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Ohio and Northern Kentucky Semi-Truck Accident Attorneys
Personal Injury Lawyers Advocating for Semi-Truck Accident Victims Across Ohio and Northern Kentucky
It goes without saying that a motor vehicle crash involving a passenger vehicle and a large semi-truck can bring devastating consequences. Aside from being over six times the size and weight of passenger vehicles, large trucks frequently travel at high speeds along the interstate. This creates a highly dangerous combination of circumstances if a serious accident were to occur, often leading to severe injuries and even death.
Semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, big rigs – whatever you call them, accidents involving these large commercial trucks can lead to a lifetime of challenges for victims and their families. If you or a loved one suffered severe or catastrophic injuries from a trucking accident, you have a right to seek compensation for the immense losses and damages that you face as a result. An Ohio and Northern Kentucky truck accident attorney from TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm can help you do just that.
At TLF, we understand the complexities that come with truck accident lawsuits, but we also know what it takes to pursue maximum compensation from all liable parties on behalf of our clients. To speak with an experienced Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky personal injury attorney from our law firm, give us a call toll-free at (800) 698-4054 today.
Common Causes of Semi-Truck Accidents
Just as there are seemingly countless things that cause car wrecks, there are also a number of potential causes of trucking accidents. However, in handling these specific types of personal injury claims as often as we do, our Cincinnati truck accident lawyers tend to see certain situations that result in these accidents more often than others.
Some of the more common causes of truck accidents that we see include:
- Driver Fatigue – Even though there are federal regulations in place that work to limit the amount of time a truck driver can spend behind the wheel, drivers can quickly become tired and fatigued when driving for hours at a time. Whether the driver falls asleep at the wheel or simply isn’t giving the road and other vehicles his or her full attention, a devastating accident may occur as a result.
- Distracted Driving – Truck drivers are human too, which means they are not immune to becoming distracted. However, they are also held to a higher standard than others on the road and should be attentive to their surroundings and distraction-free at all times.
- Drunk Driving – Driver fatigue alone can be dangerous enough as it is, but it could also lead to truck drivers finding ways to combat this fatigue, including the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol while driving. As you might imagine, large vehicles and impairment mixed together often spell disaster.
- Auto Defects – Mechanical failure and auto part defects are also common contributors to large truck wrecks. Things like brake failure, tire blowouts, and transmission issues can lead to serious accidents, such as jackknife truck accidents, which can prove deadly on the roadway.
- Adverse Weather or Road Conditions – Because of the massive size and weight of a big rig compared to the typical passenger car, they are much more difficult to drive and operate. This means that poor weather or unsafe road conditions can make it much easier for truck drivers to lose control of their vehicles.
- Poorly Loaded Cargo – When shipping companies load trucks with cargo, they must ensure it does not exceed a certain weight and that it is properly loaded and secured. Failure to do so can lead to cargo spilling out onto the road, the weight of the cargo shifting in the truck, and/or the driver losing control.
Truck Accident Injuries
When a large truck crashes into a smaller vehicle, there are bound to be serious, sometimes catastrophic and permanent injuries. Some of the more common trucking accident injuries we see at TLF include:
- Broken bones
- Burn injuries
- Lacerations
- Whiplash
- Internal bleeding/organ damage
- Amputation injuries/loss of limbs
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Semi-Truck Accident Case?
Another thing that makes commercial vehicle accidents more complex than the average car accident claim is that there are often multiple parties involved. For example, any combination of the following parties could hold some responsibility in a trucking accident:
- Truck drivers
- Trucking companies/employers
- Cargo loading/shipping companies
- Maintenance crews
- Other vehicles on the road
When an individual holds a commercial driver’s license, they are held to higher standards than the average driver. So, when a truck driver behaves in a negligent manner and causes an accident, the injury victim may be able to hold both the truck driver and the trucking company that employed the driver responsible. Other third parties may also hold some degree of accountability, such as manufacturers or maintenance companies. If a manufacturing defect or a truck malfunction caused my improper maintenance either causes or contributes to the accident, they may be required to pay for the part they played in your injuries.
At The Lawrence Firm, our experienced Northern Kentucky personal injury attorneys have a thorough knowledge of laws and regulations within the trucking industry and can help you identify every possible avenue for legal recourse. We will conduct a careful investigation into your claim, whether that means revisiting the accident scene to gather evidence, reconstructing the accident itself, analyzing maintenance and driver logs, and more. By doing so, we will be able to assess all relevant parties and their potential liability in the case.
What Damages are Recoverable in Tractor Trailer Crashes?
If you or a family member were the victim of a big rig accident, you can expect to assume plenty of medical expenses and other financial damages. However, the exact amount depends on the circumstances surrounding your personal injury case. One of the more significant factors is the type and extent of the injuries caused by the truck accident. Those suffering permanent, catastrophic injuries will typically receive much more than those suffering more minimal injuries.
Another weighty factor in the number of damages you are able to recover is the skill and ability of your truck crash attorney. Because trucking accidents are much more nuanced than accidents between two passenger cars, it is pertinent that injury victims equip the help of a legal team with plenty of experience and success in litigating semi-truck accident cases. At TLF, our Dayton, Cincinnati, and Northern Kentucky semi-truck accident lawyers are dedicated to pursuing justice on your behalf and obtaining maximum compensation for your losses.
The damages we seek are meant to cover any losses or expenses that occurred as a result of the accident and may include:
- Medical costs (including both past and future medical bills)
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
If you lost a family member in a large truck accident, you may also be able to obtain death damages through a wrongful death lawsuit. Our Northern Kentucky and Ohio wrongful death attorneys have over 50 years of experience handling wrongful death claims, and we are here to assist you through the process, protect your rights, and help you obtain the compensation you deserve during this difficult time.
How a Northern Kentucky Truck Accident Lawyer from TLF Can Help Your Case
At TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm, we don’t just specialize in medical malpractice-related claims. We also dedicate plenty of our time and legal resources to personal injury cases involving motor vehicle and tractor-trailer accidents. Our attorneys treat every truck accident case as a priority, and we’ll stop at nothing to ensure our clients are met with just compensation for their claims.
Keep in mind, when faced with a claim of this size, it is likely that the insurance company of whoever holds some or all of the responsibility for the truck crash will deny liability to avoid paying. Fortunately, our aggressive truck accident lawyers are prepared to fight back against the at-fault party (or parties) and ensure injured victims receive justice and a fair settlement or court award for the injuries they’ve sustained.
Plus, at TLF, we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t owe us unless we are successful in recovering compensation in your claim. If you or someone you love suffered a serious injury following a semi-truck crash in Kentucky or Ohio, we encourage you to give us a call today at (800) 698-4054 for a free consultation to evaluate your case. You can also reach us at our Northern Kentucky office by calling (859) 578-9130, our Ohio office at (513) 651-4130, or by completing the intake form found on our website.
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You Pay No Fees Unless We Win!
We are happy to offer a free consultation to evaluate your case. If you hire us as your legal counsel, we will represent you on a contingency-fee basis. You will pay no attorneys’ fees unless we recover financial damages.