9 Reasons to Hire a Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer After Your Oklahoma Crash

Dealing with the aftermath of a truck accident in Oklahoma City is almost never easy. Even if you walk away with only minor injuries, negotiating with uncooperative insurance companies can be overwhelming when you’re trying to focus on recovery.

A truck accident attorney can provide valuable help by aggressively negotiating with the insurance company on your behalf. Here are some of the top reasons you need a trucking accident lawyer here.

1. Trucking Regulations Are Complicated

Truck drivers, trucking companies, and even the vehicles themselves are governed by complex federal and state regulations. On top of that, individual trucking companies will also have their own company policies, which are meant to ensure safety and compliance with the law.

Far too often, however, the rules get bent—or ignored entirely. After a truck crash, it might be discovered that the driver had a history of unsafe driving, but nothing was done. Or, it could be that the truck had several critical maintenance failures that weren’t addressed. Or the trucking company was pushing drivers to skip breaks and spend too many hours on the road, leading to dangerous levels of fatigue.

If the driver or trucking company committed any regulatory violations, it could be compelling evidence of negligence and carelessness. But to identify those violations, you need an attorney who has in-depth knowledge of the law.

2. Truck Accident Lawyers Know Where to Look for Key Evidence

An experienced truck accident lawyer with extensive knowledge of industry practices can uncover important factors that contributed to your truck accident claim. This includes knowing the habits of the big trucking companies, understanding where a trucking company may cut corners to save money, and asking pointed questions during truck accident litigation.

A good lawyer will know how to get the truck driver’s logbooks, maintenance records, black box and data, other key sources of evidence during their truck accident investigation.

It’s critically important that this evidence is protected and obtained as soon as possible after a crash. By law, trucking companies are only required to keep logbooks and other records for a certain period of time. Once that time passes, they can legally destroy the exact records you might need to prove your case.

3. Damages Are Difficult to Calculate

Truck accidents often cause devastating injuries and trauma. The physical and emotional recovery take a major toll on victims.

When crash victims represent themselves, they may not know what “fair compensation” really means. Estimating the cost of future medical treatments, lost wages, and other economic difficulties is difficult. Your doctors might not even know the future costs until weeks or months after the crash, and you’re well into your recovery.

And these are just the economic damages. What about the “cost” of living with physical pain, emotional trauma, or no longer being able to do the things you used to enjoy? Crash victims deserve compensation for these losses, too.

Insurance companies frequently underestimate and undervalue losses. But an experienced personal injury lawyer will understand how to estimate and calculate damages, and fight for a fair recovery.

4. Oklahoma Comparative Negligence Laws Are Confusing

Like many states, Oklahoma has a modified comparative negligence law in place. This means that if your case goes to trial, your compensation can be reduced if you were found to be partly at fault for the accident. And if you are found to be more than 50% at fault, you can’t obtain anything.

For example, imagine that you sustained $100,000 worth of damages (medical bills, lost wages, etc.) in a truck accident, but a jury found you 30% responsible for the accident. In that case, you’d only receive $70,000.

Even if your case doesn’t go to trial, an insurance company will take this into account, and probably offer you less to settle if there’s any gray area about who was at fault. Without hard evidence, the insurance company may try to overestimate your share of the responsibility, since it will reduce what they owe you. Without an experienced attorney, you may not know the best way to fight back.

5. Multiple Parties (Other Than You or the Truck Driver) May Be at Fault

On top of this, many truck accidents involve multiple parties who could have contributed in some way to the wreck. For example:

• The truck driver
• The trucking company
• Other drivers who were involved in a multi-vehicle collision
• A technician who failed to provide adequate maintenance for the truck
• Someone who loaded cargo in an unsafe manner
• A bar or restaurant that knowingly overserved alcohol to the truck driver before they got back on the road

When multiple parties share responsibility, it can potentially be a good thing for your case—but it will also make it more complicated.

On the one hand, more responsible parties can mean a larger “pool” of available insurance money to pay for your losses. In other words, if you can sue multiple parties, and can collect money from all of them, the total might be larger than you can get from any one party alone. That can be important if you have suffered serious injuries with a lot of expensive medical care.

However, Oklahoma follows a rule of several liability in most truck accident cases, meaning that each negligent party is only responsible for their own share of the damages.

For example, imagine you have $1 million in damages. A jury finds a trucking company 50% responsible, and a loading company 50% responsible. That means the most you can collect from either party alone is $500,000. But if the loading company doesn’t have sufficient insurance or resources, you may not be able to collect the full amount of what you deserve.

An experienced truck accident lawyer will help you identify all liable parties, all sources of insurance coverage, and fight for the best possible total recovery.

6. Trucking Companies Aren’t on Your Side

When you first talk to an insurance company, they might seem like they’re trying to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. But remember: their goal is to settle claims quickly and cheaply. They have their interests—not yours—at heart.

When it comes to accidents, these companies are very aggressive about poking holes in your story, avoiding responsibility, and paying out as little as possible. Their first offer will almost always be a lowball that represents only a fraction of what you truly deserve.

Advocating for yourself can be so difficult, especially if you are badly injured. A truck accident attorney will have strong negotiation skills, and know when it is time to use aggressive tactics to defend your rights. When the trucking company doesn’t want to treat you fairly, your lawyer can fight for you.

7. Trucking Cases Require a Lot of Resources to Litigate

For all the reasons listed above (and more), trucking accident cases are usually more complex, time-consuming, and expensive to investigate and litigate than typical motor vehicle claims. Cases can require months of research, hiring teams of experts, and interviewing dozens of witnesses.

If you’ve been the victim of a truck accident, you should always consider hiring a truck accident law firm that has the experience and resources to handle your case. Don’t hesitate to ask your attorney if they’ve handled any commercial vehicle claims, and what their track record is in those cases.

8. You Deserve an Advocate

When commercial truck drivers get into accidents, they have a whole team of lawyers and investigators to defend them. If you feel like a small fish in a big pond, there’s a good reason.

Truck accident lawyers will help even the playing field, and keep things fair. They’ll defend your rights and negotiate on your behalf so that you can focus on more important things.

You may be recovering from injuries, facing a whole new way of life, or mourning the loss of a loved one. A personal injury attorney can treat you with the compassion and care you deserve, keep you up-to-date on developments, and guide you through the decision-making process. This is a tough time for victims, and a lawyer can make all the difference in keeping you financially healthy.

9. You Don’t Pay Unless We Win

Colbert Cooper Hill works on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t pay any costs upfront, and you don’t pay anything for your truck accident case unless we win. Our legal fees are paid as a percentage of the settlement we win on your behalf.

This means it is risk-free to hire personal injury lawyers like The Wolf Pack™. If we don’t win your case, you don’t owe us a dime.

Contact The Wolf Pack™ for Help

Now that you know why hiring a truck accident lawyer in Oklahoma City gives you a better chance of a fair settlement, you’ll need to find the right one. The lawyers at Colbert Cooper Hill Attorneys are dedicated to fighting for the rights of our Oklahoma City community.

Call The Wolf Pack™ today at 405-218-9200 or fill out our online form to get your free consultation. We can review the details of your accident and let you know your legal options.