Truck accidents can cause the most catastrophic injuries. These collisions can take lives and cause permanent disabling injuries. Trucks are large, heavy, and don’t maneuver as easily as cars. These characteristics require the highest degree of safety from trucking companies and drivers.
Collisions can be caused by negligence such as malfunctioning equipment, inadequate driver training, driver fatigue, and operating the truck too fast for weather conditions. DeVault Law can help you when inadequate truck safety has caused serious injury or death.
Trucking claims are more complex than claims other vehicle accidents. Trucks cross state lines, involve federal laws, and are subject to differing insurance rules and other regulations such as driver rules. DeVault Law has the resources to manage to complexities of obtaining compensation for your injuries.
Investigating and Prosecuting a Trucking Accident Claim
It is critical that an attorney get involved at the earliest possible time to begin investigating and documenting what happened. Trucking companies and their insurance companies act very quickly to begin securing evidence from the truck and the scene. It is critical that you have a trucking accident attorney involved to ensure that everything that helps prove your claim is preserved.
We conduct a thorough investigation to develop the evidence to support your claim. We engage experts to assist in evaluating the scene of the collision and documenting liability. Accident reconstructionists can report and testify on how the collision occurred. Models can be created to show a jury how the collision occurred and how it could have been prevented with safer conduct.
Our investigation includes finding and interviewing witnesses, obtaining videos, getting police reports and medical records. We investigating the driver and company’s history with similar incidents and any criminal violations or safety complaints. Expert doctors are able to testify as to the nature and extent of injuries. We utilize expert nurses to prepare medical summaries for our money demands, and to create various documents and exhibits to support your claim.
The investigation also looks at the physical vehicles. We obtain the truck’s “black box recorder” – the Electronic Control Module that can contain invaluable information in showing what caused an accident. Experts can examine parts and determine causes of failure. Each investigation is different and tailored to the facts of the case. Our goal is always to build a case that will obtain the maximum compensation for your injuries.
Rick DeVault is an experienced and aggressive lawyer in Kansas City, MO who understands the complicated nature of truck accident cases. Call (816) 350-1600 for a free case evaluation today. Mr. DeVault will help you each step of the way through your trucking accident claim.
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Causes of Truck Accident Cases
There are numerous causes of accidents. Unfortunately, we see some common preventable causes of truck accidents:
- Fatigued Drivers
- Poor Training
Truck Stop Accidents Involving Pedestrians
- Poor Loading and Securement of Cargo
- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs
Kansas City truck accident lawyer Rick DeVault is here to help. Let DeVault Law help you obtain proper compensation for your injuries.
Investigation and Experts
Truck accident cases routinely require proper investigation and the use of various experts who can assist your attorney in presenting the best case possible. Some examples include:
- Ensuring Important Evidence is Preserved by Both the Truck Company & Driver
- Securing Data from the Truck’s Electric Control Module (ECM), aka the “Black Box”
- Interviewing Witnesses
- Engaging Experts to Reconstruct the Accident Scene
- Reviewing Camera Footage
- Reviewing Police Reports
- Interviewing Medical Staff
- Engaging Experts for Trial
Let DeVault Law bring our expertise and resources to hold the negligent party responsible and obtain the compensation you deserve.
Have you or a loved one been injured in a truck accident?
Determining Liability
An important step your truck accident attorney will perform is to identify the parties responsible for your injuries. This is often more than a single party and can be a complex process.
Common parties that may bear some responsibility for a trucking accident include:
- Truck Company
- Driver of the Truck
- Truck Owner
- Truck Leasing Company
- Truck Leasing Company Owner
- Trailer Owner, If a Trailer is Attached
- Trailer Leasing Company
- Manufacturer of the Truck, Trailer or Components
- Shipper Who Requested the Load be Transported
- Broker of the Trucking Company that was Hired to Deliver the Load
- Highway Department
- Others Involved in Highway Design, Construction, or Maintenance
- Others Identified by Investigation
Properly identifying the responsible parties is critical to obtaining full compensation for your injuries. Truck accident attorney Rick DeVault has the expertise and resources to conduct an effective investigation that helps you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Other Liability Factors
Truck accident liability is a complex legal area. Your truck accident lawyer may need to investigate many additional factors to determine liability. These factors vary with every case, but can include:
Who had primary control and custody of the vehicle at the time of the accident
Logs and eecords related to the truck, including weigh-ins
Past criminal convictions or violations
Potential manufacturing defects
Driving history of vehicle/driver
Ownership and entrustment of the vehicle
Road construction issues
Road and highway department liability
Let DeVault Law bring its expertise and resources to find the liable parties and hold them responsible for paying the compensation you deserve.
Have You or a Loved One Been Injured?
Contact DeVault Law, L.C. in Kansas City today.