Your lawyer will review the police report, visit the crash scene and talk to eyewitnesses to get a better understanding of what really happened.
Detroit, MI – The trucking industry is vital for the economy in Michigan, but the huge number of large trucks speeding on the state’s highways pose a great threat to the safety of other drivers. In 2017, for instance, there were 13.416 accidents involving large commercial vehicles. 96 people were killed and over 2.400 were injured in these crashes. Truck accidents often result in catastrophic injuries, leaving the victims in a terrible state and facing huge medical bills. Many victims find themselves confused. What do you do when you’re in the hospital and don’t know how to pay your medical bills, let alone the financial problems at home if you cannot provide for your family? Should you hire a truck accident lawyer in Detroit or can you solve your problems through your insurance company?
How can a lawyer help me after a truck accident in the Detroit area?
If you are seriously injured or you lose a loved one in a truck accident, you may be surprised to get a call from a trucking company representative or their insurer very soon after the crash. In many cases, they may go as far as offering you a quick settlement to help you out. Before you let out a sigh of relief and thank them for being so compassionate, stop and think for a bit. Do you really think some guy in an office hundreds of miles away really cares about you and your health? They don’t. The whole point of that quick call is to get you to settle quickly without asking too many questions and certainly without figuring out how much your claim might be really worth. If you know what’s good for you, you should never settle quickly. Get in touch with some good Michigan truck accident lawyers and ask them how much your claim might be worth. Talking to a lawyer won’t cost you anything, the first consultation is always free and they usually work on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t have to pay them anything until they win the case for you.
Can a trucking company be held accountable?
If you hire a lawyer, they will conduct their own investigation into the crash to understand who should be held accountable for your damages. Many truck accidents are caused by speeding, failure to yield or other traffic rule violations. In such cases, it’s the trucker who’s responsible for the damages. However, there are many situations in which the trucking company, the manufacturer or those responsible for loading the truck may be held accountable.
Your lawyer will review the police report, visit the crash scene and talk to eyewitnesses to get a better understanding of what really happened. In some cases they may call in independent exports to oversee a reconstruction of the accident and to examine the truck, looking for mechanical failures.
As an example, if the experts decide the crash was caused by a faulty brake system you may have a case against the trucking company who is required by law to make sure its vehicles are roadworthy. If they outsource maintenance to a third party, your lawyer might file a claim against their insurance or take them to court if an agreement cannot be reached.
In many cases, such cases are settled out of court. If the trucking company knows they are to blame for what happened, they will prefer to settle rather than end up in court.
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