Compensation For People Injured By Truck Drivers

Look on any highway in America and you’ll see a semi truck transporting goods from one place to another. Semi trucks and freight drivers are the lifeblood of many industries here in the US, but these big rigs are not without their dangers. These heavy trucks can contribute to some devastating car accidents, and if you are injured by a truck driver, you need to know about all your compensation options. We spotlight those options in today’s blog.

Injured By A Semi Driver In Minnesota

We’re known for being “Minnesota Nice” here in Minnesota, but sometimes that works against us when we are considering pursuing compensation for injuries suffered in a car accident. Many people inherently assume that the accident was just that – an accident. Maybe the other driver didn’t see you, or they couldn’t stop because they hit a patch of black ice. While this is certainly possible, there may be other factors at play that increase the other driver’s liability, and this is especially true with semi drivers.

For example, maybe the driver didn’t see you because they were looking down at their phone, or they were speeding and unable to account for the icy road conditions and stop in time. These factors would increase the other driver’s liability and open you up to larger compensation award. These factors are also present for truck drivers, but they have a number of additional forms of liability that many people aren’t aware of. For example, semi drivers can have their accident liability increase if they have:

Improperly secured loads
Improperly licensed driver
Load shifting leading to rollovers or the inability to stop
Load did not pass inspection
Long hours contributing to drowsy driving or falling asleep behind the wheel
Driving in an area where large vehicles are not permitted
Failing to properly maintain the safety lights on their vehicle
Blown tires causing accidents

If you’ve been injured in a traffic accident and a semi truck was involved in the accident, you need to set up a consultation with a truck accident lawyer like Dean Margolis. Many semi truck drivers are employees of larger companies, which means they’ve probably got some larger insurance policies and maybe even a legal team. Don’t be surprised if these companies try to rush you to settle or try to shift the liability towards you. Don’t sign anything or talk to their insurance company until you have a lawyer by your side to help show you the best way to proceed.

Semi trucks are involved in thousands of automobile accidents each day, and many of these accidents would have been preventable had the driver or their company taken the necessary precautions. When they fail to protect other drivers on their road, they open themselves up to million dollar payouts. Don’t agree to a settlement just to “get it over with,” let us investigate the true factors that led to the accident and get you the compensation package you deserve.

To learn more about how our team of lawyers and investigators can determine the liability of your semi truck accident, reach out to Dean and his team today at (952) 230-2700.