Birmingham Lawyers for Truck Accidents Due to Driver Error
Have you been injured in a truck accident? If the truck accident was caused by an error that the truck driver made, you have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries and the subsequent losses that you’ve incurred. The Birmingham truck accident attorneys of Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP can help.
We have over two decades of experience helping truck accident victims fight insurance companies and high-powered trucking industry attorneys to obtain the justice and compensation they deserved. We don’t believe in advising our clients to settle for just any amount of compensation. We determine the true value of our client’s claims and work hard to help them obtain that maximum amount of compensation. Our tireless advocacy has led to us securing millions of dollars in compensation for our clients.
If you’re considering pursuing a claim for your truck accident injuries that were caused by truck driver error, or you want to know if you have a case, contact Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP at (205) 324-1212 to reach a dedicated truck accident attorney. You can also reach us online by filling out our short form, so one of our representatives can contact you right away.
Truck Driver Errors that Can Lead to Accidents
Truck drivers have to complete hours of knowledge-based and practical training in order to take the required test to obtain a commercial driver’s license. Applicable training has to be done with a registered training provider. In Alabama, truck drivers have to obtain their commercial driver’s permit before they can test for their commercial driver’s license (CDL). The type of commercial vehicle a truck driver operates determines which class of CDL a driver will get.
Even if a truck driver has obtained their CDL, having all the necessary tools to properly operate a truck or tractor-trailer takes time. Because of the demand for truck drivers in the trucking industry, some trucking companies may hire inexperienced truck drivers. Truck drivers who lack experience can cause serious accidents since they may not know how to respond to a dangerous situation or drive the truck safely.
Furthermore, some truck driver employers don’t do their due diligence when hiring. A thorough background check should reveal whether a prospective truck driving employee has a poor truck driving record. If an employer skips this vital step, they could end up employing a truck driver who is prone to committing errors that could result in a serious truck accident.
Liability for Truck Accidents Caused by Driver Error
When a truck driver causes an accident that injures another person, their employer may be liable for compensating the injured person. Under the legal doctrine of “respondeat superior,” the trucking company is responsible for the truck driver’s actions because the truck driver is an employee of the company.
So when you pursue compensation for your injuries, you’ll typically file a claim with the insurance provider of the trucking company. If you have to file a lawsuit, you’ll file it against the trucking company even though the truck driver’s error led to your accident-related injuries.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accidents can cause some of the most severe injuries. Truck accidents are particularly dangerous because of the increased force they bring to a collision with their maximum weight of 80,000 pounds. Some injuries that truck accident victims sustain are:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Paralysis
- Amputation
- Broken bones
- Hearing and vision loss or impairment
- Burns
- Lacerations
- Muscle sprains and strains
- Organ damage
Many people injured in truck accidents also suffer from debilitating mental disorders as a result of the trauma of being seriously injured in a truck accident. Injured victims may have severe depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or post-traumatic stress disorder after a truck accident. Sometimes, the effect on a truck accident victim’s mental health lasts long after they’ve recovered from their physical injuries.
Compensation for Truck Accident Injuries
When you sustain serious injuries in a truck accident that wasn’t your fault, you can incur hundreds and thousands of dollars in losses. These losses can be due to the expensive costs of medical treatment for your accident-related injuries or because you can’t work while you recover from your injuries. You can recover damages, the legal term for compensation, for these financial losses. You can obtain economic damages to cover your:
- Costs for medical treatment, including future medical treatment
- Losses from decreased income or wages
- Loss of future earning potential
- Property damage
The emotional and mental impact of your injuries can be even more costly despite not having an exact dollar amount attached. You may feel like no amount of money could adequately repay you for what you’ve had to fight to overcome. Because of their great personal cost to you, you may be able to recover non-economic damages to cover these emotional losses, which include:
- Mental anguish
- Emotional pain and suffering
Loss of enjoyment of life - Loss of quality of life
- Permanent scarring, disability, or disfigurement
If your lawsuit results in a trial, you could also receive a rare type of compensation called punitive damages. These damages are only awarded in cases in which the at-fault party intentionally acted with malice, wantonness, fraud, or oppression. Punitive damages are rarely awarded because the injured victim has to prove the actions of the negligent party with clear and convincing evidence.
Contact the Truck Accident Attorneys of Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP Today
Our experienced and dedicated truck accident attorneys here at Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP can help you pursue compensation for your injuries that were caused by the truck driver’s error. We’ve spent years going up against negligent drivers and their employers to hold them accountable for severely injuring our clients.
You can schedule a consultation with our accident attorneys by calling (205) 324-1212 or contacting us online. We’ll review your claim or case and let you know what your legal options are.