Our Norman, OK truck accident lawyers know that trucking accident claims are often more complex than those involving other motor vehicle collisions because they typically involve:
More serious injuries. The size of commercial trucks means that they impart much greater forces in the event of a collision. This increases the likelihood that someone is going to be seriously injured as a result. In addition to the initial pain and trauma, serious injuries typically require more intensive medical treatment, including surgery or rehabilitative therapy. Furthermore, serious injuries are more likely to result in chronic or long-term conditions that have debilitating effects of their own.
More liable parties. In most passenger vehicle collisions, legal liability is assigned to one or more of the truck drivers involved. In truck accidents, however, truck drivers are just one of the parties who could be held liable for causing the collision. The trucking industry involves many interrelated companies, each of which might share responsibility for a given truck accident as a result of their own negligence or recklessness. These may include whoever owns the truck, whoever operates the truck, whoever manufactured the truck, whoever maintains the truck, and whoever loads the truck. If multiple parties bear responsibility for a truck crash, a resulting injury claim must assign shares of fault to each liable party.
More evidence. A truck accident may be the result of a number of different causes. State and federal regulations require trucking companies to produce extensive documentation, including maintenance logs, driver logs, and onboard computer logs. These documents can provide evidence of the true cause of a truck crash. As a result, any thorough investigation of a truck accident will require collecting and reviewing this evidence.
Complex corporate/insurance structures. Many trucking companies have complicated corporate structures or layered insurance policies that can make it difficult to determine which company can be held liable for an accident, or how much insurance coverage may be available to compensate the injured truck accident victims.
Never try to manage a truck accident injury claim on your own. You better believe that the trucking companies will have experienced attorneys on their side fighting for their best interests. You should, too. Remember, our Norman truck accident attorney, We are available for a free consultation anytime and can inform you of your legal options.