Truck Accident Lawyers

Anyone who’s ever driven from one city to another likely knows just how common the site of 18-wheelers and other commercial trucks is on our roads and highways. Unfortunately, the nature of the trucking industry combines vehicles of immense size and weight with drivers who must spend long hours on the road.

This can be a dangerous combination, and the drivers of passenger cars and motorcycles often pay the price when an accident with a truck or lorry does occur. The occupants of these smaller vehicles are much, much more likely to suffer injuries—often fatal ones—than the trucker is.

If you’ve been hurt in one of these collisions, a truck accident lawyer from Mirian Personal Injury Law Firm can help you recover the full compensation you deserve. With experience in resolving many car accident cases, we know how to get a fair settlement out of trucking companies and their insurers.

Fault Is Complicated in Big Rig Accidents

While Ontario does mandate statutory accident coverage that will provide compensation regardless of who was at fault, the damages caused by a commercial truck crash may exceed the limits of these policies depending on the injuries, making it necessary to pursue further compensation from the at-fault party through a personal injury claim.

However, determining who was responsible for one of these accidents tends to be much more complicated than crashes involving only passenger vehicles. As semi-trucks and other tractor-trailers are commercial vehicles, there are generally multiple parties—both individuals and companies—involved in running them, and any of these could bear some of the blame for the wreck.

Because Ontario’s negligence laws assign financial liability according to an at-fault party’s level of fault, it’s especially important to prove who was responsible for what so that you can maximize your monetary compensation. This process becomes much easier when you work with a truck accident lawyer experienced in handling these claims all over Ontario and the GTA.

Proving Who Caused the Semi-Truck Crash

A complete investigation of the big rig accident will be necessary to determine what the cause was and who was responsible. Detailed below are just a few of the potential factors that will need to be considered when developing your case:

  • Drowsy Driving – Fatigued operation causes hundreds to thousands of 18-wheeler crashes every year. Canada has laws restricting how long truckers can drive without rest, and if these regulations were violated, it can support your case.
  • Distracted Driving – Truckers are just as likely as other drivers to be distracted by their cell phones, passengers, food, and anything else that could lure someone into taking their eyes off the road.
  • Driver Intoxication – Drunk and drugged driving are both incredibly dangerous under normal circumstances, but when the driver is operating a massive tractor-trailer, things become even more hazardous.
  • Unsecured Cargo – If freight isn’t properly tied down or if the trailer’s doors aren’t fully closed, the load can be lost and fall right into the way of oncoming traffic, all but guaranteeing a wreck.
  • Hazardous Cargo – If a shipper fails to notify the trucking company of a load’s hazardous nature, such as being volatile or flammable, the trucker might not take the necessary precautions to ensure safe transportation. When this happens, the cargo’s owner could be responsible for any damages caused by the cargo.
  • Defective Truck Parts and Tires – Sometimes semi-trucks get into accidents because they weren’t properly maintained or because a part was defective. This could make the parts manufacturer or maintenance company responsible.

Recovering from Truck Wreck Injuries Is Expensive

Because truck accidents tend to be so much more destructive than other traffic wrecks, they also tend to be more difficult and expensive to recover from. Unfortunately, getting the full compensation you need to get your life back on track will usually mean getting a fair settlement out of an insurance company—something they rarely provide willingly.

Mirian truck accident lawyers can keep the trucking company, their insurer, and the opposing attorneys honest by negotiating on your behalf. In addition to proving who was at fault for the crash, we’ll also analyze the cost of recovering from your injuries and how your wounds are likely to impact you in the future.

Our firm has successfully recovered full compensation for a variety of different injury types on multiple occasions:

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Disfiguring lacerations and facial injuries
  • Spinal damage
  • Broken and fractured bones
  • Severe burns
  • Amputations
  • Organ damage and internal bleeding
  • Wrongful death

Even if you think your injuries are minor, it’s best to speak with a lawyer before ever accepting a settlement. You only get one chance at full compensation, and insurance companies love to produce lowball offers when the accident victim doesn’t have a lawyer on his or her side.

All the Damages the At-Fault Party Owes You

Your truck accident lawyer will zealously advocate for you so that the compensation you receive fully accounts for all of your financial losses, as well as your non-economic damages.

While many accident victims assume that the Ontario Health Insurance Plan will pick up all of their medical bills, this isn’t always the case, and a crash with a big rig is bound to result in a number of other losses, all deserving financial compensation:

  • Medical bills for out-of-pocket expenses, such as prescription medications, chiropractic care, and mental health care
  • Lost income, wages, and future earning ability
  • Property damage and vehicle repair
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma and mental anguish

After a semi-truck wreck, you’re also especially likely to be in need of a disability insurance claim lawyer. We’ll work with you to ensure that you get all the benefits your policy entitles you to.

Truck Accidents FAQ

If a semi-truck is overloaded and causes an accident, who’s responsible?

In all likelihood, many different parties will be partially responsible for an overloaded truck. If the trucker were aware, he or she would likely bear some of the blame. The trucking company most likely will, as well, and so will the cargo-loading team if they work for a separate company.

Can I sue for compensation if my family member was killed in an 18-wheeler accident?

If someone else was at fault for the truck accident and you meet Ontario’s requirements for filing a wrongful death claim, then you can seek financial damages from the at-fault party to compensate for your family’s losses.

The trucking company’s insurer wants me to give a statement. Should I?

No! In all likelihood, they’ll either use your statement against you later or try to get you to sign something that voids your right to seek compensation for the truck accident later.

Instead, it is highly recommended you get legal advice from a personal injury attorney or representation so that your accident lawyer can handle the communication with the trucking company and their insurer in order to avoid any future issues.

Let Us Handle Your Truck Accident Compensation Claims

At Mirian Law Firm, we have the practical experience and legal knowledge you need on your side when you’ve been hurt or injured in a lorry or truck accident. To learn more about how we can help, book your free case assessment or call us at 647-556-5888.