Food For Thought When Injured in a Big Rig Accident
A truck accident attorney is merely one iteration of the personal injury lawyer. Cars, as we know, are not the only vehicles on the road. Motorists share the road with trucks every hour of every day. Hop on the 5 freeway here in Tustin or anywhere in Orange County and I’ll wager it won’t be more than 30 seconds before a big rig tractor trailer truck shows up in your rear view mirror or in front of you as you drive.
We depend on trucks to deliver goods throughout the country. Indeed, we’d be in pretty bad shape if suddenly all truck traffic disappeared. They are the lifeblood of our country, hauling everything from food to furniture. However, trucks can pose special difficulties in traffic and resulting big rig accidents due to their size. Trucks are such large vehicles that it is not as easy for a truck driver to see all the things around his or her truck as it is for us in our much more compact automobiles. The ubiquitous warnings on the back of some trucks letting drivers know not to pass a turning truck on its right are a testament to this.
Truck accident attorney Tustin freeway image
Truck drivers take care (or should) to avoid dangerous situations such as passing when it’s not safe, but even so, there are instances when the driver is the one at fault. Also, not all truck accidents involve a truck and another vehicle. Pedestrians can also be injured by a truck. A truck accident lawyer is one who will be familiar with the ins and outs of trucking and this form of commerce as well as those laws which regulate trucks (both long- and short-haul). Those injured by a truck should seek counsel from an attorney qualified in this area of the law.
Which brings me to something I was asked several years ago on Avvo.com. Avvo.com is a website which lists attorneys by geographic area. I, of course, am a personal injury attorney in Tustin, CA. The person who asked me the question was also in California. Note that Avvo.com also lets the person asking the question know if other attorneys concur with the answer given. In my case, three other attorneys agreed with my assessment in a truck accident attorney question.
Truck Accident Question
The question was simple and straightforward. This person wanted to know whether a person that was hurt in an incident with a big rig should hire an attorney. My answer was as follows:
It has been my experience that the majority of big rig incidents will end up in litigation. So I think that you will be best served by an attorney that practices in Southern California. There are a great many competent attorneys in the Southern California area. I would suggest looking for attorneys that are associated with CAALA.org (Consumer Atty. Assoc. of L.A.), as they are attorneys who primarily only represent injured people against insurance companies or corporations like FedEx. Second, you have to get the right treatment. If you are having ongoing physical complaints four months after the accident, then you probably need to see a specialist, like an orthopedist or neurologist, depending upon your complaints. You may need further diagnostic testing, such as an MRI or a CT scan with contrast. You never want to settle your claim based upon the assumption that you will eventually get better, until you know whether you have injuries, such as a herniated or bulging disc that may continue to cause pain or degenerate further and cause increased pain. Once you know the extent of your injuries then a competent plaintiff’s attorney will either be able to resolve your claim with a demand letter and follow-up negotiation. If the negotiations don’t result in what you think is a fair settlement offer, then you need an attorney that will litigate the claim and take it to trial if necessary. Good Luck, Kyle Scott
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident involving a truck or any other type of vehicle and the accident was the fault of another, consult with a truck accident attorney in Tustin. I’m Kyle Scott and I have three decades of experience serving clients injured by big rigs. Call my offices today and let me help make sense of the legal system and get you the full and fair compensation you may be entitled to. 714-544-1460.