You may be facing substantial medical bills, time away from work, costly property damage and long-lasting injuries, if you were hurt in a semi-truck or other commercial vehicle accident. The Edmond Personal Injury attorneys at OKC Injury Lawyer understand the effects and costs associated with Semi-Truck or Commercial truck accidents. We are FIERCE ADVOCATES dedicated to ensuring every one of our clients receives the financial compensation they deserve and need to survive the medical expenses and damage caused by being the victim of a Semi-Truck accident. 

Oklahoma Truck Accident Attorneys in Edmond

The OKC Injury Lawyer works with individuals injured in a wide range of semi-truck and commercial truck accidents across Oklahoma. You need experienced and effective legal representation to Fight for Your Rights, if you have been injured in Oklahoma. 

The significance of a being hurt or losing a love one killed in a semi-truck accident, tractor-trailer accident, or other large commercial truck cannot be overstated.  It is critical that you or your family speak to a qualified attorney today. Please complete the CONTACT FORM ON THIS PAGE NOW or CALL at (405) 906-4051 for a FREE NO-OBLIGATION confidential case evaluation.

What Should I do First after a Large Truck Crash?

The following steps will help you protect your interests and your future after being involved in a crash with a tractor-trailer or commercial vehicle accident. Additionally, these steps will help you support your claim for compensation if the accident was caused by the negligence of another driver: 

1. Contact the Police

It is important you report the accident to police, local law enforcement, or 911 as soon as possible. You should provide law enforcement a description of the vehicles involved and where you are located, but DO NOT admit fault or make any statements concerning your negligence. 911 calls are recorded and can be used against you in your personal injury case. 

2. Medical Attention

Immediately seek medical attention to serious injuries suffered by you, your passengers, or others at the scene. You should undergo a medical evaluation shortly after your semi-truck accident, even if you do not feel injured as not all injuries are apparent at the time of injury.

3. Document

Obtain the names and contact information for all drivers. Obtain the name and contact information for all witnesses and passengers if possible. Additionally, obtain the insurance information for all the drivers involved and the tag number and vehicle information for each vehicle. Semi-trucks and commercial vehicles have DOT numbers in additional to tag numbers, which you can take a photograph of at the scene. With the prevalence of smartphone cameras, you should be able to document everything at the scene with pictures, which leads to the next point.

4. Take Photos

You a passenger or witness should take photographs of everything at the scene of the accident. You should take photographs of the semi-truck, semi-trailer, commercial vehicle, the accident scene, injuries, and all vehicle damage. 

5. Contact an Oklahoma Personal Injury Attorney

Once everyone is safe, schedule a consultation with an experienced Oklahoma truck accident attorney to advise you on your best options in your truck accident claim. The attorneys at OKC Injury Lawyer are Fierce Advocates for victims of large truck accidents and will help you protect your rights and seek compensation for your injuries, medical bills, and damages.

6. Don’t discuss the Accident

Other drivers’ insurance providers may contact you directly, record the conversation, and seek statements from you concerning the truck accident; do not give them a statement. Additionally, the drivers and witnesses at the truck accident scene may speak to you; do not discuss the crash, your injuries, or your responsibility for the accident with anyone other than your truck accident attorney. 

What Factors Determine Damages in a Large Truck Accident Case?

Truck accidents often cause sever and long-lasting injuries, which may require time away from work, rehabilitation, changes in lifestyle, and significant medical expenses. Many factors that are unique to each truck accident will weigh in determining damages in large truck accident claims, including:

  • What insurance does the trucking company/driver carry?
  • What are your medical bills?
  • Have you lost wages or earnings?
  • Do you have pain and suffering?
  • Are you now disabled?
  • How much property damage did you suffer?
  • Will you fully recover from your injury?

What is a Large Truck?

Any vehicle, excluding buses and motor homes, with a gross vehicle weight above 10,000 pounds is considered a “large truck” as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”). Large trucks include, semitrucks, tractor-trailer trucks, large commercial trucks, 18-wheelers, and more. 

What Makes a Large Truck Accident Unique?

Large truck accidents are unique due to the excessive damage caused in large truck accidents and the loss of life caused each year by large truck accidents in the United States. The United States Department of Transportation (“USDOT”) compiles and releases data regarding truck accidents, injuries, and deaths. In an average year there are approximately 4,200 fatalities involving commercial trucks or semitrucks. Additionally, there are more than 70,000 injuries caused by truck accidents, which often have life altering effects, including permanent injuries. In Oklahoma, the number of large truck accidents is high for our population due to the volume of interstate traffic on Interstate 35, Interstate 40, and Interstate 44. 

In Oklahoma alone there are approximately 2,000 semitruck or large truck accidents a year. Additionally, almost a thousand 18-wheeler accidents per year result in accidents that require a tow truck in Oklahoma. Large Truck 

Secondary hazards are common in large truck accidents, i.e. an 18-wheeler than jackknives may cause additional accidents or a tanker truck may spill hazardous chemicals or gasoline, which is an additional danger. 

What causes the majority of Large Truck Accidents?

The majority of large truck accidents, like other accidents, involves some amount of driver error. The negligence or failures in large truck accidents or semitruck accidents often involve parties beyond the scene of the crash. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) regulates commercial trucking and has promulgated rules to decrease the likelihood of large truck accidents. However, for profit, some drivers and even trucking companies attempt to or do bypass FMCSA rules to reduce deliver times and increase profit margins. The following are the most common factors in large truck accidents:

  • Driver Fatigue or Sleep Deprivation
  • Distracted Driving
  • Driving Under the Influence
  • Driving Unsafely or too fast
  • Lack of Vehicle Maintenance
  • Insufficient Training
  • Improperly Loaded Cargo
  • Vehicle Defects

Although the previously stated list includes the most common causes of large truck accidents; many more potential causes of large truck accidents exist, including the following:

  • Brake Failure
  • Carelessness by Truck Driver
  • Construction Zone Failure to Slow or Yield
  • Driver Inattentiveness
  • Failure to Yield Right of Way
  • Failure to Repair
  • Failure to Slow Down in Ice or Bad Weather
  • Failure to Stop at a Red Light
  • Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign
  • Following Too Closely
  • Improper Lane Change
  • Improperly Loaded Trailer
  • Inattentive Driver
  • Lack of Attention by Truck Driver
  • Lack of Inspection or Inspection Failure
  • Mechanical Failure
  • Merging into Traffic Improperly
  • Overloaded Trailer
  • Prescription Drug Use
  • Safety Violations or Illegal Turns
  • Speeding
  • Tire Failure or Tires no Inspected
  • Unqualified truck driver

Who is liable in a Large Truck Accident?

Although driver negligence is often to blame for large truck accidents; there are other causes of large truck or semitruck accidents. Some large truck accidents are the fault of the trucking company, the company or individual that loaded the cargo, or other parties. 

Liability is rarely straight-forward; however, liability is even more complex in semitruck or commercial truck accidents. The at-fault party in a large truck accident may including one or more of the following: 

  1. The operator or driver
  2. The trucking company
  3. The owner of the semitruck
  4. The owner of the semitruck trailer
  5. The party that loaded the cargo
  6. The maintenance company
  7. The vehicle or part manufacturer

Typically, each of these parties have their own insurance provider and truck accident attorney that will work to reduce the fault placed on their client, which is intended to reduce their liability for damages or injuries to semitruck accident injury victims. The potential for seven parties all with attorneys fighting against your case is an important reason to contact and retain experienced Oklahoma truck accident attorney representation. 

Remember, it is important to document everything you can after your car accident, including witness information, photographs of the accident scene and damage to each vehicle, document injuries you suffered, and obtain an Accident Report by a police officer.

OKC Injury Lawyer Oklahoma Truck Accident Attorneys

Our team understands the challenges and fears you are facing when dealing with an auto accident injury, including a semitruck accident or commercial truck accident. We are dedicated to working with and for our clients and their families every step of the way. Our firm independently examines all the evidence and investigates the facts and circumstances of your case to protect your rights and maximize your recovery. 

Experience matters when you or a loved one has been injured or died as a result of the negligence of someone in a semitruck accident in Oklahoma. It is important to know the Oklahoma personal injury lawyer you hire is dedicated to your cause and versed in all aspects of semitruck accident law in Oklahoma. OKC Injury Lawyer is dedicated to Fierce Advocacy for accident victims and will fight for you. Founder John Cannon has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and Top 40 under 40. Contact OKC Injury Lawyer to protect your rights and fight for compensation in your truck accident case in Oklahoma. Complete the CONTACT FORM ON THIS PAGE NOW or CALL at (405) 906-4051 for a free confidential case evaluation.