Rogers Truck & 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers

With close proximity to Walmart headquarters and a central hub for transportation, Rogers, AR, is no stranger to large trucks traversing I-49 and other roadways. Unfortunately, these commercial vehicles can pose a substantial risk to anyone unfortunate enough to be involved in a crash with them. If you or a loved one was injured in a truck crash, you need dedicated legal representation.

Horton Personal Injury Lawyers has years of experience fighting for personal injury victims from at-fault parties. We can investigate your case, determine who is legally responsible for your injuries, and relentlessly pursue the compensation you deserve. Call us today to get started with a free case review. 

Overview of Truck Accident Cases

Truck accident cases are not like car accident cases. Some of the distinguishing characteristics include the following:

Large Trucks

Big rig accidents involve large trucks and attached trailers. These large commercial trucks are notoriously difficult to handle. Truck drivers must obtain a special commercial driver’s license (CDL) and pass a roadside test showing they know how to maneuver these large trucks. Because these trucks are involved, driver inexperience, inadequate training, unsafe handling, and other similar factors could contribute to tractor-trailer accidents. You will need an experienced attorney who can investigate the crash that injured you and obtain evidence of all the factors that contributed to it.

Severe Injuries

Due to the disparity in the size and weight between a regular passenger vehicle and a commercial truck, semi-truck accidents tend to result in serious injuries, such as:

• Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions
• Spinal cord injuries 
• Amputations
• Severe burns
• Internal organ damage

These injuries can be expensive to treat, which is part of the reason why trucking companies are required to maintain larger liability insurance policies than regular drivers. However, insurance companies don’t make it easy for truck accident victims to recover the compensation they deserve. When you’re suffering from spinal injuries or other serious physical or emotional trauma, you need an experienced attorney on your side who will fight to uphold your rights and protect you from the insurance company. 

Federal Regulations

Commercial trucks that operate in interstate commerce are subject to federal regulations. This includes rules regarding:

• Licensing requirements before a driver can operate a commercial truck
• Mandatory drug and alcohol screening procedures
• Hours-of-service regulations, which try to prevent driver fatigue by establishing maximum working hours for truck drivers per day and week
• The requirement to use electronic logging devices to log the hours and rest breaks for the truck driver
• Rules that cargo loaders must follow to properly balance, load, and secure cargo
• Retention of certain records, including driver personnel files, safety inspections, black box data, and mechanical reports
• Rules regarding when vehicles must be inspected

If you are involved in an accident with a big rig, you may not initially know all of the factors that contributed to the accident. An experienced attorney can investigate to determine them.

Extensive Evidence

Today’s commercial trucks are equipped with various forms of technology that can help illuminate how a crash occurred, such as:

• Black boxes that record critical information about the truck before the crash
• Onboard video cameras that may have captured the truck driver fatigued or distracted
• Electronic logging devices, which may indicate that the driver exceeded the hours-of-service rules
• GPS units, which may show the truck driver had been traveling beyond their hours

After a truck collision, the trucking company may take steps to protect its own financial interests, so it’s crucial that your lawyer act quickly to preserve valuable evidence before it is lost or destroyed.

Multiple At-Fault Parties

Various parties are involved in the trucking industry and may play a part in accidents with 18-wheeler trucks, such as:

• Truck drivers who operate their vehicles unsafely or while distracted, fatigued, or impaired
• Trucking companies, which are legally responsible for the negligence of their drivers, even independent contractors, and their own oversights, such as failing to conduct a proper background check on drivers
• Mechanics, who can be held responsible for trucking accidents caused by worn tires, brake failures, or equipment failures that occur due to poor or negligently-performed maintenance
• Product manufacturers, who are responsible when vehicle defects cause or make a crash worse than it should have been
• Cargo loading companies responsible for jackknife accidents, rollovers, or other crashes in which unbalanced loads played a part

Truck accident lawyers can conduct thorough investigations to determine the party or parties responsible for your injuries. 

Dealing with Insurance Companies: A Key Role of Truck Accident Lawyers

One of the biggest headaches after a motor vehicle accident is dealing with the insurance company that represents the at-fault party. Insurance companies are for-profit companies that rake in billions of dollars in profits by minimizing, denying, and devaluing claims as much as possible while still accepting large amounts of money in premiums from their insured. 

Insurance adjusters are often trained to deny, delay, and devalue claims, often receiving financial incentives for doing so. Tactics they may try include:

• Blame the victim for the accident
• Try to get you to provide a recorded statement
• Claim your medical treatment was not necessary
• Minimize your injuries
• Try to get you to provide a blanket medical release form to pin a former accident on your current injuries
• Offer a lowball settlement 

Your personal injury lawyer can anticipate these tactics and protect your rights by carefully funneling necessary information to the insurance company. They can review insurance details in policies and engage in settlement negotiations, fighting for the financial compensation that you deserve. They can advise you whether a settlement offer is good or if you should take your case to trial.

Financial Compensation You Can Recover After a Truck Accident

Truck accidents can devastate victims and their families. By filing a personal injury claim, you can seek to hold the at-fault parties responsible for the full extent of your losses, which may include:

• Payment for your medical bills and future medical expenses
• Ongoing medical treatment, including at-home care, rehabilitation, and physical therapy
• Wage loss for your immediate lost wages and reduced earning potential
• Property damage expenses, including the costs to repair or replace your damaged vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the accident
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish

Contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can identify the damages you can include with your insurance claim and give you a better sense of the potential value of your claim.

Evidence to Prove Fault in a Truck Accident

Since Arkansas is an at-fault state for motor vehicle accidents, you will need to present evidence that the truck driver or other negligent party was at fault for the accident. Evidence commonly used in truck accident cases includes the following:

• Police reports that indicate how the crash occurred or that the truck driver was cited for violating a traffic law
• Photographic evidence of the damage to all vehicles involved, weather conditions, and nearby traffic signs
• Surveillance camera footage that may show all or part of the accident or the events leading up to it
• Eyewitness statements from objective bystanders who observed the accident
• Reports from accident reconstruction specialists

In addition to proving fault, you will also need to show how the truck accident has affected your life. For example, you may have suffered a head injury that causes cognitive deficits or spinal injuries that impair your mobility. Medical professionals may be able to testify on your behalf to discuss these real-world impacts on your health and future.

An experienced attorney can help you gather the evidence you need to establish your right to fair compensation.

How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help If You or a Loved One Was Injured in a Truck Crash

Individuals who have been injured in serious accidents are encouraged to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. These motor vehicle accidents can be physically and emotionally traumatic. A skilled attorney can help ensure that you take the steps necessary to protect your rights.

Personal injury lawyers can:

• Connect you with qualified healthcare providers
• Investigate the accident that injured you
• Evaluate your legal options
• Ensure your medical care is thoroughly documented and linked to the accident
• Collect evidence at the accident scene and from the trucking company
• Create a customized legal strategy for your case
• Negotiate with insurance companies
• Prepare your case for trial

Some accident victims fail to contact a personal injury attorney because they are afraid that they can’t afford their services. However, our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, so you don’t have to pay any attorney fees upfront or at all unless we successfully recover compensation for you.

What to Do After a Truck Wreck

If you were involved in a semi-truck accident, you may be confused about what to do next. These serious crashes can be chaotic, so it can be hard to keep your wits about you. However, try to stay calm, and take the following steps in the hours, days, and weeks after the accident to protect your legal claim:

Report the Accident to the Authorities

Even if the truck driver pleads with you not to report the accident because it could cost them their job or license, report the accident to law enforcement. This will help ensure that a law enforcement officer responds to the scene and conducts an investigation. Insurance companies may deny claims when there are no accident reports to back up the claim that the crash actually occurred. Additionally, these official reports can help reveal critical information that can help your case.

Gather Information

Ask the truck driver for the following information:

• Name
• Contact information
• Employer name and contact information
• US DOT number
• Insurance information 

Ask any witnesses who stopped for their names and contact information.

Use your cell phone to take pictures of the following:

• The damage to your vehicle and the truck
• Nearby cross streets and traffic signs
• Weather and road conditions
• Skid marks and road debris
• Your injuries

Write a Narrative About the Accident

Try to write down a description of the accident while your memory is fresh. Include the following details:

• The date and time
• Where you were traveling from, including the direction
• Whether any poor weather conditions were present
• The traffic lights and signals you saw before the accident
• How you believe the accident happened

Seek Medical Attention

Do not delay in seeking medical treatment after a truck accident. You could be experiencing shock or a surge of adrenaline that is preventing you from feeling the symptoms of your injury. If you don’t seek prompt medical attention, your injuries could worsen, and the insurance company could use your delay in seeking medical treatment against you. 

Don’t Admit Fault

Don’t say “I’m sorry,” apologize, or otherwise accept any blame for the accident. The insurance company could use this statement against you to deny your claim or minimize its value under the state’s modified comparative negligence law. Remember, you don’t know all of the factors that may have contributed to the accident, so don’t prematurely accept responsibility for something that might not be at all your fault.

Don’t Talk to the Insurance Company

Do not speak directly to the insurance company. It has dedicated claim handlers, investigators, and attorneys who will protect its interests. Instead, let your lawyer handle communications on your behalf while you focus on your recovery. 

Keep All of Your Accident-Related Documentation

After a truck crash, you may begin accumulating a lot of documentation and evidence related to your accident. Keep all of this, including:

• Your medical records and bills
• Letters from the insurance company
• Your written narrative of the accident
• Wage loss statements
• Pain journal entries

Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer

 Finally, reach out to a truck accident lawyer for legal assistance and representation. Horton Personal Injury Lawyers can handle every aspect of your case while you heal. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.