If you have been in an accident or even had a close call with a large truck, you know how scary it can be – and how dangerous. Every year, thousands of people perish as a result of commercial truck accidents, and many more are injured. Most of the fatalities in crashes with large trucks are the occupants of the other vehicles – not the truck occupants.
Sharing the road with commercial trucks is risky for passenger cars, which means that proving fault in a truck accident is extremely important and can help ensure that the victims receive fair compensation for damages, injuries, and losses. The first step in proving fault after you’ve been in an accident with a truck is hiring a truck accident lawyer.
Take Quick Action
A semi-truck accident and an accident involving only passenger vehicles are not handled the same way. When you are in a truck accident in NJ, your claim revolves around proving fault. It is necessary to provide evidence establishing who was at fault to receive compensation. The stakes are high for truck companies and their insurance companies, so they’ll act quickly after an accident to try to limit their liability. You’ll need to do the same.
It’s in your best interest to contact a lawyer as soon as possible when you’ve been involved in a truck accident in Newark, Harrison, Maplewood, or West Orange. Lawyers who handle these cases understand the urgency of a thorough and timely investigation. They are also knowledgeable about the different types of evidence that are specific to truck accidents and where to focus.
For example, commercial trucks typically have “black boxes” to record essential data such as brake use, speed, and other essential information. However, this information – along with logbooks, maintenance records, employment records, and more – may be lost or destroyed if your lawyer does not act quickly. It’s important to work quickly to preserve this data for the best possible outcome to your case.
A truck accident law firm can also conduct their private investigation of the accident scene and interview witnesses, and they’ll use all the evidence they gather to prove fault. They may even recommend hiring reconstruction experts who can handle the available evidence to reconstruct the accident and help determine who was at fault.
Who Could Be at Fault for the Accident?
The truck driver is not the only person who may be at fault during an incident. Other parties who might be at fault include the truck company, the manufacturer of the truck or its parts, anyone who performed maintenance or repairs on the truck, and the company that loaded the cargo. In some cases, there may be several responsible parties. Your lawyer can help identify exactly who is to blame to ensure the best outcome for you.
If you have been involved in a truck accident in Kearny, Belleville, South Orange, or elsewhere in NJ, contact Corradino & Papa, LLC immediately. We’ll walk you through each step of making your claim and do everything we can to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation allowed by law.