You Need An Experienced Trial Lawyer After A Truck Accident

Last updated on July 8, 2024

Car accidents can be complex, but a collision with a commercial truck is even more complicated. You cannot fight the trucking company and its insurance carrier by yourself. There will be a team of lawyers, insurance adjusters and other experts on the opposing side. You need an attorney to protect your rights.

At Colley Shroyer Abraham, we have the experience and skills necessary to take on negligent trucking companies and drivers. Since our firm founded in 1977, we have been protecting the rights of injury victims and their families in Ohio. We are trial lawyers who have won significant verdicts and settlements for our clients in cases ranging from brain and spinal cord injuries to soft tissue injuries and wrongful death. You can rely on our dedication to you and your case throughout the process. For a free consultation, please call us at 614-678-5072.

We Are On Your Side In The Fight For Compensation

What makes a truck wreck different from other vehicle accidents? Commercial trucks are covered by commercial insurance policies with expensive premiums. The trucking company and insurance company will fight hard to keep costs down by denying fault for the accident. They do not want to pay out compensation to accident victims.

We will battle the trucking company for you to ensure that you receive the compensation you need for medical bills, lost wages and benefits, and pain and suffering. In wrongful death cases, we will also seek damages for funeral and burial expenses, the future lost income of the deceased and the personal loss of a loved one.

We Tackle The Complex Liability Issues In Truck Accidents

In most two-car crashes, there are only two sources of liability: the drivers involved. Accidents involving commercial trucks, however, can have several sources of liability. This makes truck accident cases incredibly difficult to handle without the assistance of a skilled attorney. We are lawyers who have detailed understanding of complicated matters of third-party liability.

Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents

Here are some of the most common questions we hear from our clients:

Who Is Liable In A Commercial Truck Accident?

In commercial truck accident cases, some common culprits include:

• Truck drivers
• Trucking companies
• Truck manufacturers
• Auto part manufacturers
• Maintenance companies
• Cargo loaders

We have numerous strategies that we use to identify and prove the at-fault party. These strategies can include accident reconstruction, hiring expert witnesses, examining vehicle computer data and more. We will go to any length necessary if it means strengthening your case and helping you.

How Do You Prove Truck Accident Cases?

These cases require a diligent investigation, often with the involvement of experts in fields such as accident reconstruction. Key evidence might include:

• Data from the truck’s “black box” (event data recorder or electronic control module)
• Truck driver logbooks
• Maintenance and repair records
• Dispatcher logs
• Interviews with the truck driver and witnesses

We approach every case with the determination and attention to detail that it takes to get results.

What Kind Of Financial Recovery Can You Get For A Truck Accident?

Because the injuries resulting from truck accidents are so devastating, they often result in significant financial recoveries. As in other types of personal injury cases, you can seek compensation for:

• All injury-related expenses, including medical bills, future medical care, rehabilitation services, physical therapy and other treatments
• Pain and suffering, diminished quality of life, decreased earning capacity, disfigurement and other noneconomic losses
• Property damage to your vehicle and your belongings
• Loss of income due to the accident, including future income

In wrongful death cases, surviving family members can pursue additional damages on behalf of their lost loved ones, including funeral and burial expenses.

How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Columbus, Ohio?

With a few exceptions, the statute of limitations for truck accident claims in Ohio is two years from the date of the wreck. If you do not act before that time limit expires, you lose the right to make any claim.

Will my truck accident case go to trial, or can it be settled out of court?

Every truck accident case has the potential to go to trial – although most will eventually settle through negotiations. Ultimately, a lot may depend on how severe your injuries are (which affects the amount of compensation you may need), whether there are any disputes about liability and how reasonable the insurance company is willing to be.

How do I prove negligence in a Columbus truck accident case?

Negligence is the failure to use the same sort of ordinary care that any reasonable person would use in the same situation. Typically, a large part of what a truck accident lawyer does is investigate the accident to determine where negligence lies. They may look for all kinds of evidence that illustrates the mistakes that were made, including witness statements, black box and GPS data, police reports, traffic and dash camera footage and accident reconstructions.

How does a truck accident lawyer help if the insurance company offers a low settlement?

A truck accident attorney is usually in the best position to recognize a lowball offer when they see one because the average person has no idea how to calculate the true value of their claim. Your lawyer will counter with evidence about the extent of your injuries and the insurer’s liability and use that information to negotiate a fair settlement. If the insurance company refuses to be reasonable, your attorney can then take the issue to court to fight for what you are due.

Are there any upfront costs when hiring a truck accident lawyer at Colley Shroyer Abraham?

No. Our attorneys take truck accident claims on a contingency fee basis. This means that there are no fees unless they recover compensation for you.

When should I contact a lawyer after a truck accident?

Ultimately, the faster you call a lawyer, the better. There is nothing wrong with reaching out to a Columbus truck accident lawyer from your hospital bed. That makes it possible for your Ohio truck accident lawyer to visit the scene of the accident before all traces of it disappear, speak to witnesses while their memories are still fresh and file motions to preserve key pieces of evidence.

What evidence is critical to preserve after a truck accident?

Your Columbus truck accident lawyer will seek to preserve all evidence that helps show negligence and establish the liability of the trucker, trucking company and/or others.

This includes photos of the damaged vehicles, debris from the wreck, skid marks and your injuries. It also includes things like the driver’s logbooks, data from the vehicle’s “black box” that shows how fast the truck was going and when the brakes were applied, employment records that may indicate patterns of negligence and the truck’s maintenance records. Eyewitness statements, too, may be crucial – especially if obtained while the accident is still vivid in their minds.

Are truck drivers held to higher standards than other drivers?

Yes, truck drivers are held to a higher standard of care than ordinary drivers. As professional drivers, they are required to go through extra training to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in the first place.

In addition, truck drivers are required to comply with both state and federal regulations that govern their conduct. Any deviation from the rules, no matter how small, can be considered negligence.

What are some of the most common causes of truck accidents in Columbus?

The vast majority of truck accidents are caused by nothing more complicated than simple human negligence. Our Columbus truck accident lawyers typically see claims related to:

• Distracted driving
• Fatigued driving
• Speeding
• Aggressive driving
• Driving under the influence of drugs
• Drunk driving
• Inexperience
• Poorly maintained vehicles
• Improper loading techniques

Even in cases where the weather played a part in a truck accident, that does not excuse a driver from failing to adjust to changing road conditions.

Outstanding Results In Truck Crash Cases

A few examples of our success in truck accident cases include:

• $1 million settlement: Truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended a car driven by a 50-year-old male, killing him instantly.
• $1.8 million settlement: Jury verdict: Young mother was in a car accident with a dump truck. Liability was disputed. The defense claimed that the plaintiff ran the stop sign and failed to yield to the truck.
• $500,000 jury verdict: Low-speed rear-end collision truck accident. Plaintiff suffered an injury to his spine, and doctors testified that he needed disk fusion. The jury considered $5,000 in medical bills. Proximate cause disputed.

In every case that we handle, our priorities are to provide excellent client service as we seek the maximum compensation available for our clients’ damages.

Proud To Provide Excellent Service And Communication

At Colley Shroyer Abraham, we do much more than simply provide legal representation. We also make a point of providing excellent client service. We provide regular updates about any developments in your case. If you have any questions or comments, we will reply as promptly as possible.

After A Complex Truck Accident, Get A Free Consultation

If you were in a serious truck accident, contact Colley Shroyer Abraham today to speak with one of us. We will address your questions and concerns and explain liability issues in plain English. To schedule your free consultation, call our Columbus office at 614-678-5072. You can also send us an email.