From dump trucks to cement mixers and farming implements, trucks have as much right to access Flint streets as their smaller passenger car counterparts. Problem is, when they lose control of their vehicles, the wreckage they leave behind can be far more devastating than when two cars collide.
Due to their heavier gross vehicle weights, trucks can turn any minor accident into an epic pileup, even when traveling below the posted speed limit.
Michigan Injury Lawyers handles truck accidents regardless of how large or small they are. We help clients hold the insurer, company and the driver accountable for bodily and vehicular injuries sustained during an accident. If you need an experienced truck accident lawyer in Flint, call our firm at (810) 922-2820.
NOTE: Michigan’s quickly approaching new motor vehicle insurance laws will not catch us off guard. Our truck accident lawyers will know whether we need to help you pursue your PIP carrier, the trucker, or the trucking company to get you the compensation you deserve under the law, whether your accident took place before or after the new law takes effect.
Truck Accidents That Michigan Injury Lawyers Litigates
Vehicle wrecks brought about by truck driver carelessness involve more than semis. The following vehicle types have caused serious injury or death to smaller cars in Flint:
- Semis with refrigerated cargo;
- 18-wheelers carrying livestock;
- Combines, backhoes and other farming or construction vehicles;
- Semis carrying cold or flammable liquids;
- Tow trucks with vehicles on their lift;
- Flagger trucks;
- Mixing trucks; and
- Semis with oversized loads.
Most of the time, you’ll need to file your claim against your own personal injury protection carrier and won’t need to prove liability or fault.
Should I Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
Yes, because while you’ve paid premiums to your insurance company for no-fault coverage, perhaps for years without making a claim, that insurance company is in the business of making more money than it pays out. That goes for your PIP carrier as much as it does for another driver’s insurance company. Lowball offers, delays, denials of coverage—you will want our Flint truck accident lawyers to help you cut through all of these things and get you the compensation you deserve.
Should circumstances allow you to file a claim against another person or company’s insurance company, truck accidents could involve one or several key at-fault parties:
- A commercial insurance company;
- Semi fleet owner;
- Manufacturer of truck (if a design or mechanical flaw caused the accident);
- Third party logistics company (if an unbalanced load caused the wreck);
- Vehicle maintenance company (if done by a third party like a truck stop); and
- The driver.
Whether one or all parties are involved depends on the circumstances of your accident.
Since these accident claims are complex and could potentially get denied without the right evidence, you should definitely retain our experienced Flint truck accident lawyers so we can litigate on your behalf.
What You Should Do After a Flint Truck Accident
While your main goal is preserving your health, there are other necessary steps you should take immediately after an accident with a large truck:
- Make sure you yell for help if trapped, especially if your vehicle has flipped over and is on fire;
- If you can exit your vehicle with your mobile phone, call for help;
- Take your phone and shoot pictures of as much as possible, including your own bodily and vehicular injuries and what your vehicle looks like;
- Cooperate with law enforcement and emergency medical teams;
- Report your accident with the insurer; and
- Call your Flint truck accident lawyer immediately.
Fighting Your Truck Accident Case Is Our Job
Truck drivers who fear they may miss their drop-off will often exceed the posted speed limit, which can wreak havoc during rush hour or other peak travel times. However, distracted driving, driving under the influence and general recklessness are other reasons why you may want to retain a Flint truck accident lawyer.
In addition to holding the driver and their insurer accountable, your circumstances may merit filing additional suits or complaints, including:
- Product liability, stemming from poor craftsmanship of the large truck;
- Reckless endangerment, which may happen if the semi fleet owner knowingly puts a driver on the road with no CDL or intends to use them past hours of service regulations;
- General negligence; or
- Faulty maintenance (Recalled parts or those with known flaws which are put on by the semi fleet owner’s maintenance department despite knowing they were faulty).
Our Flint truck accident attorneys can litigate your claim in many ways, depending on the facts specific to your accident.
Commercial Trucks Cause Accidents, Too.
Accidents involving huge 18-wheelers are among the most frightening one can experience. Not only are these bulky vehicles several times larger than even the largest personal vehicles, but they are also prone to both mechanical and operator error.
While the vast majority of trucks make it safely to their destinations, only one small thing has to go wrong to make the consequences devastating. When that happens, you need an astute Michigan attorney you can trust to litigate your claim against the commercial semi fleet owner. These claims differ significantly from other auto insurance accident claims when the law allows you to pursue a claim outside of the PIP system.
For legal help after an accident involving a large commercial truck, call an experienced Flint truck accident lawyer at Michigan Injury Lawyers immediately. We know the law, and we know how to help you.
Big Trucks Have Different Insurance Policies
Companies with fleets of semis have larger insurance policies. This is because these trucking companies are exclusively responsible for the behavior and carelessness of their employees while they are on the clock, even though a good number of semi accidents are caused by driver error.
When the company has hired an unfit driver, sent out a truck that was not properly inspected beforehand, or otherwise committed some negligent act that resulted in bodily and vehicular injuries to others, you might hold it liable for bodily and vehicular injuries.
Large or small, our firm has the resources to bring the battle right to these large insurers, providing enough evidence that your injury deserves compensation for pain and suffering, loss of wages, medical bills and all other relief deemed just and proper.
Trucking Companies May Bear Liability for Unsafe Trucks
Trucking companies have a duty to ensure that the trucks they use to make deliveries are safe to be on the road. Trucks must be inspected before making deliveries. This includes ensuring that the tires are safe. When a tire blowout causes a serious accident, an injured party may be able to claim that the semi fleet owner was negligent. In addition, they may also be able to sue the company that manufactured the tire if it can be shown that the tire was still warrantied.
In some cases, trucks are not equipped with potentially life-saving guard rails that prevent cars from sliding beneath them. This also constitutes negligence.
Liability for Improperly Loaded Trucks
Improperly loaded trucks cause some trucking accidents. Improperly loaded trucks can capsize or jackknife, causing serious damage to nearby vehicles.
The semi fleet owner is responsible for ensuring that the trucks are loaded safely and properly. When they fail in that duty of care and injure you, our truck accident lawyers can explore whether they are responsible for paying damages to you.
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Flint
A few tips to keep in mind should an accident happen in the future:
- Try to aid others if doing so will not cause further injury to them;
- If you can move about, take photos of everything. This includes the semi, their DOT number (often on the door of their rig) and their license plate;
- Phone law enforcement immediately;
- Give the police an honest account of what took place;
- Receive any and all medical treatment offered, even if you appear to be unscathed; and
- Phone an experienced commercial accident attorney in Flint.
Michigan Injury Lawyers Fights for the People
An insurer will approach most accident victims at some point, and not to apologize. Their goal is to downplay the severity of your accident by offering a small settlement to make you sign away your right to something much better. Tell them you retained Michigan Injury Lawyers, and you do not wish to speak to them without them present.
Over the years, our firm has helped numerous clients get settlements and jury awards that they deserve after they were injured by in truck accidents.
Accident victims in Michigan who want their truck accident claim handled professionally should call our firm at (810) 922-2820 today, or you can send us a message through our contact page. We charge no fees for our consultation, and there are no fees for our services unless we help you to secure a settlement or judgment.
Flint Office Location
3438 Lennon Rd,
Flint, MI 48507
Phone: (810) 239-5700
Get directions.