Top-Rated Detroit Truck Accident Lawyers for Your Legal Needs

Helping Trucking Accident Victims Seek Financial Compensation from At-Fault Parties in Detroit, Michigan

Every year, thousands of Americans die or suffer catastrophic injuries and serious truck accidents. The vast majority of the fatalities resulting from commercial vehicle accidents were the occupants of other vehicles involved in those crashes. A large commercial truck typically weighs more than 20 times as much as the average passenger motor vehicle, meaning that when a semi or big rig collides with a smaller car, the resulting damage can be absolutely devastating.

If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury or wrongful death in a semi-truck accident, you may be eligible to recover financial compensation from the negligent truck driver and other liable parties. However, the legal process for pursuing financial recovery from at-fault parties may be difficult. Trucking companies are very powerful and wealthy organizations with teams of lawyers present to represent their interests. It is highly recommended that you work with an experienced truck accident attorney to help you with your traffic accident case.

Our truck accident law firm has extensive experience holding members from the trucking industry accountable for their actions and inactions that cause serious injuries in auto accidents. Our legal team is well-versed in Michigan law and truck accident cases, making us a highly qualified legal advocate for personal injury victims and their families.

The truck accident lawyers of our legal staff offer free consultations to prospective new clients interested in retaining our legal services. Additionally, unlike some other law firms, we operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you won’t pay us a dime in legal fees unless we can successfully win a settlement for your truck accident case. To discuss your truck accident claim in more detail, please contact our Detroit law firm to schedule your free initial consultation today.

What Should a Truck Accident Victim Do After a Truck Crash?

Virtually every semi-truck accident is a serious accident, if for no other reason than the sheer difference in size and weight between big rigs and most other motor vehicles. Like those involved in car accidents, anyone involved in trucking accidents must take certain steps to protect their well-being and the future of their truck accident claim.

Immediately following semi-truck accidents, it is essential that victims assess the severity of their injuries and the injuries of others involved in the wreck. Contact law enforcement and paramedics to summon first responders to the accident scene.

When the police arrive at the truck accident scene, provide the police with your accident report and note all of the officer’s names involved in handling your trucking accident case. A thorough police report will be valuable evidence for top truck accident lawyers.

While remaining as polite as possible, try to get the truck driver’s name, the identity of their trucking company, their insurance company provider, and other relevant information. Also, seek out any witnesses to the accident and gain their contact information.

Photograph and video the accident scene as much as possible, including your injuries, the state of the vehicles, other property damage, and the debris left on the road.

You do not have to discuss your truck accident case or injuries with the trucking company, truck driver, or insurance providers. Instead, direct all questions to your personal injury attorneys. If you have not yet retained professional legal counsel, now is the time to contact our Michigan law firm to discuss how the truck accident occurred.

What Types of Motor Vehicles Are Commonly Involved in Commercial Truck Accidents?

When discussing commercial trucking accidents, most personal injury lawyers refer to auto accidents caused by large trucks. Commercial vehicles and commercial trucks are used to transport property and goods and are typically driven by professional truck drivers under the salary of trucking companies. While a pickup truck or SUV may be considered a truck by the general public, these motor vehicles are typically not referred to when speaking about truck accidents in Detroit.

Common types of trucks involved in trucking accidents include the following:

18 Wheelers
Big rigs
Buses
Concrete mixers
Delivery vehicles, such as UPS and FedEx
Dump trucks and garbage trucks
Flatbed trailers
Log carriers
Postal trucks
Tanker trucks
Tow trucks
Tractor trailers
U-Hauls and moving trucks

A commercial vehicle is any automobile used to transport passengers for hire, pull other vehicles, or transport goods and merchandise for profit. It typically must weigh more than 10,000 pounds, including the vehicle and any cargo or passengers.

Are Truck Accident Claims More Complex Than Other Motor Vehicle Accidents?

Not only are most truck accidents catastrophic in terms of the damage and injuries they can cause, but truck accident cases are typically more complicated than other car accident cases because of various factors.

Because the injuries are more severe and sometimes life-threatening, the medical treatment required can be more expensive. This often results in higher medical bills, which the personal injury victim should not be responsible for on their own.

Commercial truck accident cases typically involve multiple potential at-fault parties and insurance companies. Because of this, things can get more complicated, and more lawyers may become involved.

Investigations into the cause of the Detroit truck accident may also be more complex. It is highly recommended that you retain professional legal representation from an experienced personal injury attorney to help investigate the truck accident, at-fault parties, resulting injuries, and all relevant factors.

Additionally, several state and federal trucking laws may apply to your truck accident case. Our legal team is familiar with all of the relevant laws and can help you navigate the legal proceedings in pursuit of a fair settlement.

What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Detroit, MI?

Truck accidents can be caused by many of the same factors that influence passenger car accidents. However, there may be additional causes for trucking accidents, such as the size of the vehicles, the cargo they’re carrying, and more.

Common causes for trucking accidents include the following:

Distracted driving, such as texting while driving, talking on a cell phone while driving, eating while driving, and more
Driver negligence
Driving at excessive speeds
Failing to monitor blind spots
Failure to slow down in dangerous road conditions
Impaired driving, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Improper vehicle maintenance
Inexperienced drivers
Mechanical malfunctions and vehicle defects
Negligent hiring practices
Overloaded or improperly loaded cargo
Poor driving history and inadequate training
Reckless driving and aggressive driving
Tailgating or following too closely
Truck driver fatigue
Trucking companies forcing unsafe big rigs onto the roads
Unsafe lane changes and turns
Violating traffic laws and disregarding traffic signals

Whatever the cause of your truck accident, if you suffered property damage or serious injuries, you may be entitled to seek financial compensation from the at-fault parties. Our legal team would be proud to represent your rights in pursuit of justice and a financial recovery period. Please contact us to schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation today.

What Types of Serious Injuries Are Frequently Seen in Truck Accident Cases?

Truck accidents frequently cause serious injuries for other motorists or pedestrians caught in the path of large commercial trucks.

Common truck accident injuries seen in Detroit, Michigan, include the following:

Broken bones and joint dislocations
Burns
Crushing injuries
Deep cuts and lacerations
Head trauma, including concussions and brain bleeds
Internal bleeding and organ damage
Loss of limbs
Loss of vision or hearing
Mental health issues, including emotional trauma, psychological damage, and PTSD
Neck and back injuries, including disc herniations
Nerve damage
Spinal cord injuries
Temporary or permanent paralysis
Traumatic brain injuries
Wrongful death

If your truck accident caused severe injuries to you or your loved ones, please contact our Michigan law office to schedule your free case review today.

Who Can Be Held Liable in Detroit Trucking Accident Cases?

In truck accidents, multiple parties are frequently held liable for injuries and property damage. For instance, if the truck driver was under the influence while behind the wheel, you could sue both the driver and their employer. Trucking companies must hire responsible employees and drivers for their trucks, meaning they could be held liable for injuries in a truck collision.

In addition to the truck driver, the broker or shipper, the motor carrier company, the maintenance team company, the cargo loading company, the truck owner, and the shipping company may be held accountable for truck accident injuries.

Every truck accident case is as unique as the victims impacted by those accidents. We would need to review the facts surrounding your truck accident claim before determining which parties may be held accountable for injuries and other losses. Please contact us to schedule your free case evaluation today.

How Do Detroit Truck Accident Attorneys Prove Truck Driver Negligence?

In order to obtain financial compensation for your injuries, your Detroit truck accident lawyers must establish that the defendant was negligent in some fashion. Because multiple parties may be held negligent in a truck accident case, your attorneys must examine the facts to prove negligence on the part of all defendants.

There are four legal elements that your truck accident lawyer must approve to establish negligence in your case.

These include the following:

Duty of care: if a reasonable and experienced truck driver would have behaved differently behind the wheel of their motor vehicle, then it is possible to prove that the defendant breached their duty of care and caution owed to other motorists
Breach of duty: when a truck driver or other entity involved in the operation of a commercial truck fails in their duty of care, this is known as a breach of duty of care
Injuries sustained: as a result of the breach of duty, personal injuries were suffered by the truck accident victims
Real losses: the last element of the legal process is establishing that the injuries sustained resulted in real financial damages for you or your family members

Do Truck Drivers Have a Limit on How Many Hours They’re Allowed to Drive?

There are specific requirements for truck drivers regarding the number of hours they are allowed to drive in a given day or week and the number of hours of rest that are required between driving shifts. The exact number of hours may vary depending on several factors, including whether the truck driver is driving their vehicle interstate or intrastate.

The primary purpose of these truck regulations is to help reduce truck driver fatigue and drowsy driving, which makes the roads safer for everyone. Truck drivers and their employers are expected to log every minute of drive time and rest. However, sometimes, these logs are incomplete or never written at all.

Your truck accident lawyer will use driver logs to help determine whether the truck driver was on the road too long or did not have adequate rest before getting back on the road. If it is possible to prove that the truck driver falsified their logs or was being pushed to the extremes by the trucking company, it may be possible to hold these parties accountable for negligence.

Can Personal Injury Attorneys Help You Recover a Truck Accident Settlement?

With the help of a truck accident attorney, it is possible to pursue financial recovery. No amount of financial compensation can ever truly reverse all the damage done in a serious truck accident, but the hope is to make the trucking accident victims whole again, at least from a financial perspective.

If successful in pursuing financial compensation, your recovery may be awarded in both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages may include the following:

Past medical bills and future medical expenses
Physical therapy expenses
Property damage, vehicle repairs, and replacements
Funeral and burial expenses in the event of a fatal truck crash
Lost wages
Lost income earning capacity

Non-economic damages may include the following:

Physical pain and suffering compensation
Emotional trauma and mental distress
Lost enjoyment of life
Loss of companionship, guardianship, or consortium
Disability, dismemberment, or disfigurement
Wrongful death

What if You Lost a Loved One in a Commercial Truck Accident?

If you lost a loved one or family member in a commercial truck accident, a personal injury attorney can help hold responsible parties accountable for their negligence. In such cases, you and your attorneys would file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of your deceased loved ones. If your recently departed loved ones suffered injuries and were hospitalized before they died, it may be possible to recover compensation for the medical bills that are related to your truck accident case.

In addition to recovering medical expenses, you may possibly be able to seek maximum compensation for the income that you had expected to have accrued over the years had your deceased loved one been allowed to live a longer life. Also, your personal injury attorneys can pursue financial recovery for funeral, burial, and memorial expenses, as well as for the loss of companionship, consortium, guidance, and guardianship.

Losing someone you care about in a horrific accident can be difficult, if not impossible, to bear. You needn’t go through the legal process of seeking financial compensation on your own, however. There is legal help available. Our compassionate legal team would be proud to represent your interests in pursuit of maximum compensation for your wrongful death case.

How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Detroit, MI?

According to Michigan law, there is a time limit for how long you must file a personal injury lawsuit after a trucking accident.

If you fail to file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires, you will be barred from recovering fair compensation.

In most truck accident cases, Michigan laws provide victims up to three years from the accident date to file a suit. However, just because you have three years doesn’t mean that you should take your time. It is important to initiate legal proceedings in the aftermath of a truck accident as soon as possible. Needless delays could result in losing valuable evidence, making things more difficult for your legal representatives.

Please contact our Detroit law firm to discuss your personal injury case in more detail today. Remember, our law firm doesn’t charge you a dime in attorney fees unless we win a settlement for your case. Schedule your risk-free case review today.

Schedule a Free Consultation with an Experienced Detroit Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Truck accident cases are frequently more complicated than most car accident legal matters because of the severity of the injuries and the number of parties who may be involved in the case. Because of this, it is strongly recommended that truck accident victims retain professional legal representation from experienced personal injury attorneys. Our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience representing clients in a variety of truck accident cases. We’d be proud to represent your legal rights as you pursue justice and financial compensation.

Sigal Law Firm of Detroit, Michigan, operates on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you don’t pay unless we win. We strongly advise that you schedule your free consultation to discuss your truck collision claim in more detail with our experienced legal team. Once we’ve had a chance to review your case, we can offer insight into your legal options, as well as potentially provide some idea of what your case may be worth.

Our team prides itself on providing personalized legal care to clients in need. We would proudly represent your legal rights throughout the complicated investigations, negotiations, and, if necessary, trial appearances. To learn more about how we may assist you during this difficult time, please contact our Detroit law offices to schedule your free initial consultation today. You may reach our law firm by calling us at 248-671-6794.