Large commercial trucks are abundant on the roadways in and around Grand Rapids, MI. Unfortunately, these massive vehicles can inflict significant damage and injuries on those inside traditional passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs.
In the wake of a semi-truck accident, you may be dealing with lost wages, mounting medical expenses, and many other losses. However, a truck accident lawyer in Grand Rapids can help you seek compensation and ensure you are treated fairly.
White Law PLLC’s Grand Rapids personal injury lawyers can help you address those bills along with the negligence that led to your crash. You can bring in our team to conduct a full investigation into your claim.
What Can an Attorney Do to Help?
Many semi-truck accidents stem from the negligent actions of truck drivers or trucking companies. An experienced attorney understands that truck drivers and companies must abide by state and federal regulations.
A truck accident lawyer in Grand Rapids can look out for the following common causes of these crashes:
- Drivers operating while distracted or impaired by alcohol or drugs
- Driver fatigue, negligent truck drivers, driver error
- Drivers failing to follow hours of service requirements
- Companies or drivers overloading their trucks
- Truck operators failing to inspect or maintain the vehicle
- Drivers failing to follow traffic laws or operating too fast for present weather conditions
- Truck manufacturers designing or producing faulty trucks, faulty parts, or faulty equipment
Our team stands in the way of unfair settlement offers and large trucking agencies’ attempts to intimidate you out of legal action.
We also put power back in your hands, allowing you to pursue fair compensation through negotiations or in a truck crash trial. You can discuss our services during an initial consultation.
Your Fight Is Our Fight
Navigating Grand Rapids Truck Accident Claims: A Comprehensive Guide
Understanding the Complexities of Truck Accident Litigation
The Unique Challenges of Commercial Truck Accidents
Commercial truck accidents in Grand Rapids present unique challenges that differ significantly from typical motor vehicle accident cases. The sheer size and weight of commercial vehicles can lead to devastating property damage and severe injuries, making the stakes of truck accident claims particularly high. An experienced truck accident attorney is essential in navigating these complexities, ensuring victims receive the compensation they deserve.
The Importance of Insurance Coverage in Truck Accidents
Understanding the intricacies of insurance coverage is crucial in truck accident cases. Commercial vehicles often carry substantial insurance policies, but dealing with commercial insurance carriers can be daunting. A knowledgeable attorney can help decipher the insurance policy’s terms, advocate for the victim’s best interests, and ensure that insurance companies fulfill their obligations.
Maximizing Compensation in Truck Accident Claims
Assessing the Full Extent of Property Damage and Injuries
A comprehensive property damage and injuries evaluation is vital for securing fair compensation in truck accident claims. This process involves assessing immediate damages and considering the long-term impact of injuries. An experienced truck accident attorney will work with medical professionals and other experts to accurately estimate the full extent of your losses.
The Role of Experienced Truck Accident Attorneys
Navigating the legal aftermath of a semi truck accident requires the expertise of an experienced truck accident attorney. These professionals bring a wealth of knowledge in handling motor vehicle accident cases, especially those involving commercial vehicles. Their expertise is invaluable in building a strong case, negotiating with insurance companies, and, if necessary, representing the victim’s interests in court.
The aftermath of a commercial truck accident in Grand Rapids can be overwhelming for victims and their families. Understanding the complexities of truck accident litigation, from assessing property damage and injuries to dealing with insurance coverage, is crucial. With the guidance of an experienced truck accident attorney, victims can navigate the legal process more effectively, ensuring they receive the fair compensation they need to recover and rebuild their lives.
We know how to get our clients the results they need in the toughest legal arenas.
Why Choose White Law PLLC for Your Grand Rapids Truck Accident Case?
White Law PLLC can bring decades of combined legal experience helping truck accident victims in Michigan to your side.
We understand that you need time to recover from the strain of an accident. We also know that because of the nature of truck accidents, the liability assignment can become so intertwined you’ll want to have a team with proven experience on your side.
That’s why we make our case results and testimonials readily available. Since our founding, we’ve generated over $1 billion in compensation for over 30,000 clients. With our team on your case, you reap the benefits of over 60+ years of legal experience in Michigan’s civil courts.
We understand that you may be going through a difficult situation and we are ready to help however we can.
Injuries Can Be Severe
We regularly help clients who have sustained the following injuries in these incidents:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Crush injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding or organ damage
- Broken bones
- Catastrophic injuries, including long- and short-term paralysis
You will always work directly with your attorney throughout your case.
Working With Insurance Companies After a Truck Crash
Most drivers know that it’s in their best interest to exchange insurance information with all other parties involved in a collision, even if the distribution of fault isn’t yet clear. Most insurance providers then expect you to reach out to them within 24 hours.
This early contact makes it easier for providers to connect you with an insurance adjuster who can allegedly help estimate the value of your motor vehicle accident losses. However, insurance adjusters often prioritize their company’s bottom lines over your recovery.
Fortunately, you can call on an auto accident attorney to contest the estimate an insurance company provides you with. Our truck accident lawyers in Grand Rapids can establish our estimate of your case’s value and fight for a fair settlement on your behalf.
Who to Hold Liable for a Semi-Truck Collision
The process of assigning liability for a collision doesn’t start and end with a negligent driver. You need to have evidence on hand to adequately identify an at-fault driver. The evidence you can bring forward to better back your assertion of liability can include:
- Video and photo footage of your accident
- Bystander statements
- Expert witness opinions
- Social media statements
- Physical debris
Independent contractors are responsible for their insurance and their accidents, should you choose to take them to civil court. Drivers employed by the trucking industry may see fault for their accident revert to their employer.
Our law firm can assess your circumstances and follow the evidence to the right at-fault party. That way, your lawsuit can accurately represent the nature of your accident and demand appropriate fault benefits on your behalf.
You will always work directly with your Grand Rapids trucking accident lawyer throughout your case.
What Kind of Compensation Can Survivors Demand in Personal Injury Claims?
If you can trace the source of your semi-truck collision back to a particular party’s negligence, you may have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit. Our legal team will fully investigate your claim to secure the following:
- Cost of your medical care: This includes all past and future expenses associated with your treatment, such as hospital visits, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, medical equipment, and more.
- General household out-of-pocket expenses: This covers additional costs incurred as a result of your injuries, like childcare, transportation to doctor visits, home healthcare assistance, or home modifications for accessibility.
- Lost wages if you are unable to work while you recover: If the accident prevented you from working or caused wage loss, you may seek compensation for lost pay during time away from employment for medical reasons.
- Future disability benefits: For long-term or permanent impairment, disability benefits aim to cover costs associated with limited mobility, functional capacity, or ability to independently complete daily activities of life.
- Emotional distress: Filing a personal injury claim allows for seeking non-economic damages related to mental and psychological suffering caused by the accident, like chronic pain, anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
- Pain and suffering damages: Due to the physical pain experienced during recovery as well as any limitations to daily life moving forward, compensation addresses non-economic aspects of harm.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: loss of quality of life: The accident may have negatively impacted your hobbies, relationships, and overall enjoyment of daily activities. This considers losses beyond direct financial costs.
Our truck accident attorneys in Grand Rapids will thoroughly investigate the full scope of damages to demand the highest possible compensation for your suffering and losses.
Wrongful Death
If your collision results in the untimely passing of a loved one, you are entitled to more than your grief. Michigan state law may allow you to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the departed.
You can discuss your right to claim with the wrongful death lawyers at our firm. We can then integrate the value of your loved one’s medical bills, funeral expenses, and related losses into an estimate of the financial compensation you may deserve.
Punitive Damages
A judge may choose to award you punitive damages after a case involving a truck driver’s or agency’s gross negligence. You may not ask for punitive damages in your initial claim nor include them in your estimate of your case’s total value.
You do not have the right to punitive damages if you choose to pursue a settlement via negotiations, either.
Instead, it is up to a judge and a judge alone to determine if your case merits punitive damages. That said, you can discuss the possibility of punitive damages with the Grand Rapids truck crash attorney in charge of your case.
When to File a Trucking Accident Claim
An experienced personal injury lawyer understands that taking legal action while also contending with truck collision injuries is no easy feat. However, Michigan state law does expect you to file a truck accident personal injury claim on a tight deadline.
Michigan Compiled Laws section 600.5805, the state’s statute of limitations, gives you no more than three years to bring your losses forward. If you don’t file within that period, Michigan courts will bar your right to pursue compensation regardless of what evidence you bring forward.
As such, it’s important to connect with auto accident lawyers early in the days following your crash. Our legal team can take the lead on your case while you focus on recovering from your injuries.
We Operate With Your Financial Needs in Mind
Our team understands that fear of legal fees may keep you from taking legal action, even in cases where fault seems cut and dry. That’s why White Law PLLC operates on contingency. We do not add to your medical expenses and other economic stressors.
You will not receive a bill from our team. Instead, we only get paid if we win your case. You can learn more about contingency and our contingency fee agreements during an initial consultation.
Contact a Truck Accident Law Firm in Grand Rapids Today
If you or somebody you love has been injured due to the negligent actions of a truck driver or trucking company, let the team at White Law PLLC get to work on your case today.
When a crash wasn’t your fault, you deserve a personal injury attorney who will fight for your maximum compensation. Contact White Law PLLC for a free consultation.
We’re Experienced. We Care.
We Exceed Client Expectations.
