Brentwood Truck Accident Lawyer
While Brentwood is a small, quiet suburb, it is no stranger to motor vehicle accidents, including those with large trucks. Many truck accident victims are left with severe injuries, sometimes permanently changing their lives.
Our Brentwood truck accident attorneys fight on behalf of victims, holding every liable party accountable for their negligence. If you’ve been injured in a truck crash, contact us at (615) 255-9999 or through our online form for a free consultation to learn more about your legal options for justice.
Causes of Truck Accidents
Truck accident cases can be quite complicated, with multiple contributing factors. Some of the most common causes we see include the following.
Inexperienced Drivers – A truck collision may be due to the failure of trucking companies or instructors to properly train drivers.
Distracted Driving – One of the most common examples of driver error, this can be due to a truck driver talking on a cell phone, texting, checking navigation details, or eating.
Failure to Obey Traffic Signals – This is a common issue in truck accidents caused by tight turns.
Reckless Driving – Large commercial vehicles have lower speed limits than smaller vehicles do because they have a longer stopping distance. A speeding truck driver may fail to stop in time, leading to a rear-end collision.
Drowsy Driving – Though truck companies are heavily regulated and must provide adequate resting time, many push their drivers to fulfill tight deadlines that can lead to a lack of sleep.
Manufacturing Defects – Many truck accidents are the result of tire blowouts or brake failure, which may be due to manufacturing negligence.
Lack of Maintenance – A truck maintenance company has an obligation to thoroughly examine every commercial truck before it is dispatched.
Improperly Loaded Cargo – A cargo loading company must carefully balance materials and strap them in with adequate tie-downs. If they fail to do so, this may lead to jackknife accidents, putting other drivers at risk.
Truck Accident Injuries
Brentwood truck accidents can lead to serious injuries for victims, taking a major financial toll on survivors and their families.
What happens when you’re hurt in truck accidents depends on factors like the speed and size of the vehicle, but these are common injuries our law firm sees in these personal injury cases.
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Lacerations and contusions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burns from hazardous materials or fuel
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Disfigurement
- Death
Potentially Liable Parties
Your Brentwood truck accident attorney may pursue compensation from multiple parties depending on the circumstances of the crash. These three parties are commonly liable for truck accidents.
Truck Drivers
The truck driver is often the at-fault party in Brentwood truck accident claims. They may have engaged in reckless behavior like speeding or failing to check blind spots, or they may not have braked in time when they noted a road hazard.
Our law firm will use all available evidence to prove their liability, such as cell phone records and crash data from the truck’s onboard computer.
Trucking Companies
As commercial trucks are such large vehicles, trucking companies are held to a high standard of safety, including providing their drivers with adequate rest and keeping their fleet in good repair. If it can be proven that they did not adhere to federal standards through repair logs and driver’s records, they can be held accountable.
Local Municipality
Sometimes, Brentwood, TN, is the defendant for a truck accident. If they were aware of poor road conditions and did not repair them in time, then they are held partially responsible for a car accident that resulted from these issues.
Evidence and Investigation after a Truck Accident in Brentwood
During your free case evaluation, we will discuss how fault is determined in truck accidents. Essentially, we use all available evidence to develop a narrative of the accident, showing what the driver should have done differently to prove negligence. This may include the following proof:
- Photos and videos
- Surveillance footage
- Police reports
- Medical records
- Electronic Logging Device Data
- Black boxes from all vehicles
- Truck company records for maintenance and repair
- Expert witness testimony
- Cellphone records
- Receipts or toll booth tickets
Trucking Company Defenses
A lawyer is an invaluable resource during a Brentwood truck accident lawsuit because we are familiar with the defenses that trucking companies will use to shirk responsibility. These defenses can include the following:
- Comparative Negligence – The company’s lawyers will argue that you are primarily responsible for the accident, and thus they don’t need to pay you.
- Independent Contractor Status – Many companies will hire their truck drivers as independent contractors so that they are not held liable for their actions, meaning the company cannot be sued in the case of truck accidents.
- Sudden Emergency Doctrine – This doctrine states that drivers cannot be held fully responsible if an unforeseen, unavoidable circumstance prevents them from reacting in time, such as a deer jumping out onto the road. Our Brentwood truck accident lawyers can prove with expert testimony that they would have had adequate time.
- Preexisting Conditions – The trucking company may argue that any medical conditions you have contributed to the accident, or that all your injuries were preexisting conditions and not caused by the accident.
- Lack of Negligence – They might claim that they did everything possible to prevent an accident through good maintenance and screening of drivers. A Brentwood truck accident lawyer can scour the evidence and prove this is not true.
- Inadequate Proof – Truck accidents are complicated, and the company may dismiss the evidence you gathered as inadequate to prove their liability. This is why it is crucial to work with a skilled Brentwood truck accident lawyer who can seek all evidence necessary.
Compensation You Can Recover After a Brentwood, TN Truck Accident
You can pursue both economic and non-economic damages, which differ in their purpose.
Economic damages are for accident-related expenses, such as the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Loss of earning potential
- Out-of-pocket expenses
On the other hand, non-economic damages compensate you for the pain and inconvenience of a truck accident, such as the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship in the case of wrongful death
- Disfigurement
- Lost quality of life
What Is the Value of My Truck Accident Claim?
As truck accidents are so complex, there is no predetermined amount for a settlement; it depends on different factors, which we will explore during our free case review.
Things that may impact your claim include the following:
- The cost of your medical expenses
- Recovery time and lost income
- Whether you suffered catastrophic injuries, like a spinal cord injury
- If you were disfigured or permanently disabled
- Whether there is clear liability
Tennessee uses modified comparative negligence for personal injury, meaning that each party is assigned a percentage of liability. If you are less than 50% responsible, you can sue, but your compensation will be reduced by the percentage for which you are held accountable.
Our truck accident attorneys will ensure that you are not held responsible for more than your fair share of the liability by utilizing all the evidence available.
Filing a Truck Accident Claim in Brentwood
To start, you’ll file a police report and document the scene through pictures or video before heading to the hospital to get medical attention.
Next, file a claim with your insurance company before calling our personal injury law firm to guide you through the rest of the process. We will submit a demand letter explaining that we are pursuing compensation, and then negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.
Statute of Limitations
You have only one year to file a claim for Brentwood truck accidents, meaning it’s crucial that you contact an attorney immediately after a truck crash.
Should I Talk to an Insurance Company After a Truck Accident in Brentwood?
No, you should allow us to handle all communications with the insurance company after a truck accident.
The trucking company’s insurance will use every trick possible to avoid responsibility, including claiming that you were at fault. Having represented truck accident victims for years, we’re highly familiar with all their tactics and will be able to skillfully counter them.
How Much Does a Brentwood, Tennessee Truck Accident Lawyer Cost?
We provide our services on a contingency fee, meaning that you owe us nothing unless we are able to win. This provides you with peace of mind and allows you to recover without worrying about expenses.
Get in Touch With Experienced Brentwood Truck Accident Lawyers
Our law firm is highly familiar with truck accidents and works our hardest to ensure victims receive fair compensation for their injuries. We’ll hold the truck driver and trucking company responsible for their failures to protect other drivers, providing you with the compensation you need to recover.
Call us today at (615) 255-9999 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
