Collisions involving big trucks can shut down the road and send innocent people to the hospital in an ambulance. These are horrifying accidents, and injured victims deserve a law firm that knows how to handle their cases with sensitivity and skill. You need CLS Law in your corner.

Contact us today. Our Tempe truck accident lawyer knows the steps to take to win an accident case. Trucking companies should pay financial compensation to anyone injured when a negligent truck driver causes a wreck, but they often work night and day to deny claims, leaving injured victims with nothing. Schedule your free consultation to find out more about what steps you can take today to improve your odds of a favorable settlement.

Types of Truck Accidents in Tempe, Arizona

Our clients are hurt in different collisions, which can happen almost anywhere in Tempe. Some of the most common wrecks include:

  • Head-on collisions. A truck can end up colliding head-on when it jumps the median or if the truck goes the wrong way on a one-way street. These are often fatal accidents because of the truck’s size.
  • Rollovers. A tractor-trailer can roll onto its side when cargo shifts or the trucker takes a dangerous turn at high speeds. A truck can land on top of adjacent vehicles, leading to crushing injuries and amputations.
  • Jackknifes. A tractor-trailer can fold into itself in a jackknife. Poor traction, rain, or road defects conspire to cause jackknifes, but shifting cargo and dangerous driving are also to blame. The trailer can swing out and mow down nearby vehicles.
  • Underride accidents. A smaller car can slide under the side or rear of a tractor-trailer, peeling off the hood of the car and causing life-threatening injuries.
  • Override accidents. A big rig can ride onto (and even completely over) smaller vehicles in the way. The major cause of override accidents is speeding.
  • Blown tire collisions. When tires blow on a truck, the rig becomes unmanageable and can ram any vehicle on the road.

These are some of the most common accidents. Call CLS Law to talk with a Tempe truck accident lawyer about the details of your wreck.

What Are the Primary Causes of Truck Accidents?

A Tempe truck accident is usually caused by one of the following.

Negligent Truckers

A trucker will get into an accident because of some dangerous action or omission behind the wheel:

  • Failing to observe surroundings
  • Texting and driving
  • Driving while distracted
  • Intoxication or drug use
  • Trucker fatigue
  • Following too closely
  • Driving too fast for the conditions
  • Failing to perform a pre-trip inspection
  • Driving even though there is a defect on the truck

Negligent Trucking Companies

A trucking company could be at fault for a crash:

  • Negligent hiring
  • Failing to supervise
  • Refusing to require drug testing
  • Hiding negative drug tests
  • Failing to maintain a vehicle or perform necessary repairs

Trucking companies are also automatically liable when one of their employees causes a crash.

Mechanics

A mechanic could perform shoddy repairs which makes a truck unstable:

  • Failing to find a defect on the truck
  • Performing repairs improperly
  • Using cheap or defective parts on a repair

Loading Companies

Rigs like tractor-trailers are usually loaded by the company that owns the freight. They could cause a collision when they:

  • Overload the truck
  • Fail to balance the cargo
  • Neglect to tie down or secure the cargo

When Can You Receive Compensation for a Truck Accident?

To win a case, you need to establish the elements of negligence:

  1. Duty: The defendant owed you a duty of care. This is easy if a careless trucker crashes into you. They must drive carefully to not injure other motorists around them. A loading company also needs to load their freight in a safe manner, and they should foresee that doing a negligent job could cause an accident.
  2. Breach: The defendant failed to act with sufficient care. This means they breached their duty.
  3. Causation: The accident was caused by the defendant’s breach. If you were struck by a dangerous driver, then this element is easy to establish.
  4. Damages: You suffered bodily injuries and/or property damage in the wreck, which qualify as damages under the law. You can request compensation for your damages.

Arizona recognizes comparative negligence, which requires that we investigate your own carelessness and whether it contributed to the crash. If so, your compensation is reduced in a proportionate manner.

Suppose you were following a truck too closely. You are at least partially at fault for any underride when the trucker hits the brakes. If you are 50% to blame, then your damages get cut in half. The end result? You get less compensation.

What is a Fair Truck Accident Settlement in Tempe?

Truck accidents cause major injuries, including fractures, neck injuries, chest injuries, and back injuries. You could end up in the hospital for months trying to recover.

We believe in fighting for the maximum compensation allowed under the circumstances. And we fight for both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

  • Medical treatment for injuries
  • Car repair bills
  • Car rental costs
  • Lost income or wages

Non-Economic Damages

  • Mental distress
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Bodily pain
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

There are some limitations on your ability to receive compensation. One is your comparative negligence. Did you drive carelessly and contribute to the crash? If so, your compensation will be reduced in a share equal to your share of fault for the accident.

Another limitation is the defendant’s resources. Often, we can add a trucking company who has deep pockets. But we want to see what insurance policy the defendant has to check what is the most you can reasonably receive.

Evidence for Your Truck Accident Case

We need quality evidence to understand how the accident happened. This evidence lets people who weren’t at the accident “see” how the crash unfolded. Evidence allows us to establish fault:

  • Witness testimony: Remember to talk to witnesses after the crash. They can report what they saw and might prove pivotal in a truck accident case.
  • Physical evidence: Don’t immediately get your vehicle fixed. We might comb it for evidence to prove how you collided with the truck.
  • Breath or urine tests: If the trucker was drunk or high, we can introduce evidence to prove that fact. The police officer or the trucking company should have requested testing.
  • Video evidence: If your crash happened downtown, then a nearby business could have recorded it with a security camera. Other accidents are caught on dashcams.
  • Cell phone records: A trucker who is on the phone was negligent (and breaking the law). We can request phone records to check.

We Win Truck Accident Cases

Your choice of attorney is probably the biggest difference in whether you win or lose a case. CLS wins. We credit our detailed approach for the success we’ve had.

Our firm can:

  • Coordinate with insurers and other parties. You need to remain focused on getting better and healing following the crash.
  • Document your losses. We can gather up medical records, bills, and other evidence to fully support our claim for compensation.
  • Negotiation. We usually negotiate a settlement with the defendant, which helps us skip a lawsuit. Our clients gain access to compensation much faster.
  • Litigation. Although we rarely go to trial, we still do considerable legwork just in case. For example, we file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out.

Call Our Tempe Truck Accident Attorney

Trucking companies have teams of investigators and lawyers at their disposal, who are billing day and night with one goal: to deprive you of a settlement. Take control of the situation. Call CLS Law at (855) 257-9467 to schedule a free consultation.