Tips For Truck Accident Victims | Truck Accident Lawyers

Why the Trucking Industry Wants to Take Control of Your Truck Accident Case

With nearly 3 million semi-trucks on America’s roads, trucking is an enormous industry. That means trucking companies have tremendous resources available to maximize profits and minimize costs.

One of the major costs trucking companies incur is having to pay for truck accidents. This is because of how serious truck accidents often are, which is due to both their size and unique attributes.

The fact is, semi-trucks can weigh 80,000 lbs or more, which gives them the ability to cause the most damage out of any vehicle on Michigan’s roads.

On top of that, a semi-truck has larger wheels and higher ground clearance. This allows trucks to damage passenger vehicles in a way that nothing else can by driving on top and crushing them. Because they can be the source of so much damage, just one truck accident may cause millions of dollars in damages.

Now combine the high cost of just one truck accident with the fact that trucking companies might have fleets of hundreds of trucks on the road, and it’s easy to see why trucking companies want to take control of a truck accident case and maneuver matters in their favor.

They may do this by hiring professionals to influence findings of truck accident cases, destroy or alter evidence, and hire specialized attorneys to represent them.

Kajy Law’s truck accident lawyers know these tactics and how to help prevent them from working with your case.

Professionals Hired to Take Control of Your Truck Accident Case

Since trucking is a $940 billion industry, trucking companies can have a tremendous amount of resources at their disposal. These resources are often used to maneuver legal matters in their favor and against victims of truck accidents.

For instance, the trucking industry has recently funded lobbying efforts to make it more difficult for truck accident victims to sue them, as well as to limit the compensation these accident victims can receive.

Another example of how the trucking industry can maneuver matters is how they often hire trained investigators or insurance adjusters to influence an accident.

For example, these hired professionals may arrive at the truck accident scene within hours of the accident in order to make their own assessment of the accident site, evidence, or vehicles involved. Their assessments are almost always designed to release the trucking company from liability.

In other cases, there may be so-called third-party physicians who are actually connected to the trucking industry. These physicians may give a medical assessment of a truck accident victim’s injuries that are favorable for the trucking company, not the accident victim.

Destroying Evidence Relating To Your Truck Accident

To keep public roads and highways safe, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires truckers to record and maintain important documents, logs, and data relating to their driving history.

This includes information stored on an electronic logging device (ELD) that records their location, time, mileage, and more. Another source of trucker information is a driver’s log, also known as a record of duty status (RODS).

The data recorded in these and other sources of information can hold an unsafe driver accountable for their actions by recording their driving history. This information can then be used as evidence if they are involved in a truck accident.

However, some in the trucking industry will try to tamper with or destroy this evidence that shows they are accountable for a truck accident.

In other cases, trucking companies have attempted to conceal evidence that indicates the truck driver’s negligence. This may include photos or videos of the vehicles used in the accident, drug test reports of the driver, or any evidence that may question the truck driver’s qualifications.

Specialized Truck Accident Defense Attorneys

To maximize profits, many trucking companies push their drivers to extreme lengths by having them drive for many hours to get to their destination sooner. This can violate safety policies and federal regulations that dictate how long they are allowed to drive per day or week.

However, these regulations exist for the safety of everyone on the road. As a result, truckers who violate them can have weighty legal evidence that can be used against them.

That’s why trucking companies may hire specialized defense attorneys who are skilled at minimizing the impact of these safety violations. They may also try to shift the blame to truck accident victims in a way that suggests the victim was driving recklessly, distracted, or under the influence.

In addition, they may use the so-called ‘evidence’ from the physicians mentioned above to argue that a victim’s injuries are not as severe as claimed or were pre-existing.

Finally, these attorneys may also take certain tactics to prolong the settlement process in order to wear down victims financially and emotionally.

This can involve dragging out negotiations by taking a long time to respond to claims or make counteroffers. They may also request unnecessary documentation or repeatedly ask for more information to delay the process.

How to Prevent the Trucking Industry From Controlling Your Accident Case

The truck accident attorneys at Kajy Law are well aware of the tactics that trucking companies use.

Time and again, we have been able to thwart their attempts to take control of a truck accident case by taking specific steps to protect evidence and maneuver matters in our client’s favor.

These steps include:

• Sending a spoliation letter – A spoliation letter sent to the trucking company informs them of your claim and legally obligates them to preserve evidence of the accident. This evidence includes vehicle data, driver logs, and maintenance records.
• File a temporary restraining order – This is to formally prevent the trucking company from altering or destroying evidence related to the accident.
• Gather on-site evidence quickly – By quickly acquiring key pieces of evidence from the accident scene, you’ll ensure an accurate scene record before any changes occur while preventing the trucking company from controlling the accident narrative.
• Hire a professional accident reconstructionist – A professional reconstructionist can visit, analyze, and report on what they find, which can include the vehicle damage, skid marks, and other physical evidence at the scene. This will provide you with support and evidence for your case from a respected third-party source.
• Collect statements from witnesses – As soon as possible, collect testimonies of what happened to get an objective source of information. The sooner you record their testimony, the more accurate and detailed their recollection will be of the accident.

How a Michigan Truck Accident Lawyer Provides the Help You Need

A single accident victim taking on a billion-dollar industry is not a fair match.

That’s why the best thing an accident victim can do is get experienced legal help on their side by hiring a Michigan truck accident lawyer like those at Kajy Law.

Here’s why hiring our Michigan truck accident lawyers will help you take control of your truck accident case:

Protecting your rights
Our skilled truck accident lawyers know exactly what your rights are and are ready to quickly step in to safeguard them throughout the legal process.

This will help ensure that the trucking company and its insurers do not take advantage of you without you even realizing it.

Our Michigan truck accident lawyers will protect your rights by:

Preventing evidence tampering: We are ready to take swift action to preserve all relevant evidence, including sending spoliation letters to prevent the destruction of critical records.

Challenging false claims: Our experienced attorney will be able to counter any attempts by the trucking companies or insurance companies to blame you for the accident or downplay your injuries.

Building a strong case
Our truck accident attorneys will meticulously gather and analyze evidence to build a compelling case on your behalf.

This can include:

Accident reconstruction: We can work with a professional reconstructionist to determine key actions, moments, and factors of the accident that will determine fault.

Collecting witness statements: We know what questions to ask while interviewing witnesses to obtain the accurate accounts of the accident that your case needs.

Negotiate with insurers
With over 133 years of combined experience, our lawyers know how to negotiate with insurers, along with anticipating the tactics they may try and use.

During this process, they will:

Evaluate settlement offers: Because we know what your case is worth, we can assess the fairness of settlement offers and negotiate to attain the maximum compensation.

Handle communications: We’ll manage all interactions with insurance companies to ensure that your statements are not used against you.

Effectively represent you in court
Kajy Law doesn’t want you to get one penny less than what you deserve after your accident. That’s why we’re ready to go to court if a fair settlement cannot be reached.

If this takes place, we will:

File all necessary legal documents: Our team of attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries will ensure all legal paperwork is filed correctly and on time.

Advocate for you: Because we work so hard behind the scenes on the different aspects of your truck accident, we’ll be ready to present a strong case to the judge and jury to attain the best possible outcome for you.

Need More Information About How to Prevent Trucking Companies from Taking Control of Your Accident?

When you’re up against a multi-billion dollar industry, you need proven legal help you can trust. Our truck accident attorneys have proven themselves in two vital ways: in the courtroom, and with our clients one-on-one.

For answers to all of your questions about how to prevent trucking companies from controlling your accident, call us today or fill out our contact form. Our attorneys will sit down in person with you to answer all your truck accident questions, free of charge.

This opportunity is open for any Michiganders involved in truck accidents, including Detroit truck accidents, Warren truck accidents, and accidents anywhere else in Michigan.

Contact Our Michigan Truck Accident Lawyers

Having won over $40 million for our clients, we’re ready to defend your case against the trucking industry, insurance companies, or anyone else.

Let Kajy Law go to work on your truck accident case to help you receive the practical assistance you deserve after your accident and the maximum compensation possible.

Contact us today for a free truck accident consultation by calling 248-702-6641 or fill out our contact form.