Tow trucks vary in weight depending on whether they classify as light-duty, medium-duty, or heavy-duty vehicles. Any tow truck has the capacity to cause serious injury or even death, though, and can be especially dangerous when towing a vehicle or carrying other cargo. It’s surprising, then, that countless tow truck owners and operators are negligent in how they carelessly drive and fail to maintain the vehicle.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury in a collision involving a tow truck, you should know the benefits of hiring an attorney. Lawyers use their experience and legal training to help clients, which also enables clients to rest and heal. Do not wait to speak with tow truck accident attorneys serving your area, as one call can lead to the financial recovery you deserve.
Tow Trucks: A Potentially Disastrous Threat When Handled Without Care
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Anyone who owns or operates a tow truck must recognize the dangers of tow truck accidents, both for those in the truck and others involved in an accident. Even small passenger vehicles can cause fatal damage, and such passenger vehicles are far lighter than:
- Flatbed tow trucks
- Wheel-lift tow trucks
- Hook-and-chain tow trucks
- Boom trucks
- Integrated tow trucks
Because tow trucks must have the capacity to haul other vehicles (or other heavy items), they are necessarily heavy vehicles. When a vehicle is heavier than average, it means that the vehicle:
- Takes longer to stop
- Strikes with more force
- May become out of the driver’s control more easily (more weight is more difficult to corral, generally speaking)
- Has a higher likelihood of causing severe and fatal injuries
Those responsible for operating, inspecting, repairing, and replacing two trucks should know what’s at stake when they fail to use abundant care and caution. Yet, the number of deaths from large truck accidents rose by 49 percent between 2012 and 2022, suggesting that such caution is far rarer than it should be.
A Critical Step to Take After a Tow Truck Accident: Call Attorneys Serving Your Area
Before explaining why you should consider hiring a tow truck lawyer, consider these realities:
- Victims of negligence-related truck accidents deserve fair compensation
- It can be challenging to determine how much compensation you deserve as an accident victim
- It is even more challenging to secure the compensation a truck accident victim deserves
You should never expect that you’ll receive fair compensation by default. It is probably more reasonable to assume insurance companies and others liable for your accident will fight your case. There are also some challenges unique to truck accident cases, which can include:
- Qualified defense lawyers representing the trucking company: The movement of freight is a multi-trillion-dollar industry, and trucking companies are among those that reap the financial benefits of this sector. Trucking companies use their resources to defend themselves from accident claims, and this can mean keeping highly qualified attorneys on retainer. These lawyers’ job is to financially protect the trucking company, a roadblock you might run into during your own case.
- Evidence in the hands of uncooperative parties: In many cases, victims of truck accidents need to sue a trucking company. Yet, the very same trucking company may have video, digital data from a truck’s computer, and other evidence the victim wants to use for their case. Obtaining this evidence from the party you might be suing is another challenge.
- The complexity of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations: If a trucking company, truck driver, or other party violates FMCSA regulations or other legally binding statutes, this may be relevant to your case. Yet, these regulations can be challenging to navigate and comprehend. An experienced, technically savvy attorney leading your case will make this complexity a non-issue.
- The sophisticated design (and operation) of tow trucks: Negligent drivers often cause accidents. However, even if it’s clear that a truck driver’s actions contributed to your collision, it’s important to conduct a comprehensive investigation. Only then can you discover other factors that may have contributed to the accident. Therefore, a lawyer’s understanding of truck design and operation (and their ability to hire experts) is vital to any truck accident case.
Even truck collision cases that don’t pose irregular challenges can be difficult. Allow a lawyer to help, as it’s no exaggeration to say that most truck accident victims truly need the assistance.
How to Find the Tow Truck Accident Attorney That’s Right for You
Tow truck accident lawyers generally fall under the category of “personal injury attorney.” When looking for potential firms to hire, you may merely search “tow truck lawyer” along with the name of your city and state.
Whether you’re searching the web, responding to local ads, acting on tips from people you trust, or using other avenues to find a tow truck lawyer, consider looking for an attorney (or firm) who has:
- Several years of experience with truck accident cases
- Obtained significant compensation for clients (ideally including other truck accident victims)
- Received many positive reviews from former clients (and has very little negative reviews, if any)
- Shown a willingness to file lawsuits and take cases to trial
Your consultation is another way to determine which law firm you want to hire. A consultation is typically done over the phone. It’s free, and you can ask any questions you have for a law firm and hear the law firm’s pitch for why you should hire it.
Here’s Why You You Need a Lawyer
Many truck accident survivors are tough and independent by nature. It’s daunting to think of hiring legal representation. Hiring a tow truck accident attorney can help you avoid costly errors in your case.
To fully understand why you should hire a lawyer, you must know that:
A Lawyer Can Bring Calm
Being in a truck accident is anything but calming. It has the opposite effect. Even once you’ve been treated for injuries, the chaos does not stop. Until you’ve secured all the compensation you deserve and closed the chapter on the accident, you may feel a sense of unease.
However, those who hire a truck accident attorney often experience immense relief when they retain their legal team. At this point, you can focus solely on your recovery without stressing about your case.
Law Firms Lend You Their Financial Support
Traffic accidents cost money, and so do the cases that follow the collisions. Your law firm will ensure you don’t have to shell out the money required to present a winning case, as they will:
- Pay for any fees and administrative costs associated with the case
- Pay any experts they hire to contribute to your case
- Possibly help cover your bills during the time that they are resolving your case
Truck accident lawyers generally use a results-based fee structure known as a contingent fee. If your attorney secures compensation for you, they will receive an agreed-upon percentage. You won’t ever have to pay your tow truck lawyer out of your own pocket or bank account.
Attorneys’ Training and Experience Spans Years (You Can’t Replicate This Overnight)
You should look for a lawyer and firm who have been helping truck accident victims for years. While experience is not the only criteria to consider when choosing your legal team, it’s important.
Experience can give an attorney insight, the ability to anticipate potential challenges, and unflappable cool no matter what hurdles they face. You cannot imitate or replicate this kind of experience.
Exposing Yourself to Avoidable Stress Can Have Long-Term Consequences
Studies show that many victims of traffic accidents show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It may be just one of many challenges you’re dealing with following the accident.
You should always prioritize your recovery by letting a truck accident lawyer handle your case. If you do not focus on your physical and mental recovery, you may:
- Exacerbate physical symptoms; as we know, there can be a link between stress and your physical wellbeing
- Worsen any existing psychological and emotional symptoms you’re experiencing because of the tow truck crash
To avoid these risks, trust your case with a qualified, hard-working legal team as you heal. Your attorney can also direct you to doctors and specialists that handle the types of injuries resulting from a tow truck accident.
The Comprehensive Guide to How a Tow Truck Lawyer Will Help You
The roadmap for each tow truck accident case is unique. Some cases take longer than others, and each case’s path cannot be predicted. That said, tow truck accident lawyers must always be prepared to:
Identify the Accident Cause (and Prove Fault)
An attorney may determine and document the cause of a tow truck accident by:
- Speaking with the victim
- Obtaining a copy of any police report related to the accident
- Interviewing eyewitnesses
- Securing all video footage related to the accident (which may come from cameras in the tow truck)
- Hiring experts to weigh in on the collision
Documenting an accident is a highly urgent obligation. Do not wait to find your lawyer so they can get right to work, which includes securing evidence of negligence.
Identify Liable Parties
Your lawyer will rely on the evidence, facts, and witness accounts to determine who caused the tow truck accident. They can then determine who should pay for your accident-related damages.
Document Recoverable Damages
The crux of your case is your damages. These are the types of harm you’re facing because of the person who caused the collision. Some types of proof an attorney can use to prove damages are:
- Medical records, from X-rays to doctors’ evaluations and medical bills
- Expert testimony, from mental health experts’ diagnoses of pain and suffering to doctors’ testimony about how long your recovery may take
- Financial statements, from invoices for vehicle repairs to bank statements showing lost earnings
- Your statements which can show the human cost of the accident (including the physical pain, anguish, and distress you’re suffering because of the collision)
Your lawyer will get to know you, find out how your accident has affected you, and seek out proof of those effects.
Study Insurance Policies (and Form a Case Plan)
Fault is a key consideration whenever a traffic accident happens because:
- The at-fault party’s insurer may be at least partially responsible for the cost of the victim’s losses
- The at-fault party may become the defendant in a lawsuit
- If parties involved in an accident are both at fault, this can affect how much compensation each party is entitled to
Once your lawyer determines who is at fault, they can make sense of insurance policies. Your attorney will evaluate all applicable policies for all relevant details, including coverage limits.
Stave Off Bad-Faith Tactics from Insurance Companies
Your attorney will approach insurance companies in good faith, but insurance companies may not return the favor. Experienced tow truck lawyers are prepared for the following:
- Lowball offers
- Claim denials (when the insurance company should approve a claim)
- Bad-faith negotiating tactics
- Other questionable strategies by insurance representatives
A lawyer will not let any such tactics succeed.
Fight for a Settlement
Many tow truck accident victims receive a fair settlement and move on with their lives, but such settlements often result from hard-fighting lawyers’ efforts. Your attorney will demand a fair settlement for you and be ready to file a lawsuit if you choose to.
Tow Truck Accident Victims Pay a Heavy Price. Their Lawyers Fight to Make It Right
The cost of a truck accident can include:
- Medical bills
- Physical pain, disfigurement, emotional anguish, and other types of pain and suffering
- Lost earnings and other professional damages (lawyers understand that being unable to work because of injury often worsens an accident victim’s mental health deficits)
- Property expenses
- Mental health treatment costs
- The economic and non-economic toll of disabling injuries
- A wrongful death
Your lawyer will take the time to listen to your story compassionately, which is critical in determining the cost of a tow truck collision.
Find Your Tow Truck Accident Lawyer Today, Your Consultation is Free
Remember that there may be a deadline for filing a tow truck accident lawsuit and several other urgent duties for your lawyer to fulfill. Find a firm you’re confident in hiring as soon as possible.
