Louisville Truck Accident Lawyer

A truck accident can be a terrifying experience. Big rigs are huge, heavy vehicles that take up a lot of space, often causing more damage in trucking accidents than standard-size cars hitting other passenger vehicles.

The law offices at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, have the resources and experience to help you get the compensation you deserve if you’ve been injured in an accident involving a commercial motor vehicle.

Our personal injury lawyers are here to ensure your truck accident claim is handled properly so that you don’t worry about getting what’s rightfully yours after such an upsetting event.

Call our personal injury law firm at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information shared with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.

Distracted Driving, Recklessness, and Serious Injury That Concern Kentucky Residents

It can be devastating when a semi-truck or big rig is involved in an accident. These vehicles’ sheer size and weight mean that they are often responsible for causing severe injuries to other drivers on the road.

Semi-trucks cause more than their fair share of accidents, but because they’re so large and have high visibility, many people don’t realize how dangerous these trucks can be when driven unsafely.

Our firm was founded by attorneys who understand trucking laws and regulations. We apply the laws when filing a civil truck accident lawsuit.

Kentucky and National Trucking Accident Statistics

Even though the trucking industry is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), severe and catastrophic commercial truck accidents still occur even with effective regulations and rules every year.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that in 2020, there were 4,469 large semi-trucks involved in fatal crashes. This is a 5.3% increase from the 4,194 truck accidents in 2019.

Other national data involving truck accidents on interstates throughout America show:

• In 2016, 3,660 people died in semi accidents on the interstate. This was a 10% decrease from 2015, with nearly 4,000 fatalities
• 109,000 people were injured in these accidents in 2016. This is a 6% increase from the 102,000 injuries reported in 2015

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports are not the only resources to show how dangerous commercial vehicles can be.

For example, the Kentucky State Police Highway Safety Office also published their findings, revealing that in 2016, eight percent of all fatal crashes were large truck accidents. Most of these accidents involved distracted driving, driver inattention, or driver fatigue.

This means that 108 people died in large truck collisions in Kentucky during this time. Of these fatal truck accidents, 31% were “sideswiped” or “overturned,” and 12% were head-on collisions.

Compared to the previous year, this increases 13% of all large trucking collisions involving sideswipe crashes and overturned trucks.

Truck Accidents Can Be Catastrophic

People must understand that even though these traffic accidents are rare, they can be catastrophic. The truck always wins when a large truck and other smaller vehicles collide.

For example: In 2016, there were 136 fatal truck accidents (over 10,000 pounds) in Kentucky. Of these trucking accidents, 23% were sideswiped or overturned, an increase from 2015, when 18% of all heavy truck accidents were sideswipe crashes.

If you have been injured in a trucking accident, call our office today at (888) 424-5757 for legal advice to help recover what’s rightfully yours under Kentucky state law.

We are here to guide you through getting compensation after such a traumatic experience.

Our personal injury attorneys are here to help you get the compensation you deserve after a truck crash. We understand the laws and regulations regulating the trucking industry and know what you need to know about your rights.

Commercial Truck Crashes Are Often Destructive

The physical distance in the sheer size and weight of commercial trucks vs. passenger vehicles makes it nearly impossible not to sustain significant injuries, or worse, in the event of a crash.

Federal Regulations limit any large truck’s cargo on city streets and interstates. However, the weight limit of 80,000 lbs. is still far heavier than any typical passenger vehicle.

This extreme weight can significantly impact the truck’s stability, making it more likely that the vehicle will jackknife, tip over, or roll over in the event of a sudden stop or collision.

Additionally, the stopping distance of a fully-loaded semi-truck is significantly longer than a passenger vehicle, so when these two collide, the results are often catastrophic.

Recent Catastrophic Semi-Truck Accidents in Kentucky

Our Louisville truck accident lawyers have handled and reviewed many serious accidents involving commercial trucks where the injured victims were either severely harmed or suffered fatal injuries.

Some of these trucking accidents include:

• In May 2021, a semi-truck rear-ended a car on Interstate 71 South, killing the driver. A witness said that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and did not break before crashing.
• In March 2019, two people were killed in a trucking accident on I-64 West when a semi-truck plowed into two vehicles that had slowed down in traffic. The uninjured truck driver was charged with wanton endangerment, and their trucking company was also legally liable.
• In December 2018, a tractor-trailer lost control and overturned on the AA Highway, spilling its furniture across the interstate and into the path of oncoming traffic. Multiple people were killed in this accident, including two passengers in a car and one person in another car.
• In June 2018, a tractor-trailer sideswiped a moving car on I-65 South in Jefferson County when the truck driver merged lanes. As a result, the car flipped over the side of the interstate, killing both passengers inside.
• In April 2018, a commercial truck driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a group of cars waiting at a red light on the Watterson Expressway. Five people were killed, including three children. Both the trucker and trucking company were sued.
• In January 2018, two young children were killed in a fiery crash when a tractor-trailer rear-ended the family car on I-71 North. Their parents survived and hired Louisville personal injury attorneys to file a truck accident lawsuit for the preventable death.
• In November 2017, a tractor-trailer driver trying to avoid traffic caused a pile-up on I-65 North that involved more than a dozen vehicles. Three people were killed, and many others were injured.

When you are involved in a commercial truck accident, it is important to have an experienced attorney. The attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have years of experience dealing with the complex laws and regulations that govern the trucking industry.

Every Louisville truck accident attorney at our law firm will fight aggressively against the defendants’ insurance companies to get the full and fair compensation you deserve. We also represent survivors needing to file a wrongful death claim after losing a loved one in a truck crash.

Most Common Semi-Truck Accident Injuries

According to the NHTSA statistics and Cleveland Clinic data, serious car accidents involving large commercial trucks cause catastrophic injuries, leaving truck accident victims with temporary or permanent disabilities.

The most common commercial truck accident injuries occurring in crashes include:

• Traumatic brain injuries: Any truck/car accident victim that hits their head on the steering wheel, windshield, side window, or roof can suffer a severe traumatic brain injury, often leaving them permanently disabled.
• Spinal cord injuries: Injuries to the neck and back in truck wrecks can lead to a spinal cord injury, resulting in permanent paralysis that might involve paraplegia, quadriplegia, or tetraplegia.
• Fractured bones: Broken bones are often sustained in truck/motor vehicle accidents, especially in the arms, legs, and pelvis. In many truck accident cases, the victim suffers broken hand bones to stop the impact during the crash.
• Internal injuries: When a person is involved in a serious truck crash, their internal organs can be injured, causing bleeding and/or swelling. This condition often leads to other complications that might result in death.
• Severe burns: An exploding gas tank, spilled fuel, or hazardous materials from a ruptured tanker truck can cause severe burns over the victim’s body. In these truck accident cases, the injured party often requires years of intensive care in a hospital burn unit.
• Internal organ damage: Blunt force trauma and puncture wounds from being hit by large commercial vehicles involved in a crash can lead to internal organ damage from the impact.
• Wrongful death: If a loved one dies due to a truck collision injury, the family can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the defendants’ insurance companies (truck driver and trucking company).

To hold the negligent trucking company responsible for your injuries “legally liable,” you must be able to prove that the negligent party had a duty to provide a safe environment and that they breached their duty.

How to Determine What Caused Your Truck Collision

You might know exactly what happened during the crash. However, it might be difficult to prove the cause of the collision in court.

For example, a large 18-wheeler moving quickly near passenger vehicles could create an unexpected collision in moments.

Our Louisville truck accident lawyers have handled many cases where we visited the scene with additional information, reviewed surveillance equipment that might have captured what happened, and read the police accident report from the officers who first investigated the scene.

Proving your truck accident case in court or to the claims adjuster to ensure you receive maximum financial compensation might require:

• Hiring accident reconstruction experts who specialize in rebuilding the crash to show the insurance companies or judge and jury how the accident happened
• Using skid marks, debris field analysis, and witness statements to recreate how the accident occurred
• Employing engineers who can testify about the weight and speed of the truck and how it interacted with the passenger vehicle.
• Obtaining a copy of the truck driver’s logbook to determine whether the carrier was complying with hours of service regulations
• Investigating whether the carrier had defective equipment, such as defective brakes or axles, which could have caused the collision
• Pursuing punitive damages to punish the trucking company for acting egregiously or recklessly that led to the collision
• Pursuing compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and other damages

The aftermath of a truck crash can be extremely difficult for everyone involved. There are often serious injuries and huge costs associated with the accident.

Your Big Truck Accident Legal Options

If you were in an automobile accident with a big rig, you would need to know all your options for moving forward with your case.

However, quite possibly, the biggest question you will need to answer is: Who is at fault for the accident?

If you can show that the truck driver was negligent in some way or that the trucking company was operating in an unsafe manner, you may be able to recover damages.

Our personal injury lawyers are experienced in investigating these commercial truck accidents and can help you build a strong case.

Don’t wait to call a Louisville truck accident attorney. Instead, contact us now to schedule a free case evaluation.

Resolving a Personal Injury Claim: Proving Who Is Responsible for the Collision

This is easy to prove in most truck crash cases because most commercial truckers are professionals who take their job very seriously.

During your car accident lawsuit, you must show that the other driver failed to maintain their vehicle properly, was texting while driving, or was otherwise distracted.

Every truck accident is unique. That’s why you must have an experienced Louisville truck accident lawyer who knows what to look for and how to build a case that gets you the best possible outcome when filing a claim against the trucker and truck company.

Call a Louisville truck accident lawyer at (888) 424-5757 for a free consultation. Your experienced truck accident attorney can ensure you receive the justice you deserve.

Make Sure You Get the Compensation You Deserve

Even a simple fender bender involving a commercial truck can produce catastrophic property damage and severe injuries.

Therefore, handling the case without legal representation might not be the best option to ensure maximum compensation.

Consider hiring an attorney specializing in truck crash cases who will take the time to investigate what happened, speak to eyewitnesses, and build the case for the financial recovery you deserve.

The claims adjuster working for the insurance company will often offer a quick settlement to resolve the case within days after the accident.

Typically, during this time, the victim rarely understands the extent of their severe to minor injuries, the amount it will cost to repair or replace their vehicle, and what their medical care needs will be in the near and distant future.

Our Louisville truck accident lawyers typically slow the process down and begin negotiating with insurance companies based on various factors, including:

• How extensive are your injuries?
• Do you require additional therapy, rehabilitation, and surgeries for your healing process?
• Are you suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or other issues requiring mental health care?
• Was your vehicle severely damaged and needs to be replaced?
• Can you return to work immediately, or are you struggling with pain and suffering impacting your income?
• Is your injury so extensive that you will never be able to return to work?
• Do you require disability assistance, including building a wheelchair ramp on the house, installing grab bars in the shower and other areas, and purchasing a wheelchair-accessible van?
• What is the actual value of your truck accident case based on all of your economic (medical bills, lost wages, lost future earnings) and non-economic damages (pain, suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress)?

You only get one chance to make a truck accident claim for your vehicle accident. So make sure you do it right the first time by hiring an experienced truck accident lawyer.

The experienced truck accident lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC are dedicated to helping truck accident victims in Louisville, Kentucky recover the financial compensation they deserve.

What Should I Do at the Truck Accident Scene?

You are likely bewildered, confused, and dazed in the first few moments after a truck crash with other vehicles. However, the steps you take now can determine how long it will take to heal and save lives.

Our truck accident law firm recommends the following steps to maximize your health and well-being after a collision.

• Call 911 and report what occurred, giving an address to the accident scene
• Assess your condition and the health of those around you to determine who might need transportation to the local emergency room
• Provide care if possible while ensuring your own health and safety
• Check on people in other vehicles that might be hurt
• Receive care from the EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) when the ambulance arrives
• Ask to be transported to the emergency room, even if you suspect that your injuries are minor (only an experienced doctor with the best diagnostic tools and education can determine the extent of your injuries and the current status of your health accurately)

Ask someone you trust to gather information from the accident scene that might include:

• Contact information concerning all involved in the collision, including the negligent driver
• Information from eyewitnesses, including their names, addresses, and contact numbers
• Photographs of all damaged vehicles and objects
• Pictures of skid marks, if available
• Information about traffic conditions at the time of the crash
• Document the weather conditions
• The contact information for any law enforcement officers who responded to the accident scene
• The names and contact information for any passengers in your vehicle

As soon as possible, consider hiring Louisville, KY, truck accident lawyers to represent you in your case to begin the process of building a compensation claim. Contact our law firm for a free case evaluation.

Why a Truck Driver is at Fault for Causing a Collision

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) holds violators of the rules and regulations accountable for causing collisions with others. Under federal regulations, all truck drivers and trucking companies must follow hours of service (HOS) rules.

Under the law, the truck drivers must:

• Ensure that their driving status is monitored by using HOS logs
• Follow the law concerning rest periods, breaks at specific intervals, and truck drivers who work long periods
• Stick to daily driving rules that restrict the trucker to a certain number of hours of service each day
• Obey speed limits and other traffic laws while driving
• Not overload the truck with cargo beyond the manufacturer’s weight limit for the vehicle
• Not sharing a truck with other drivers and companies (which can cause truck/auto accidents and injuries to others)

In addition to following HOS rules, all commercial truck drivers must comply with state and federal laws concerning commercial driving.

The FMCSA mandates that all truck drivers have a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and pass the skills test before operating a commercial vehicle. A truck driver’s violation of any of these rules or regulations can result in an accident with injuries.

Truck Accident Victims Hire Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers to Resolve a Compensation Claim

Are you the victim of a serious accident with a commercial truck? Did you lose a loved one in a fatal truck crash?

Our truck accident attorneys know what you need to know about your rights after an accident involving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). Call a Louisville truck accident attorney at (888) 424-5757 to schedule a free consultation.

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, our Louisville truck accident attorneys fight aggressively on behalf of our clients to ensure that they receive maximum compensation from the defendant’s insurance company.

All confidential or sensitive information you share with your Louisville truck accident lawyer remains private through an attorney-client relationship.

Resources:

• CDC – About Truck Safety
• NSC – Truck Accident Statistics