Las Vegas Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents can cause severe and even catastrophic damage. If you have been injured by the reckless driving habits of a truck driver, you may be considering what steps you can take next. Unfortunately, many injury victims are intimidated by the trucking companies or corporations behind the driver, often backing down due to their thorough legal protection. Ace Law Group is not afraid to take on greedy trucking companies and their attorneys. We would be proud to stand up for your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve!

Our Las Vegas truck accident lawyers are committed to providing compassionate and zealous representation. We have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for our clients, and we are dedicated to winning, plain and simple. Our legal team believes in no alternative! If you are in need of award-winning, superior legal service, please contact our firm today.

Types of Truck Accidents

We have helped clients injured in all sorts of accidents, but some are more common than others. Innocent motorist and pedestrians can be hurt in the following truck accidents:

• Rear-end collision. A truck can crash into any vehicle in front of it, often because the trucker is going too fast and doesn’t have enough space to come to a complete stop. Other vehicles are in the truck’s blind spot, which typically extends 20 feet in front of the truck. There is a real risk that the truck will ride up onto the smaller vehicle in front, which could prove deadly.
• Sideswipe. Trucks can strike any car going parallel to it. The smaller vehicle might even be forced off the road. Again, blind spots are often to blame, especially on the freeway. Many sideswipes occur during a lane change.
• Rollover. The trailer on a semi-truck could roll onto its side, often because the truck is going too fast, or the cargo is unbalanced. A dump truck could also roll onto its side when its box is elevated if the material in the box is unevenly distributed. Rollovers can be deadly.
• Underride. A smaller vehicle can slide under the back or side of a trailer, causing serious damage to the car and its occupants.
• Jackknife. The trailer on a semi-truck can swing out at a 90-degree angle and slam into vehicles nearby. Many jackknifes stem from inclement weather or braking problems.
• Backing up accident. Trucks backing into a loading dock might strike a pedestrian trying to scoot past. Remember, these trucks have a 30-foot blind spot in the back, and some trucks don’t have cameras or the driver isn’t looking.
• Flying debris. Material can often come flying out of a truck, such as a dump truck going along the highway. This debris can hit other cars or force them to take defensive action, leading to wrecks. Material should be tied down with a tarp or other covering.

We have helped clients injured by all sorts of trucks, from semis, tractor-trailers, box trucks, moving vans, sanitation vehicles, and dump trucks. Contact us today to find out if we can assist you.

Truck Accident Injuries

Unsurprisingly, these accidents tend to leave victims with serious injuries, including:

• Fractures
• Contusions
• Crush injuries
• Facial injuries
•  Brain injuries
• Friction burns
• Lacerations
• Infections
• Back injuries
• Whiplash
• Pinched nerves

Commercial trucks are so large that they can leave someone permanently disfigured. For example, crush injuries often lead to “crush syndrome,” a fatal condition caused by the breakdown of skeletal muscle. The primary way to stop crush syndrome is to amputate an affected limb. Injuries like these often cause intense, long-lasting emotional distress.

Who is Liable for My Accident?

You need an experienced personal injury lawyer to review the facts of your case and determine who is responsible. In many accidents, multiple parties could be to blame. Our law firm can immediately review all relevant facts and even talk to witnesses to fully understand what happened.

We might bring a personal injury claim against any of the following:

• A negligent or reckless truck driver. A trucker who was tired, distracted, or intoxicated is legally responsible for any accidents they cause.
• The truck driver’s employer. The trucking company might be automatically liable when an employee negligently hurts someone while working. In other cases, the trucking company could have independent liability for failing to use sufficient care in hiring, supervision, and training.
• Truck mechanic. A defective part could make the truck unmanageable. A negligent mechanic might have performed repairs improperly or simply failed to identify a problem with the truck.
• Truck manufacturer. If the truck was defective coming off the assembly line, then you can sue the manufacturer for selling a defective product.
• Loading company. Often, the company that owns the freight loads it into the truck. They might fail to secure it properly or overload the trailer to the point the truck becomes unstable. Consequently, a loading company might be liable if the freight contributes to the collision.

More than one party might be liable. For example, when poor maintenance leads to a crash, we often sue both the trucking company and mechanics.

How is Compensation Calculated for Truck Accidents?

Compensation should cover economic losses, like medical care, lost wages, and damage to your property. Typically, economic losses are easy to calculate. Just pull out a bill, paystub, or car repair estimate.

You should also receive compensation for non-economic losses like physical pain, mental anguish, depression, and loss of enjoyment of life. These losses are harder to estimate. Two people rarely agree on how much chronic shoulder pain or depression is worth. But we have settled so many claims that we know what is a reasonable amount to request for your suffering.

We also need to consider your own fault. Nevada’s comparative fault law states that your compensation is lowered proportionally by your degree of fault. So if you are 45% at fault, you will receive only 55% of your damages. The law also states that you cannot receive compensation if you were more than 50% to blame for the collision.

The Truck Accident Settlement Process

Most of our truck accident cases settle, so you should understand the process from start to finish:

1. Once hired, we need to investigate to determine fault. If a person or business isn’t at fault, then they don’t need to pay compensation. This investigation can take several months.
2. Accident victims should continue to receive medical treatment and participate in rehabilitation. We can request compensation for medical bills, among other out-of-pocket expenses.
3. Once we identify all the parties at least partially at fault, we can submit a demand letter, outlining the amount of compensation our client wants.
4. Typically, we need to engage in back-and-forth negotiations over certain issues, such as comparative fault. Negotiation can take several months.
5. We might participate in mediation with a neutral mediator to help break through any obstacles to settlement. This is sometimes helpful, although it does slow down the process.
6. When settlement fails, we need to file a lawsuit. Under Nevada law, we must file it within two years of the accident, otherwise it’s too late to sue. Our firm always keeps its eye on this deadline so that we don’t go over it.

Even if you settled a car accident case, you should consult a Las Vegas truck accident lawyer. Truck accident claims are much different. More money is at stake, and trucking companies are usually more aggressive defending themselves.

Federal and State Trucking Regulations

Trucking is a dangerous profession, so both the state and federal governments regulate this industry closely. Some regulations limit the amount of time that a trucker can drive. For example, the applicable hours of service regulations set the following limits for truckers who haul goods:

• No more than 11 hours driving after 10 consecutive hours off.
• No driving past the 14th consecutive hour once on duty.
• A required half-hour break after 8 consecutive hours, which can include a sleeper berth break. However, a half hour of not working will qualify.
• Cannot drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 straight days. This period restarts after taking 34 consecutive hours off.

Truck drivers also have a lower legal limit for drunk driving. Their blood alcohol concentration cannot be over 0.04%, which is half the legal limit for other adults.

Federal regulations also require regular drug and alcohol testing. There is a required pre-employment test, as well as random testing throughout the year. Federal law also requires testing after many collisions as well. An employer should suspend any trucker who fails a test.

Your Legal Allies In Trucking Accident Claims

If you are looking for a law firm that is dedicated to legal excellence, be sure to call us at 702-997-1697, or fill out a free case evaluation today to get started.