CLEVELAND TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS

Truck Companies Have an Army of Lawyers—Let Us Be Yours

Large commercial vehicles dominate the road, bringing goods and fresh produce into Cleveland and transporting our own products to the rest of Ohio. These vehicles are vital links in the nation’s supply chain. But these large and heavy vehicles can cause incredibly serious injuries when they collide with other vehicles on the road.

At Groth & Associates, our firm has the experience necessary to obtain compensation for our clients when they are hit by a truck. Contact our Cleveland car accident lawyers to learn more about your options for negotiating a settlement or filing a lawsuit.

A CLOSER LOOK AT TRUCK ACCIDENTS

According to the State Patrol, Ohio saw 132 commercial vehicle fatalities in 2020. But this number doesn’t include the thousands of injured people who survive a collision.

Truck accidents have many causes, but truck driver negligence is a key driver of wrecks. The driver makes some error while behind the wheel that sets of a chain of events, leading to an accident—and more often than not, incredibly painful injuries.

Some of the more common errors drivers make include:

• Driving too fast for conditions. Trucks need more time to come to a stop than lighter vehicles. A truck that is going too fast can barrel into vehicles in front of it.
• Driver confusion. Some drivers might not be familiar with Cleveland and get lost or take their eyes off the road, striking vehicles and even pedestrians.
• Impaired driver. Some drivers turn to drugs or alcohol to get through the day. They can easily mishandle their truck in these circumstances.
• Drowsy driving. The federal government closely regulates how much time a driver can be on the job during the week, but too much time driving leads to mistakes.
• Reckless driving. Some drivers are in a hurry to get to their destination, so they might cut corners and drive too aggressively or recklessly.

WHO ELSE IS LIABLE FOR AN ACCIDENT?

The trucker isn’t the only one who might have legal liability for a collision. Sometimes the trucker was driving as safely as possible and following all the rules. Other people or entities could be to blame for the crash:

• Truck owner. This company might not have maintained its fleet in a safe manner. For example, a trucker could have complained that the brakes were wearing thin. If the trucking company doesn’t get the truck fixed, they are liable for an accident.
• Mechanics. A mechanic could have performed poor work. They could have overlooked an obvious mechanical problem that a more careful mechanic would have found, or they could have done shoddy repair work.
• Loading companies. The company that owns the freight in the trailer is often responsible for loading it onto the truck. They could have failed to tie it down, so it shifts while the truck is in motion. This type of unbalanced cargo can lead to a jackknife, rollover, or other accidents.
• Municipality. Sometimes defects in the road contribute to a truck collision. The government agency responsible for fixing road defects could be responsible for your collision.

As accident victims, you need a seasoned investigator to help you uncover all the different people who could share legal liability. Contact Groth & Associates today. Our lawyers are adept at reviewing the evidence and pinpointing who is to blame for the collision. We can then file a claim against the appropriate defendants.

TYPES OF TRUCK ACCIDENTS

Our clients are injured in different types of accidents, including:

• Underride collisions—a smaller vehicle slides under the back of the trailer.
• Override collisions—the truck rides up onto the smaller vehicle in front of it.
• Rollover accidents—the truck or trailer can roll onto its side and crush pedestrians or motorists nearby.
• Backup accidents—a truck backing into a bay area might hit a pedestrian walking behind it.

Jackknife—the trailer will swing out at an angle from the cab, often because the driver was going too fast.

• Flying debris—material in the back of a dump truck can fly out of the box and smash into vehicles or force them to take defensive action. Sometimes goods come tumbling out of the back of a tractor-trailer and cause wrecks.

Any one of these accidents is dangerous and can lead to permanent, painful disabilities.

TRUCK ACCIDENT INJURIES

Commercial vehicles like big-rigs and semi-tractors weigh several tons. When they crash into a vehicle, they can cause major injuries:

• Multiple fractures, often requiring surgery
• Internal organ injuries
• Permanent nerve damage
• Neck and head injuries, including concussions
• Back injuries, including spinal column injuries and paralysis

These injuries can bankrupt the average person, who cannot cover the cost of medical care. Rehabilitation is often required, too, especially when they are serious. Even someone with medical insurance might quickly deplete their savings trying to pay for everything.

Although money might be tight, you should seek medical assistance after the crash. The longer you delay treatment, the more difficult it will be to improve. Speak with our attorney if you don’t have health insurance or the ability to pay out-of-pocket for care.

HOW OUR CLEVELAND TRUCK ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS HELP

After being hired, we can swing into action to protect our client’s rights to compensation. If successful, a client can receive compensation for economic losses like lost wages and medical care, as well as damages for non-economic losses like pain and suffering or emotional distress.

Trucking companies in Ohio and surrounding states have giant insurers representing them, with dozens of lawyers who work on every case. The company often sends out an investigator to the scene of the accident within hours of the wreck to retrieve evidence.

Our attorneys can carefully collect evidence on your behalf. We will also fully analyze the facts to identify the correct party to sue, whether this is the driver, his employer, or a truck manufacturer or loading company.

HOW MUCH CAN YOU RECEIVE IN A SETTLEMENT?

There are many factors that go into determining whether you can receive compensation and, if so, how much. You can help your lawyer by preserving certain documents which help us calculate the value of a claim:

• Medical bills and receipts, along with health insurance statements. This information helps us calculate an important component of economic damages—the cost of your medical care. If the truck driver or another party is responsible for the collision, they should pay for these expenses.
• Proof of income. If you are a W-2 employee, keep recent copies of your pay stub. If you are self-employed, then business records can help us establish how much money you have lost when injuries prevent you from working.
• Car repair bills or estimates. You should have your car fixed by the defendant who struck you.
• Rental car bills. The defendant should pay for your rental vehicle if your car is so damaged you can’t drive it.

These economic damages are only half of the equation, however. You should also receive money for pain, suffering, and emotional distress. These losses are much harder to estimate, but Groth Law has settled many cases. We have a general sense of how much insurers are willing to pay for someone struggling with painful physical injuries.

COMPARATIVE FAULT & CLEVELAND TRUCK ACCIDENTS

One reason many victims do not receive full compensation is that they were partially to blame for the accident. For example, you might have been distracted while driving, so you ended up cutting off a tractor-trailer. However, the trucker was also speeding, which is why he smashed into you.

In situations like these, the law says that both parties can share fault. We must then compare the fault. If you are more than 50% to blame, you can’t receive compensation at all. Our lawyers will collect as much evidence as possible to minimize your own careless behavior and amplify the trucker’s negligence.

WE HAVE THE SKILLS YOU NEED

Call Groth & Associates today to schedule a free consultation. Our Cleveland truck accident lawyer is prepared to negotiate an aggressive settlement but can also litigate in court if necessary. Our consultations are no-risk and confidential!