If you or a family member has suffered injuries in an accident with a big rig, consider obtaining legal guidance from a dedicated South Bend truck accident lawyer. Yosha, Cook & Tisch firm’s skilled attorneys have recovered substantial compensation for victims and their families and stand ready to help you with your claim.
Get a Free Case Evaluation from Our Truck Accident Attorneys in South Bend, Indiana
While truck accidents routinely result in severe injuries and fatalities, most are preventable. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, many trucking accidents are due to operator-related causes like driving while tired, distracted, impaired, or too fast for the road or weather conditions. Injured parties and their families must then face that someone else’s negligence caused their injuries or, worse, the loss of their loved one.
You don’t have to pay anything to have your case reviewed by our South Bend legal team. Our personal injury lawyers will analyze your case, help you understand liability, calculate your economic and non-economic damages, and initiate the legal process so you can obtain fair compensation from the liable party or parties.
Why Should You Hire a South Bend Truck Accident Lawyer from Yosha, Cook & Tisch?
Injury victims might not be aware that having legal counsel may improve their prospects of making a larger settlement than those who do not. A skilled truck collision attorney in South Bend could help ensure that your needs are met in terms of compensation and that your best interests are represented. Here are the things we could do for you!
Establish Liability for Your Truck Crash Injuries and Losses
Tractor-trailer accident claims are generally based on negligence. To hold a truck operator, owner, company, or manufacturer responsible, the injured party must prove the following elements:
- The at-fault party owed a duty of care to the injured party
- The at-fault party breached that duty of care
- The breach directly caused the accident
- The accident caused injuries and property damage
Proving negligence in a commercial truck collision can be especially challenging due to numerous state and federal safety regulations. However, an accomplished South Bend attorney experienced in personal injury claims could investigate the semi-truck wreck case and gather the evidence necessary to hold the responsible parties accountable.
- We’ll work with accident reconstruction experts to identify the factors leading to your semi-truck or trailer accident and establish liability.
- We will examine the accident and police report, pictures, and videos.
- Our truck collision lawyers in South Bend will determine whether the trucker respected the HoS.
- We’ll determine whether the vehicle trailer was correctly loaded or exceeded weight constraints.
- Our experts will check the history, driving records, and truck driver’s background.
- Your semi-truck injury attorney will collaborate with industry professionals to enhance your claim and determine the extent of your damages and how the accident happened.
Cases involving truck accidents can be challenging since many parties may be responsible for your injuries and losses. These parties could be:
- Owner of the vehicle or trailer, truck driver
- The trucking firm
- The truck repair company
- The company that made the truck or any of its components
- The cargo-loading operators
To avoid being held accountable for your injuries and losses, the insurance companies of the truck driver, the trucking business, the cargo firm, and any other possible parties will work to minimize your damages. This is why you require a truck accident lawyer in South Bend, Indiana, with the resources and expertise to develop a compelling case on your behalf.
Determine Your Fault Percentage for the Truck Collision
Drivers often question whether they are prevented from filing a lawsuit if they are partially responsible for the accident. Indiana follows the law of comparative negligence. If a driver is 50 percent or less at fault, they can recover compensation for their damages. A personal injury lawyer in South Bend may help you fight the defendants’ allegations regarding your own fault for the crash.
Recover Compensation After Your Commercial Vehicle Accident
Drivers and passengers hurt in truck crashes often suffer debilitating injuries, some requiring ongoing medical care. In a truck accident lawsuit, the plaintiff may be able to sue for the following damages:
- Past and future medical costs and expenses, including emergency room treatment, laboratory testing, and prescriptions
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Mental health counseling
- Home health care
- Assistive devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches
- Home and vehicle modification costs, like assistive driving equipment or ramps
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
To recover the maximum compensation for injuries sustained in a trucking collision, it is essential to account for all the losses relating to the accident. For example, suppose someone injured in a big rig crash needs inpatient rehabilitation or ongoing home health assistance. In that case, a skilled South Bend attorney could include the projected cost based on the length of treatment and the level of care.
File Your Case within Indiana’s Statutes of Limitations for Truck Collisions
Whether you got into an accident with a semi-truck, 18-wheeler, trailer, etc., you must still file your case according to Indiana’s statute of limitations.
You typically have two years from the date of the injury to file a truck accident lawsuit, per Indiana code. Additionally, there is a two-year deadline for incidents resulting in fatalities and incidents brought on by faulty products. The statute of limitations for wrongful death starts to run on the day of the decedent’s passing.
Getting in touch with a South Bend injury lawyer immediately after an accident is always essential to avoid running out of time to submit a claim. Our firm is ready to look into and explore every possibility for resolving your claim, including negotiating settlements with the insurance provider or going to court.
Contact a Reputable South Bend Truck Accident Attorney Today
Collisions with big commercial trucks can be life-changing. People struggle not only with disabling injuries but also potentially devastating financial losses.
If you were in a collision with an 18-wheeler, trailer, semi-truck, or another commercial vehicle through no fault of your own, a qualified South Bend truck accident lawyer could help secure the compensation you and your family deserve. In addition, our dedicated legal team could work to ensure that you do not have to take on the driver, the insurance company, or their attorneys on your own.
Call now for a free case evaluation!