Did you know that the majority of deaths that occurred in large truck accidents in 2019 were those of occupants in passenger vehicles? This is in part because trucks weigh 20 to 30 times as much as smaller passenger cars.
If you’ve been involved in an accident with a semi-truck, then you may be facing challenges in terms of trauma, health, and finances. This can be an incredibly stressful and trying time.
Fortunately, if you hire a semi-truck accident attorney, you’ll be able to get the compensation you need to move on from this difficult situation.
But how do you find the best semi-truck accident attorneys? You may not be sure where to start.
That’s why we’ve put together this article. In it, we’ll review the top tips to follow when looking for a semi-truck accident attorney. Finally, you can move on from this semi-truck accident with the financial and emotional support you need.
Read on to learn more.
Get Referrals
To get started, get referrals from friends, co-workers, and family. They have your best interests at heart, so they’ll recommend a semi-truck accident attorney to you that you can trust.
When asking for referrals, ask questions about the attorney such as:
- “Did they help you win your case?”
- “Did they explain the legal process to you?”
- “Did they seem experienced and knowledgeable?”
- “If I may ask, how much money did you get from the settlement?”
- “What were the pros and cons of working with this attorney?”
By getting the answers to these questions, you’ll get a good idea as to whether you want to hire the lawyer yourself. Of course, if you don’t know anyone who has worked with a semi-truck accident attorney, then you’ll have to take additional steps, such as…
Look at Reviews
Another way to find out whether past clients have been happy with an attorney’s work is by looking at reviews. Go to lawyer review websites, such as Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, Lawyers.com, and NOLO. Use a local search option to find those near you.
Additionally, use larger review websites such as Google My Business and Yelp. The more review websites you check out, the more reviews you’ll get access to. This is exactly what you want because you need to get an idea of how these lawyers have done on average.
Generally speaking, a few negative reviews are nothing to worry about. But you should be looking for a large number of positive reviews and high ratings.
Keep in mind that you might sometimes come across fake reviews. To learn how to spot fake reviews, check out these tips from MarketWatch.
Ask for Referrals From the Semi-Truck Accident Attorney
Finally, before we jump into the different factors to consider when you finally have a list of semi-truck accident attorneys, there’s one last place you should look for referrals: the semi-truck accident attorney themselves.
They should be able to provide referrals from past clients. They might even put you in touch with a past client, in which case you should ask the same types of questions you ask when getting word-of-mouth recommendations.
Consider Experience
If you’ve recently been searching “semi-truck accident attorney near me,” you may have noticed that there are many options available. A great way to start coming up with a list of potential attorneys is to consider what experience they already have.
Because semi-truck accidents are more legally complicated than ordinary car accidents, having an experienced attorney on your side will make a huge difference as to whether or not you win your case.
When you’re involved in a semi-truck accident lawsuit, trucking companies will have a team of lawyers behind them. That’s because of the expensive cost of their interstate insurance policy.
If you choose a semi-truck accident lawyer who has extensive experience, they’ll know what to expect from the other side. They’ve already been involved in similar cases, so they’ll better handle arguing against the opposition. They’ll also have an in-depth understanding of the interstate insurance policies involved.
To learn more about the benefits of hiring a semi-truck accident attorney with a high level of legal expertise, read about it here.
Consider Their Knowledge of Laws and Regulations
When you hire a semi-truck accident attorney, you should consider their knowledge of laws and regulations both federally and in your state. Your lawyer should know about the safety regulations and laws set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
They should also be informed about the laws and regulations set by the Department of Transportation.
Because many semi-trucks have to follow interstate laws as well as in-state laws, you need a lawyer who is knowledgeable about these national guidelines and laws.
This way, they’ll be able to use the existence of these laws to defend your case. For example, if the driver was driving recklessly according to the Department of Transportation, you’ll be more likely to get the compensation you need.
You should also ask attorneys about their knowledge of traffic and safety driving laws within your own state. They might be able to use this knowledge to help win your case, too.
Ask About Their Track Record
What will make it most likely that you win your case? Working with a semi-truck accident attorney who has won many cases like yours in the past. Combined with the experience and knowledge we’ve just covered, this will make your chances of winning quite high.
When you meet with attorneys, ask them about how many semi-truck accident cases they’ve won in the past. Ask about details of the cases and how they relate to yours specifically.
Any attorney worth their salt will be able to provide you with these examples. They’ll also be able to share results with you, such as how much compensation they were able to get for past clients.
Consider Their Availability
When you’re contacting the semi-truck accident attorney, consider their availability. How quick are they to answer your phone calls and emails? If they don’t get back to you fast, then they aren’t prioritizing you when you’re a potential client.
This means that it’s unlikely they’d prioritize you when you’re actually their client.
In analyzing their communications with you, check whether they answer your questions thoroughly and clearly, too. You want someone who communicates well for two reasons.
First of all, they’ll be able to keep you in the loop throughout the legal process, which can be helpful because you might be able to provide them with details that help your case.
Additionally, if they’re good at communicating with you, they’ll also have good communication skills when it comes to negotiating with lawyers on the other side. This will make it more likely that you’ll get more compensation.
Ask About Their Liability Knowledge
Another important factor when it comes to semi-truck accidents is the liability involved. With normal auto accidents, it’s usually easy to find who’s liable for the accident. But with a semi-truck accident, this is far more complicated.
Liable parties might include:
- The trucking company
- The driver of the truck
- The manufacturer of the truck
- Suppliers, distributors, brokers, or shippers
- Technicians or mechanics who service the truck
- A company that provided defective parts for the semi-truck
When speaking with semi-truck accident attorneys, ask them about what parties might be liable for the accident. If they don’t provide you with details like the ones above, then they likely don’t have the liability knowledge needed to defend you.
Consider Their Tactics
The tactics your semi-truck accident attorney uses matter because they’re what make the difference between settling a case and winning it. Many attorneys might have what they call “successful” cases, but it’s only where they settled with the other party.
You want an attorney who uses aggressive, smart tactics. This way, you’ll get the money you deserve when it comes to your accident.
Think About Cost and the Contingency Fee Arrangement
Another important factor when choosing the right semi-truck accident attorney is cost. If you’ve recently been a victim of an accident, then you might find that you’re already spending a lot of money on medical costs, both physical and therapeutic.
Additionally, you might be losing money because you can’t go to work due to injuries or emotional trauma. As a result of all these factors, you might be in a financial position where you think you aren’t able to afford an attorney.
However, the best semi-truck accident attorneys will have a system in place so you don’t have to worry about losing money now. This is called a contingency fee arrangement.
When you have this type of arrangement with an attorney, you won’t have to pay the fees upfront. Instead, you’ll only pay the attorney if you win the case they’re defending. Usually, they’ll get paid a specific percentage of whatever you get as compensation.
Why It Matters
This type of arrangement is common for personal injury, car accident, and truck accident attorneys.
The idea is that it’s a win-win for both of you. It also incentivizes your lawyer to win the case. If you come across an attorney who requires you to pay fees, this is a problem.
First of all, you might not be able to afford it. Second, it’s a sign that their skills aren’t good enough to win your case. Otherwise, they’d be comfortable using the contingency fee arrangement.
Finally, it’s a sign of unprofessionalism and potentially a red flag that they aren’t running a serious law firm.
So when you’re contacting potential attorneys, make sure to ask about this arrangement. Only consider the ones who use the contingency fee arrangement.
Consider Their Resources
A professional semi-truck accident attorney will have a large number of resources so that they can win your case. They’ll have contacts in the industry, such as actuaries, medical experts, traffic engineers, and accident reconstruction experts.
With these resources, they’ll have all the information needed to demonstrate that the other party was at fault. They’ll also be able to find all the ways in which you can receive compensation.
To make sure that your lawyer consults these experts most effectively, you should ask questions about how often they’ve worked with them. You’ll also want to know how much they can afford to spend on these experts and how much experience their experts have.
Think About How Comfortable You Are
When you’ve experienced a semi-truck accident, chances are you’re in a vulnerable place. Whether you’re physically uncomfortable because of sustained injuries, experiencing trauma, or you’re feeling bad about your employment situation after the accident, you need support.
A professional semi-truck accident attorney will provide you with the comfort you need.
This isn’t only important for emotional reasons. You need to be able to open up to your attorney about both the physical and emotional trauma of the accident, no matter how private it is.
This way, they can get you more compensation, arguing in your favor.
Additionally, if you feel comfortable around the attorney, this is a sign that they’re professional. They’ll save their pushiness for the courtroom, but they’ll be on your side when they’re with you.
Professionalism is a sign that they’ll work as hard as they can for you and take your case seriously.
Need More Information?
Now that you’ve learned about the top tips to follow when looking for a semi-truck accident attorney, you might need additional information.
Maybe you want to learn about the different types of compensation you might be able to get from your accident. Or maybe you’re looking for a semi-truck accident attorney near you.
Whatever information you need, you can find it on our blog. Simply to go the General section of our website, where you can find out about all the ways to legally defend yourself after an accident.
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