If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck accident, you should immediately hire the services of an experienced Takoma Park truck accident lawyer at Pinder Plotkin to uphold your legal rights and to recover fair financial compensation for your injuries. Our Takoma Park personal injury lawyers are here to help!
Accidents involving large trucks have devastating consequences, especially for others. The state of Maryland witnessed 49 accident fatalities in 2017 involving trucks and 38 of those fatalities were not in the truck.
Injuries resulting from a truck accident are often severe. Trucks are large and carry a lot of weight. An average car weighs around 3000 pounds but a large truck can weigh in excess of 80,000 pounds. It is natural that when such a large mass strikes another vehicle or a pedestrian, the injuries are going to be severe and life-altering.
What Should You Do After a Truck Accident?
Seek Medical Attention
The first thing you need to do is seek medical attention in case you have suffered serious injuries. If you are feeling fine and are in a position to help others, you should check on others and help them. Even if you’re feeling completely fine, you should get a complete medical evaluation after being involved in a truck accident. Some injuries take some time to present themselves, especially soft tissue injuries and brain injuries. Therefore, you should always visit your doctor to make sure that you haven’t suffered a serious injury even when you are feeling all right.
Call 911
Do not make the mistake of fleeing the accident scene without calling 911. The police officers who arrive at the scene of the accident will file a police report after taking statements from drivers of the vehicles involved as well as witnesses if any. You can get a copy of this police report after a few days.
Take Photographs
Take out your phone and record the scene of the accident. Cover the vehicles involved in the accident from several angles. Make videos in order to capture the weather and road conditions. Try to capture the roads leading to the accident site. It is important to document as much information as you can immediately after the accident as you might forget these details after some time.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
You should never admit fault or sign a document without first consulting with an experienced truck accident lawyer. Anything you say or any document you sign can be used against you. This is why you should immediately call an experienced truck accident attorney at Pinder Plotkin after a truck accident. Give us a call today at (410) 525-5337 to schedule a free consultation.
How Is Liability Determined in Truck Accident Cases in Maryland?
Determining liability in truck accident cases in Maryland is a challenging task due to the sheer number of parties involved in such cases. The doctrine of Respondeat Superior comes into play in case of truck accidents which makes the employer responsible for the acts performed by their employees in the course of their employment. However, a number of things need to be proven in such cases in order to get fair financial compensation.
How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer Help?
An experienced Takoma Park truck accident lawyer can be of great help in truck accident cases.
Own Investigation
An experienced team of attorneys will conduct their own investigation. They will go through police reports, medical records, and other relevant evidence in order to determine the cause of the accident and the parties who are at fault for the accident.
Help with Paperwork
Obtaining compensation in accident cases involves a mountain of paperwork, especially in truck accident cases as there are several parties involved in such cases. An experienced truck accident lawyer is aware of the deadlines and the paperwork that needs to be filled in order to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Claim Filing
A lot of paperwork is required to correctly file a claim in truck accident cases. This paperwork needs to be correct and should be filed within certain time limits. A number of documents also need to be filed along with the claim to get the compensation you deserve and an experienced attorney can help you with all these things.
Negotiating with Insurance Carriers
In some truck accident cases, it is the truck company that is responsible for paying compensation to the accident victims but in most such cases, you will be dealing with the insurance carrier of the trucking company. Don’t negotiate with the insurance companies! They have a high-paying team of lawyers with the single goal of keeping payouts to a minimum. Here at Pinder Plotkin, our legal team will negotiate with the insurance carriers to get you the compensation you deserve.
Trial
If you do not get a fair settlement offer from the insurance carrier, we are prepared to take the case to trial. We will build a strong case and make sure your situation is explained in clear terms to the jury to help you win fair compensation.
What Type of Compensation Is Awarded in Truck Accident Cases in Maryland?
There are 3 main categories of compensation:
Economic Damages
It typically includes medical expenses, loss of current wages, loss of future wages, and out-of-pocket expenses. In short, all the losses that can be calculated based on certain criteria form part of the economic damages.
Noneconomic Damages
There is an upper limit to noneconomic damages in the state of Maryland. It includes intangible items such as pain-and-suffering, mental anguish, loss of companionship, PTSD, disfigurement, scarring, emotional distress, and other such things.
Punitive Damages
These damages are rarely awarded in such cases. These are meant to punish the defendant and there is no upper limit on punitive damages.
What Is My Truck Accident Claim Worth?
Several factors affect the worth of your truck accident claim. Some of the factors that might affect the worth of your truck accident claim include insurance policy limits, medical expenses, disability claims, recurring medical bills, vehicle damage or loss of property, and a number of other things.
Give us a call at (410) 525-5337 to speak with our experienced truck accident attorney.
How Much Time Do I Have for Filing a Case in a Truck Accident Case in Maryland?
You have up to 3 years from the date of the accident to file a case. There are exceptions but in most cases, 3 years is the maximum you get for filing a case. In case you miss this deadline, it is going to be extremely difficult for you to recover any kind of financial compensation.
How Is Fault Determined in a Truck Accident Case in Maryland?
Maryland is one of the only 4 states that still follow the at-fault doctrine. The pure contributory negligence doctrine means that the accident victim might not be eligible to receive any compensation in case they are found to be at fault, to any degree. In short, even if you are found to be 10% at fault, you might be denied compensation.
How Does a Truck Accident Lawyer Proves the Truck Driver’s Negligence?
There is a lot that goes into proving that the truck driver is at fault. Here is what a truck accident lawyer needs to prove to demonstrate truck driver’s negligence:
- Duty of Care: It was the duty of the driver to drive in a reasonable manner.
- Breach of Duty: It was the breach of that duty of care that caused the accident.
- Causation: The victim’s injuries are a direct result of the driver’s breach of duty.
- Damages: The injuries due to the truck accident resulted in damages.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident Case in Maryland?
A number of parties can be held liable in a truck accident case in Maryland including:
- The driver of the truck
- A company that owns the truck
- The company responsible for loading the truck
- Manufacturer of truck
- Manufacturers of various parts in the truck
What Are The Various Causes of Truck Accidents In Maryland?
Truck accidents can happen due to a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons include:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Reckless driving
- Aggressive driving
- Distracted driving
- Poor Road Conditions
- Improper maintenance of vehicles
- Improper lane changes
- Lack of proper training
- Freight being improperly secured
- Overloading
- Equipment malfunction
Contact a Takoma Park Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Accidents involving large trucks usually have devastating consequences for the victims. Victims of such accidents typically suffer serious injuries that may have a lifelong impact and in some cases, victims lose their life. Since Maryland is an at-fault state, it is imperative to prove the negligence of the truck driver to win compensation in such cases. And proving negligence is not easy.
Here at Pinder Plotkin, we take pride in helping victims of truck accidents recover fair compensation for their injuries. We have extensive experience in helping truck accident victims. We will fight for your rights. We will negotiate with insurance companies to help you get the compensation you deserve. If needed, we will take the case to trial and explain your situation in front of a jury to help recover the compensation you deserve.
Give us a call today at (410) 525-5337 to schedule a completely free consultation.