience. These refer to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and wrist strain. There are plenty of aspects that can’t be controlled in the trucking business, but understanding your limits is key to having full control. Ensure you take care of your wellbeing and your tuck so that you avoid unnecessary hazardous situations.

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Car accidents happen all the time, and for many different reasons. Many result in serious injuries requiring medical attention. Sometimes, car accidents can even result in death.

Sometimes car accidents occur between two or more passenger vehicles or motorcycles. Sometimes they involve a commercial semi-truck. Because of the size of commercial trucks, these accidents differ in many ways from other car accidents. And should you ever be in an accident with a semi-truck, you need to know your rights. Luckily, we have lawyers that can help you.

Navigating the complicated insurance system as you recover from your injuries, while simultaneously dealing with the semi-truck’s insurance and legal team can be daunting. You need to know your options and your rights, which is what you’ll learn in this article.

Keep reading to learn about semi-truck accidents versus car accidents. Understand what makes semi-truck accidents completely different from typical car accidents. And see what your options are in the wake of an accident.

How Are Semi-Trucks Different?

A semi-truck, or semi-trailer truck, is a large vehicle used to carry freight, and is classified as a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). These are driven by licensed truck drivers with a commercial driver’s license. Semi-trucks are very large and haul cargo long distances, through states and across the country. These trucks can carry two or three trailers behind a truck, depending on state laws. Every state has their own laws for semi-trucks, which apply to roads other than interstates.

The federal government regulates the other roads — the interstate highway system, the vast network of highways that spread across the continental US. These roads are frequented by semi-trucks hauling freight across long distances. Federal law determines the legal weight limits of semi-trucks of these roads.

For semi-trucks with one axle, the federal weight limit is 20,000 pounds. For semi-trucks on a tandem, it’s 34,000. The total weight limit for any combination of truck and trailer is 80,000 pounds, a considerable size when compared to a 3,000 pound sedan.

Semi-Trucks Under State Law

Semi-trucks on roads other than interstate highways are subject to state laws, which differ from state to state. For example, in South Dakota, a semi-truck can get away with driving a massive 170,000 pound load. South Dakota has no gross weight limit, but its drivers have to follow bridge formulas for safe driving and get special permits for trucks over 80,000 pounds.

In Michigan, thanks to old grandfathered laws allowing heavy truck weights, eight axle trailers can top out at 164,000 pounds. In Minnesota, on paved and unpaved roads, semi-trucks must weigh under 80,000 pounds. This limit can vary somewhat depending on the time of the year or with a special permit. Nevertheless, semi-trucks across all states are extremely heavy.

Commercial Semi-Trucks vs Consumer Motor Vehicles Accidents

Now that you’re familiar with the extreme size and weight that semi-trucks can reach, consider the size of your typical consumer motor vehicle. While the average size of a vehicle on the road is about 4,000 pounds, some vehicles can be as small as 2,500 pounds, such as the compact Honda Fit.

When a standard consumer vehicle weighing about 4,000 pounds has a collision with a semi-truck that can weigh twenty times as much, the entire accident differs greatly from a consumer-on-consumer auto accident.

Unfortunately, these accidents tend to be much more serious in nature. And they’re more common than we’d like to think. Of all the fatal car crashes that occurred in 2018, 11 percent occurred in large truck crashes.

Of those fatal crashes, over 4,000 individuals passed away in crashes with a large truck. The majority of these deaths — 82 percent — were drivers of passenger vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, while 16 percent of these deaths were the semi-truck drivers.

Why Semi-Truck Accidents Occur

Accidents happen all the time. In fact, over 4 million Americans required medical attention for serious injuries due to car crashes last year. There are a number of reasons why an accident occurs on any given day.

Common causes include impaired drivers, such as those driving while drunk or under the influence. Distracted drivers on their phones, applying makeup, or eating also account for many crashes. Other causes of car crashes include speeding, driving recklessly, animal crossings in the road, and more.

For semi-trucks, there are a few factors unique to these vehicles that can cause crashes.

For one, these massive vehicles take much longer to come to a stop. But when they have to stop suddenly, it’s not like a typical vehicle. Due to the massive weight of the cargo and truck, it takes a semi-truck 20-40 percent further to come to a stop compared to a typical vehicle.

This distance grows even greater under inclimate weather conditions, including snow, ice, and rain. It also takes longer to stop a semi-truck if the brakes are in need of maintenance.

Another factor in semi-truck accidents is fatigue of the truck driver. Truck drivers have to drive long distances by themselves. They work long stretches of time, up to eleven hours, and sometimes even longer.

When tired or overworked, truck drivers can make mistakes behind the wheel that lead to an accident. Driver fatigue is unfortunately very common — one study found that 13 percent of commercial vehicle drivers were said to be fatigued at the time of their accident.

How Semi-Truck Accidents Differ From Other Accidents

If you are injured in a typical auto accident, with two non-commercial vehicles, you would file an auto accident injury insurance claim with your car insurance. This is to help you pay for medical bills associated with the injuries from the accident.

Should you be out of work due to your injuries, there’s also coverage in your insurance policy for wage loss. In Minnesota, you can also get assistance paying for services around the house which you are unable to do.

But if you are injured in an accident with a semi-truck, it’s entirely different.

Commercial truck drivers are backed by large insurance policies through their employers. These policies are bigger so they can cover the increased damage done by these massive vehicles. These insurance policies can be worth millions — which means that the insurance adjusters fight hard on these cases and try to place fault on you, so they don’t have to pay out as much.

Insurance companies need to be profitable — so they make the process complicated and difficult on purpose so they can pay you the least amount possible. This means that you can be underpaid or denied benefits and left to pay your medical costs alone, which means you’ll miss out on the care you need on your car accident injuries.

Most individuals aren’t too familiar with the process of filing a large insurance claim — let alone from a semi-truck accident. Fortunately, there are resources you can rely on to make the process easier, and more effective.

Partner With An Attorney After a Semi-Truck Accident

As you recover from the shock of an accident and serious medical injuries, you can try to navigate the insurance process on your own. But that risks leaving benefits unclaimed or underpaid. You’ll be facing the semi-truck’s team of lawyers, investigators, and insurance adjusters alone.

Instead, consider partnering with a personal injury attorney. An attorney experienced in personal injury, auto accidents, and semi-truck accidents, can advocate for your rights, assist you with complicated paperwork, and help you understand your options.

Experienced personal injury attorneys have typically handled hundreds, if not thousands, of cases like yours. They can make estimates as to the strength and value of your claim from a consultation. And they can help you understand what benefits are available to you.

Have You Been Injured in a Semi-Truck Accident?

Fortunately, since 1975, both the rate of passenger vehicle occupant deaths and the rate of large truck occupant deaths have declined. Improvements in vehicle technology, safety measures on the roads, and protocols in truck driving are behind this drop in fatalities.

But we still have a long way to go in terms of road safety — and until then, semi-trucks prove a danger in auto accidents. Should you have an accident with a semi-truck, you don’t have to go it alone. You’re entitled to compensation to help you with medical bills, lost wages, and more.

Weston Law Office helps people in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the greater Twin Cities suburbs get the compensation they need following a tragic fatal auto accident. Contact us today about how we can help you pursue a wrongful death case. Consultations are 100% free —  the only risk is not getting the compensation to which you’re entitled.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-trailer_truck
https://www.bigtruckguide.com/heaviest-semi-trucks-in-the-united-states-and-canada/
https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/msp/commercial-vehicles/Documents/Pamphlets/weight-limits-pamphlet-2014.pdf
https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/large-trucks
https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/fatality-estimates
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/driver-safety/cmv-driving-tips-driver-fatigue

The post How Do Semi-Truck Accidents Differ From Car Accidents? appeared first on Weston Law Office.

This creates increased pressure on drivers to deliver these goods to their destination as quickly as possible, and they frequently push themselves to the limit to meet the surge of demand that comes from an often unrealistic delivery schedule. If you can imagine, all of this results in a lot of fatigued and overworked drivers navigating  the roads in 40-ton vehicles that can cause a lot of damage when they’re involved in an auto accident.

The fact is, if you’ve been in an accident that involved a semi-truck, the rules simply are not the same as if you’ve been involved in a run-of-the-mill car accident involving a neighbor.

Consider that the Trucker Report has found that the average car weighs in around 5,000 pounds, but by comparison, a semi-truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, if not more. So, simply because you’re driving the much smaller car, you take the brunt of the damage and are the party most likely to be injured.

Now, if you’re looking to make a claim with your insurance company to recover the costs of the damage done to your vehicle or cover medical costs, the financial side of a semi-truck accident is also more complex.

Accidents involving commercial vehicles have a range of factors that impact claims — beyond the ones that your basic insurance company has — so, here’s what you need to know so that you can have realistic expectations about how much money you could potentially receive in a trucking accident case.

Everything Starts With the Type of Injuries Sustained

Realistically, the most important factor in the amount of money you can potentially receive in a semi-truck accident case has to do with injuries sustained. This is largely due to the fact that semi-truck accident injuries are  typically, very brutal — unfortunately, people often endure brain injuries, internal bleeding, broken bones and damage to the spinal cord, among other types of trauma.

Injuries such as these almost always require extensive treatment, long recovery periods and in turn, high medical costs. In a settlement, this usually translates into a higher reward than if you were fortunate enough to have walked away from a semi-truck accident with only minor injuries.

Now, while it makes sense on a basic level that the worse your injuries are, the more money you’ll likely receive from a trucking claim, that’s really only the starting point for a basic framework of the whole settlement.

The fact is, hard medical costs are pretty much the easiest factor to quantify, but there’s still a ton of gray area surrounding a myriad of other issues, especially those that deal with life after one leaves the hospital.

For one thing, when it comes to “minor” injuries, a real argument can be made as to what that term even means. In many cases, an injury that seems minor to an insurance company definitely has major ramifications if it limits your ability to work or keep up with the household chores.

Plus, there’s also the mental side effects that can result from a serious crash, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, which can realistically, decimate your quality of life. Unfortunately, following a traumatic trucking accident, it’s not uncommon for people to chronically experience shortness of breath, hot flashes, heart palpitations, anxiety or flashbacks for even years after the collision.

Further, in many cases, these victims can also suffer from a profound lack of sleep or retain fear of getting back behind the wheel. When it comes down to it, injuries of all types — serious, seemingly minor and mental — all play important roles in calculating a settlement amount, so make sure you don’t sell yourself short in any facet. 

A Practical Look at the Cost of Treatment

Because medical treatment is really the linchpin of settlement amounts, let’s take a closer look at some of the costs it actually incurs. In the immediate aftermath of a semi-truck accident, an injured motorist mostly likely takes an ambulance to a hospital emergency room, a ride that research says can cost around $1,900.

Now, that’s just to get to the hospital. Once you’re there, the medical care staff will probably run a variety of tests that determine the extent of your injuries, things that might include lab tests, an MRI, x-rays or CT scans.

In all, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the average emergency room visit relating to auto accidents can cost around $3,300, and if the injuries are serious enough to require follow up care, medications or physical therapy, you can be on the hook for over $57,000 in medical bills.

Add it all up — the ambulance ride, the emergency room visit and the follow-up costs — in the absolute best case scenario, it can cost over $62,000 just to start getting past the incident.

For many people, that’s simply a staggering amount of money.

Negligence Also Drives Awards

Because it’s so large and can potentially cause so much damage if things go wrong, a semi-truck is by far one of the most dangerous vehicles on the road. While most truck drivers take their jobs very seriously, are trained properly and are even expert motorists, sometimes, human error results in an accident.

Now, the notion of driving errors leads directly to how at fault each party is in an auto accident. But of course, when it comes to insurance claims, it’s not as simple as saying that one driver is at fault and the other isn’t. Essentially, to come up with a settlement amount, the goal is to determine not only blame, but whether or not the crash could have been avoided all together with alternative actions by the at-fault party leading up to it.

In more technical terms, this is called determining negligence, and it basically paints the picture of whether or not the accident was caused by an honest mistake, something illegal or anything in-between.

From there, a dollar amount can be attached based on how negligent the at-fault party was. The more negligent, usually, the higher the settlement award.

In practice, negligence can assume many faces and can be caused by a combination of factors, but in general, it asks the question of whether or not the accident was preventable. A settlement amount will grow substantially if a driver is found to be inattentive, fatigued due to excessive job demands or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which is a serious and growing problem among truckers.

In fact, in one report, about half of the drivers surveyed admitted to drinking and driving, and more troubling, a whopping 30% said they’ve used amphetamines on the job to cope with a relentless schedule.

Other common, preventable actions that cause semi-truck accidents are driving too fast for the current conditions, which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association  found accounted for 23% of total accidents, and using unfamiliar roads, which caused 22% of collisions.

Of course, truck drivers aren’t going to be familiar with every road in the country, but it’s important to understand that negligence is a big spectrum that takes into account a wide range of factors.

Weighing Property Damage

While there are a lot of gray areas in determining a settlement award based on the costs surrounding negligence and medical treatment, the damage done to your car in a semi-truck accident is much more straightforward.

In fact, amounts are usually determined as a result of the following questions:

• How much damage was done to your vehicle?
• What was the vehicle’s condition before the accident?
• How much mileage did it have at the time?
• How much was the vehicle worth?
• What was in the vehicle and how much was the contents worth?

To make the most of your property damage claim, if possible, you want to gather as much information at the scene of the accident as you can, so you are prepared for any pushback from an insurance company about the value of your car. This means to take pictures, videos and even recordings of witness statements. Ultimately, the more evidence you have, the better chance you have at a higher award.

Were You Injured in a Trucking Accident?

While all accidents can be scary, stressful and painful, an accident involving a semi-truck can be especially harrowing. Not only can your car be totaled, you can also sustain life-threatening injuries. Simply because they’re so big, even minor accidents with a semi-truck can cause a lot of damage.

If you’ve been involved in a trucking accident, contact us to find out how you can get the maximal amount of money for your case, so you can cover medical costs, get back on the road and start getting past the incident.

The post Factors that Impact Your Award in a Semi-Truck Accident Case appeared first on Weston Law Office.

Semi-truck accidents can be especially severe. Coming into contact with a vehicle with the size and weight several times larger than your car is a match you’ll always lose, even at slower speeds. Let’s look at what you should know about semi-truck accidents so you can be prepared in the event that it does happen to you. What are the common causes of semi-truck accidents? What are common injuries in a semi-truck accident? What are the average figures in a semi-truck accident settlement? We’ll analyze these questions one at a time.

What Are Some Common Causes of Semi-Truck Accidents?

The mere thought of being involved in an accident with a truck weighing upwards of 80,000 lbs likely sends shivers down your spine. Night and day, rain or shine, you likely see them every time you’re on the highway and even hauling through town. It’s important to know the statistics behind how most semi-truck accidents happen in order to try and avoid these life-changing events. These may open your eyes to what you wouldn’t have otherwise known about what they are; in fact, the most likely causes of semi-truck accidents may even surprise you and change the way you drive.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducted what they called the “Large Truck Crash Causation Study”, or LTCCS. This study examined the reasons for serious crashes involving large trucks (trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds) using the data gathered from over 120,000 large truck crashes as sources of information to understand how they occur. Let’s take a look at what the most common causes turned out to be.

It may make your blood boil if you or a loved one has been the victim of an accident involving a semi-truck when you learn that roughly 87% of the semi-truck accidents studied were caused by the driver. These driver-caused accidents were broken down into four reasons:

• Non-Performance (12%)
• Recognition (28%)
• Decision (38%)
• Performance (9%)

What do these expressions mean? First listed is non-performance. This is if the driver suffered from fatigue, fell asleep, lost control from a heart attack or seizure, or was physically impaired for another reason.

Next, recognition. In this case, the driver was inattentive, distracted by something inside or outside their vehicle, or the driver failed to observe the situation adequately for some other reason.

Third is decision. An example of this would be if the driver was driving too fast for conditions, misjudged the speed of other vehicles, or followed other vehicles too closely.

Finally, performance, where perhaps the driver panicked, overcompensated, or exercised poor directional control.

While some of these causes are clearly beyond the control of the driver (such as suffering a heart attack), the majority are directly the result of a poor decision that a driver made. For example, the driver’s failure to accurately assess the situation, if they simply were driving too fast or even under the influences of drugs or alcohol.

What accounts for the remaining 13% of the causes for an accident involving a semi-truck? 10% was found to be vehicle-related, such as the semi-truck or other vehicles involved suffering from brake problems. The remaining 3% were due to the environment, such as poor roadway or weather conditions.

Regardless of what has caused the accident, the end results can be life-changing. We’ll discuss those in the next section.

What are Common Injuries in a Semi-Truck Accident?

You may have done everything perfectly: you were traveling at an appropriate speed, your vehicle was in perfect working condition and you obeyed every single law. And yet, you still suffered from a semi-truck accident. This is the unfortunate reality for hundreds of thousands of drivers across the U.S.

In fact, when you take a look at statistics you’ll see that semi-truck accidents are by no means rare; according to commercial driving statistics from 2015, there were 415,000 police-reported crashes that involved a semi-truck. Of those crashes, 4,050 proved to be fatal and over 87,000 caused injuries. Those who lost their lives in these crashes were mostly occupants of cars or other passenger vehicles, comprising 69% of the fatalities. This percentage is larger in part because more than one person is often killed in a single semi-truck accident due to the increased force of a semi-truck. 16% of the fatalities were truck occupants, with the remaining 15% were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists.

Even if those involved in semi-truck accidents didn’t lose their lives, there was still a 23% chance they were injured. And these injuries can be nothing short of life-altering. Health experts accustomed to treating crash victims include these common results from accidents:

• Head and brain injuries: These injuries may be from hitting a windshield, side window, roof, steering wheel, loose objects or other people, possibly resulting in a concussion. Symptoms such as headache, neck pain, nausea or dizziness are indicative of a concussion. Sometimes the symptoms can take days or weeks to appear. In severe injuries, bleeding under the skull (subdural hematoma) may take place, which is a medical emergency.
• Facial injuries: The same causes of head injuries may impact the face in a semi-truck accident. This may be from hitting the steering wheel, airbag, another part of the car or a loose object. This can injure skin, teeth and the bones in the face.
• Neck injuries: Depending on how the semi-truck strikes your car, rear or side impact crashes may cause your neck to quickly snap to another side. The resulting injuries can range from mild neck strain to dislocation of vertebrae.
• Collarbone (clavicle) and rib injuries: Even though your seatbelt is designed to help keep your whole body safe, they can also do damage to your upper body. Due to the forces placed on your body in a semi-truck accident, your body’s weight can quickly press forward against the shoulder belt and injure your collarbone and ribs.
• Back and spinal cord injuries: Due to the extreme forces impacting your car from the semi-truck, muscle can tear and the small discs along your spine can be twisted or pushed out of alignment. Your vertebrates may even fracture. The result is injuries to the spinal cord, leading to reduced feeling or loss of function in your extremities, either temporarily or permanently.
• Internal injuries: Along with injuring your collarbone and ribs, seat belts can also cause internal injuries as your entire body weight is rapidly pressed against the belt—especially if the seatbelt isn’t worn properly. The semi-truck crash can injure muscles in the torso, along with organs such as your heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys or bowels. If there is internal bleeding as a result, immediate medical care is essential. Signs of internal bleeding include abdominal pain and/or swelling, dizziness, loss of consciousness or fainting, an area of deep purple skin and headache or seizures.
• Lower extremity injuries: As the force from the accident throws your body in different directions, your legs may hit the dash and/or the steering column. Impact with these objects can result in leg, knee and foot sprains (ligament injury), damage to muscles or tendons and bone breaks.
• Psychological injuries: The damage you sustain from a semi-truck isn’t just physical; semi-truck accidents can also severely impact the way you think, feel and how you are able to go about everyday life.The mental trauma can affect both the driver and passengers and can include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

This is not an exhaustive list, but rather the most common injuries that medical professionals treat from semi-truck accidents. You may suffer from injuries not listed if involved in a semi-truck accident, or you may have to cope with some or all of the listed injuries, living a profoundly-altered quality of life due to suffering from both physical and mental damage from the accident. Naturally, someone having experienced this deserves compensation from these effects. What can they expect in terms of a settlement?

What Are the Average Figures In a Semi-Truck Accident Settlement?

Because of the often-severe injuries resulting from a semi-truck accident, settlements tend to be significantly-more substantial than the average auto accident. It’s important to note the minimum insurance requirements put in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

• If the truck is 10,001 pounds or below carrying non-hazardous cargo: $300,000 in insurance required
• If the truck is 10,002 pounds or greater carrying non-hazardous cargo: $750,000 in insurance required
• If the truck is a private tanker carrying oil: $1,000,000 in insurance required
• If it is a private carrier transporting hazardous cargo: $5,000,000 in insurance required

From these figures, we can begin to see what the average settlement may reach. However, other factors may contribute to the amount, such as injuries sustained, lost wages or earning capacity, liability and property damage, among others. Much will also depend on whether or not you have proper legal representation. Weston Law Office has the knowledge and experience to get you the settlement you deserve, compensating you for any and all losses, along with the pain and suffering you’ve endured from being involved in a semi-truck accident.

Find a truck accident lawyer here to contact us for a free consultation.

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