People who have been injured in truck crashes in the Colorado Springs area can seek compensation from liable parties.
At Florin|Roebig law firm, we have nearly 40 years of experience in handling truck accident cases throughout the nation — with a successful track record of verdicts and case outcomes.
An experienced and knowledgeable Colorado Springs truck accident lawyer can help you understand whether filing a personal injury claim is the right thing to do.
The attorneys at Florin|Roebig understand personal injury law and can help Colorado residents seek the compensation they deserve after being injured in accidents of all kinds.
Keep reading to learn about how truck accident victims can seek compensation and how the Florin|Roebig legal team can help you after your accident.
What Steps Should You Take After a Colorado Truck Accident?
It is critical to know what to do after a truck accident. Taking the right steps directly after your accident can make it much easier to seek compensation down the line.
Step 1: Accept Medical Treatment
You should never turn down medical treatment or examinations that are suggested to you after a truck accident. This includes treatment at the accident scene as well as later treatment for your injuries.
Not only can it be dangerous to reject medical treatment, but doing so can also make the personal injury claim process more complex later on.
Step 2: File a Police Report
A police report is a factual account of events that took place during an accident. Once it is safe to do so, you should file a police report as soon as possible. Police reports can be valuable objective evidence for personal injury claims and they help to determine the at-fault parties.
Step 3: Talk to a Lawyer
As soon as possible, it’s a good idea to reach out to an experienced Colorado Springs truck accident attorney, like those at Florin|Roebig.
An attorney can review your documents and offer legal advice on whether you should pursue a personal injury claim.
How Do Colorado Truck Accident Claims Work?
Anyone who has suffered negative impacts on their life after an accident with a commercial vehicle in Colorado Springs can hire a lawyer and seek compensation through a personal injury claim.
If you work with Florin|Roebig, there is no risk to filing a personal injury claim. Our team will evaluate your case with a free consultation and help you determine if filing a claim is the right thing to do.
If our legal team recommends that you file a claim and you choose to move forward, our services will be paid for with a contingency fee — meaning our law firm will get a percentage of your total settlement. That means that you only have something to gain when filing a personal injury claim with Florin|Roebig.
Your lawyers will go to work seeking compensation from the liable parties in the accident for all of the damages you have suffered.
In the rare case that a settlement cannot be agreed upon between you, your lawyers, and the liable parties, your attorneys can help you file a lawsuit — which moves the case to court. After both sides argue their points, the court decides on a final settlement amount.
Fault vs Liability in Colorado Truck Accidents
Two terms that you will hear throughout the personal injury claim process are ‘fault’ and ‘liability’. To stay informed and understand your claim, you need to understand the difference between these two terms.
Fault
Fault refers to the party that caused the tractor-trailer accident to occur. Usually, fault is placed on a driver, either of the truck or of another vehicle.
Sometimes, fault could be placed on the trucking company, the party responsible for maintaining the roadway, or even the truck manufacturer.
Liability
The liable party is the person or entity that will be responsible for paying any damages in a settlement.
The liable party is often different from the at-fault party in car accidents and other motor vehicle accidents, because insurance companies are often liable when their insured driver is at-fault.
Potential liable parties in a truck accident include:
- Trucking company: Sometimes, the trucking company is responsible for paying damages to people injured when their drivers or negligence causes an accident.
- Insurance company: Insurance companies are usually liable in truck accidents. Trucking companies pay for insurance so that when their truckers cause an accident, they are not liable.
- Truck driver: If a truck driver is operating as an independent contractor or is self-employed, they could be held liable in an accident. This is especially true if the driver is also uninsured or underinsured.
How Negligence Affects Colorado Truck Accident Claims
Negligence refers to any action that someone takes that they knew, or should have known, would put people in danger.
Negligence is an important part of personal injury law. Without establishing that negligence led to your accident and the resulting injuries, your personal injury claim cannot be successful.
An experienced truck accident lawyer can help you determine whether negligence was at play in your accident.
Negligence in truck accidents might look like a driver being drowsy or under the influence, an improperly maintained truck, driving too fast, etc.
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Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Colorado Springs
Truck accidents in the Colorado Springs area occur for a wide range of reasons. The cause of an accident is important when determining whether negligence was involved and who was at-fault for the accident.
Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:
Driver Error
Truck drivers often make errors which lead to crashes. These errors can include anything from driving while drowsy to forgetting to put on a turn signal or check in mirrors before merging.
Manufacturer Error
Sometimes the manufacturer of a truck or another vehicle is to blame for an accident. If a vehicle malfunctions because of an error on behalf of the automaker or truck manufacturer, the company could be placed at fault.
Cargo Loading Errors
The way cargo is loaded into a semi-truck affects the way the truck handles on the road. If a truck is improperly loaded, this mistake could lead to an accident.
Improper Truck Maintenance
Semi-trucks in the state of Colorado are required to meet certain standards of maintenance in order to legally operate on the road. Improperly maintained trucks can lead to malfunctions and part failures that cause accidents.
Hazardous Road Conditions
Sometimes road conditions lead to motor vehicle accidents. A roadway could be covered in snow or ice, improper signage could be present, or other hazards like large potholes could exist.
Trucking Industry Negligence
State and federal regulations state that trucking companies are legally responsible for training their drivers properly.
Improper training, allowing drivers to go over daily hour limits, and failing to keep log books are all examples of trucking industry negligence that can lead to an accident.
Types of Colorado Springs Truck Accidents
Semi-truck accidents can occur in a number of ways, and the way the accident occurs can affect who is at fault and who can be held liable for damages.
Common ways truck accidents occur include:
- Rollover accidents: When a big rig rolls onto its side or flips over completely.
- Jackknife accidents: When the trailer portion of a truck swings towards the front, rendering the truck inoperable.
- Underride accidents: When smaller cars run into the rear or side of a semi-truck, becoming wedged underneath. These are particularly dangerous accidents.
- Cargo spill accidents: When a truck spills its cargo onto the roadway, causing an accident.
- Runaway truck accidents: When a big rig loses control of its brakes while traveling downhill.
- Squeeze-play accidents: When a truck swings left before making a right turn, allowing smaller cars to merge on its right before “squeezing” them as it turns right.
- Override truck accidents: When a big rig runs over a smaller vehicle, often crushing it and injuring its passengers.
What Injuries Are Common in Colorado Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents have a high rate of serious injuries that require extensive medical care, as well as a high rate of fatalities. Most of the fatalities and serious injuries in truck accidents happen to people in smaller vehicles.
These are all injuries commonly seen in truck accident victims:
- Cuts and lacerations
- Dismemberment
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Bone fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries and other head injuries
- Disfigurement
- Fatality
Damages in Truck Accident Personal Injury Cases
The idea of a personal injury claim is to seek fair compensation for any losses you have suffered due to an accident.
‘Damages’ are money you seek as part of a settlement offer to compensate you for the various impacts you are dealing with.
All of the following are commonly sought damages in truck accident cases:
- Medical expenses: If you have any medical bills for the treatment of your injuries, they can be reimbursed in a settlement. Further, if you are continuing to receive care, you can get compensation for the projected costs of medical treatment.
- Wrongful death: If you are filing a claim on behalf of a family member or loved one who has died from their truck accident injuries, you can seek wrongful death compensation.
- Lost wages: If you have been unable to work because of your injuries, and/or you expect to continue to be unable to work, you can seek compensation for lost wages, both incurred and projected.
- Pain and suffering: An experienced lawyer can help you to understand all the ways that an injury has impacted your life and help you to get compensated for these impacts. Mental anguish, physical pain, and emotional distress are all damages that can be claimed as part of the ‘pain and suffering’ portion of your claim.
Benefits of Working with a Lawyer for Your Truck Accident Claim
You might be wondering why you can’t just file a personal injury claim against the liable parties yourself. Legally, nothing is stopping you from doing so.
The reason that most people choose to work with attorneys like those at Florin|Roebig law offices for their personal injury claims is attorneys know how to get you the maximum fair compensation in a settlement.
People who have attorneys get higher settlement amounts, on average, than people who do not.
Florin|Roebig’s attorneys are paid on a contingency fee basis. This means that they only get paid if you receive a settlement.
During your free initial consultation, you can rest assured that you will only be advised to proceed with a claim if the attorneys believe it is worth your (and their) time and effort.
Lastly, an attorney makes the claims process simple and easy. Once your lawyer has relevant documents and information, they will work hard to get you a favorable settlement offer.
List of Top-Rated Colorado Truck Accident Lawyers Near You
The esteemed attorneys at Florin|Roebig law firm are ready to take on your Colorado Springs truck accident case.
Our law firm has won over $1 billion in settlements for our clients, and we have a track record of favorable verdicts when cases go to court.
Our team of accredited personal injury lawyers includes:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- Parker Y. Florin, LL.M.
- Chase P. Florin, B.C.S.
- John J. Hart
- Nollys R. Solarte, O.C.
- Taylor D. Roebig
- Andrew M. Leone, O.C.
- Lawrence J. Najem, O.C.
We Are Nationally Awarded Lawyers
Get in Touch With a Qualified Colorado Truck Accident Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has been in an accident in the Colorado Springs area involving a large truck, our attorneys can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Call the Florin|Roebig law firm today to learn more about our services or schedule your free initial consultation.
