You never plan to get in a car accident. But when it happens, the impacts can be devastating, long-term, and life-altering. You may suddenly have to deal with how you or your loved one’s life has drastically shifted. You don’t have the time or emotional capacity to seek justice for the accident. When you’re in this position, you need a truck accident lawyer to guide you.
If you have been involved in a truck accident in Merrillville, Indiana, you may have more questions than answers. A knowledgeable and compassionate attorney can provide those answers as well as help you get the justice you deserve. The aftermath of a truck accident is different than that of a regular car accident because trucks are insured differently. Dealing with intimidating insurance companies, police reports, and witness testimonies is much easier when you have a specialized truck accident attorney to help you.
The Damages You Can Recover After Your Merrillville Truck Accident
After you’ve been in a truck accident in Merrillville, you’re probably not going to be calculating your monetary losses – you’ll have much more important things to worry about, like your health and well-being. We can help you review the damages you’ve suffered as a result of your accident and assign a monetary value to them, which you may be entitled to recover from the liable parties.
Examples of the compensation you may be able to receive include:
- Medical bills for past and ongoing treatment, emergency room visits, doctor’s visits, or therapy
- Wages and employment benefits are lost if you have had to miss work
- Reduced earning potential if the truck accident has made you unable to work indefinitely or forced you to switch careers
- Repairs to your vehicle or total vehicle replacement
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish or emotional distress
- Loss of companionship or enjoyment of life
- Other expenses related to the accident
Determining the monetary value of damages such as mental anguish and emotional distress isn’t so straightforward. Our attorneys will be able to assist you with this and always aim to get you the compensation you feel you are owed.
Your Recovery Is Our Priority
Recovering after a truck accident is no small feat. It takes time not only to heal physically if you were injured, but also to heal mentally and emotionally. Getting your life back on track after a bad accident takes a lot of effort. Our team understands that this process of recovery isn’t easy. Losses can be so extensive that it takes months or even years to feel like yourself again.
We work tirelessly on your behalf to recover all the compensation you are due. Our firm works on contingency, which means we don’t accept upfront payment from you when we take on your case. We only get paid if you recover compensation for your losses. You therefore don’t have to worry about whether you can afford a truck accident attorney and we can get started building your case right away. If we do recover compensation from you, it comes from a percentage of your settlement or court-ordered award that you and our firm have agreed upon.
We Will Take on the Insurance Companies for You
Insurance matters can be complicated in truck accidents. There’s usually more than one insurance company involved as these types of accidents can involve multiple parties. Handling your own insurance company can be a big hurdle; trying to take on several at once is nearly impossible for someone without experience doing so.
When we work on your truck accident case, we will make sure you have all the guidance and legal resources needed to build your case. We can turn to forensic investigators to secure evidence or expert witnesses like medical professionals to offer opinions in support of your case.
At Yosha Cook & Tisch, we prepare from the beginning to take your case to trial. Not every case ends up this way but if yours does, we’ll be ready to fight for you. We’ve had cases in the past where a legal victory at court yielded more compensation for our client than the insurance companies were initially willing to pay.
Proving Negligence in Truck Accident Cases Is Complex
Working with a truck accident lawyer not only provides you with the expert guidance and legal support you need to start your recovery process, but also improves your chances of getting a favorable outcome. Determining liability in cases involving truck accidents isn’t always clear and an experienced attorney will be able to help.
As multiple people can be involved in a truck collision, it’s possible that various parties could be responsible for your accident. These parties may include:
- The truck driver
- The truck driver’s employer
- The repair company that maintains the truck
- The manufacturer who supplied the truck or truck parts
- The cargo company that loaded the truck
- The municipality that maintains the road where the crash occurred
Our job is to prove how each party’s negligence contributed to your accident and demand an adequate amount of compensation.
One of our other responsibilities as your attorney is to investigate the crash and identify critical evidence that proves other parties’ negligence. Much of this evidence is time-sensitive but may be in the possession of the truck company.
We’ll work to preserve and procure evidence such as:
- The truck driver’s logbooks
- The truck’s electronic data recorder
- The truck’s inspection and maintenance records
- The truck driver’s training and employment history records
- Field sobriety or chemical test results
Indiana Truck Lawsuits Have a Deadline
Although seeking compensation after your accident may be the furthest thing from your mind, you should know that there is a statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits in Indiana. If you’ve been in a truck collision in Merrillville, you only have two years to file a lawsuit from the date of the accident.
After taking the time you or loved ones need to receive medical attention for any injuries, you should consider contacting an attorney. The sooner you bring your case to us, the sooner we can start building it. If you wait until after the deadline expires, you will lose your chance to hold other liable parties accountable for your accident.
The Risk of Truck Accidents in Merrillville Is High
Truck accidents in Merrillville and the state of Indiana are, unfortunately, more common than you might think. In 2017, commercial vehicles caused 8% of all statewide collisions that happened that year. Of the fatal collisions caused that same year, 130 involved commercial vehicles.
Driving near trucks requires extra caution. Because of their size, trucks are sometimes unable to see smaller vehicles like motorcycles. You should always be cautious when driving near a truck. Keep these safety tips in mind:
- Maintain a safe distance.
- Always use your turn signal when changing lanes.
- Pass trucks with caution.
- Avoid getting in trucks’ blind spots.
- Eliminate distractions while driving.
Common Types of Truck Accidents that Occur in Merrillville
Truck accidents differ from other types of accidents because trucks are much larger and heavier. It’s what makes the consequences of truck collisions potentially much more devastating than collisions with passenger cars.
Two of the most common types of truck accidents are jackknife accidents and blind-spot collisions. Jackknife accidents happen when a tractor skids and the skid is not corrected in time. As a result, the trailer pushes the cabin until it hits the trailer.
Blind-spot collisions occur because trucks’ large dimensions leave them with big blind spots. When other drivers are negligent, it may prevent truck drivers from seeing a vehicle when it’s switching lanes, at intersections, or when reversing.
Other common types of truck accidents include:
- Undercarriage accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- Rollover accidents
- Lost cargo load accidents
- Wide-turn accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Sideswipe accidents
Let Us Help You With Your Merrillville Truck Accident Case
At Yosha Cook & Tisch, we will help you at every step throughout your truck accident case. We commit whatever resources are necessary to each case, making our clients’ needs our number one priority. We’ll also ensure that you understand everything that’s happening with your case and take the time to explain it until all your questions are answered.
To protect your rights and interests as you recover from a devastating truck accident, you need an experienced lawyer by your side. Call our firm today at (317) 334-9200 for a free consultation about your Merrillville truck accident and how we can help you get back on your feet.
Our personal injury lawyer in Merrillville will help you with the case!
