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JB Hunt Truck Accident Lawyer
Lawyers Representing People Injured in JB Hunt Truck Accidents
Under the United States DOT (Department of Transportation), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) maintains trucking company safety records for trucking lines, including J.B. Hunt.
For 24 months beginning in early 2017, J.B. Hunt Transport and its drivers were involved in nearly 800 truck accident cases, resulting in 253 injuries and 23 fatalities.
The personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC are committed to protecting the legal rights of people injured in crashes with J.B. Hunt Transport trucks.
Our truck accident lawyers encourage you to talk with our truck accident attorneys before speaking with any J.B. Hunt accident claims representative about the circumstances surrounding the truck accident.
Contact us at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced truck crash lawyer.
National Transportation Giant
J.B. Hunt transport is one of the largest trucking companies that can cover the continental United States, currently operating nearly 12,000 transport 18-wheelers across the U.S. and Canada, with over 13,000 Hunt truck drivers.
The company is a trucking industry leader in long-term contract freight movement deliveries. Its primary business focuses on loading and delivery opportunities using various commercial motor vehicles, including refrigerated Hunt tractor-trailers, flatbeds, shipping containers, and dry vans, to compete with other trucking companies.
Hunt Truck Drivers Accident Rate for J.B. Hunt Compared with Other Carriers
J.B. Hunt Transport services are part of a vast cargo transport network traveling the highways in large commercial trucks daily. Unfortunately, a sizeable number of large trucks using America's freeways and side roads pose significant risks to the safety and health of other motorists on the road, especially passenger vehicles.
Many Hunt truck accidents involving large trucks and smaller vehicles involve catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. Some motorists and passengers sharing the highways with Hunt transport services have become truck accident victims.
A company snapshot of the common causes of its large commercial truck accident cases includes:
- Distracted driving: Truckers can be negligent in causing an accident because of unsafe behavior. Distractions causing Hunt tractor-trailer accidents involve reading, texting, or talking on a mobile device.
- Drunk driving: Intoxication or driving under the influence of drugs is a serious issue, especially when it involves a fully loaded box truck weighing 80,000 pounds. Drug use or intoxication often causes truck drivers to make serious mistakes on the highway, including aggressive driving, excessive speed, falling asleep, drifting in and out of lanes, or failing to use turn signals and headlights.
- Commercial truck driver fatigue: Even though every trucker must comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations to maintain proper "hours of service," trucking companies often place unrealistic commitments and deadlines for delivering cargo on time. As a result, truckers will ignore rest breaks, which can put other motorists and passengers in peril of truck accident injuries or fatalities. If the trucking company pressured the driver to operate the vehicle beyond the maximum hours, causing fatigue, they might share liability for the accident.
- Improper turning or passing: Truckers are often practically and legally constrained when passing other vehicles. When they fail to obey safe driving habits, they risk causing a J.B. Hunt truck accident with severe injuries. Some truckers improperly pass in an intersection, forget to use turn signals, neglect checking blind spots, or maneuver around other vehicles in a no-passing zone.
- Excessive Speed: Speeding or reckless driving can cause truckers to lose control of their large commercial vehicles. Excessive speed can minimize visibility, cause hydroplaning/skidding, or decrease the ability to react to sudden changes, contributing to truck crashes.
Legal Options Available to Those Involved in an Accident with Hunt Trucks
Unfortunately for many motorists on the road, little can be done to prevent a careless trucker's negligent or reckless actions, even if J.B. Hunt drivers have a good driving safety record.
Individuals suffering injuries or families that have lost loved ones due to serious Hunt accidents usually face expensive medical bills, lost wages, considerable vehicle damage, funeral and burial costs, and mental anguish, pain, and suffering.
The most common injuries sustained in serious truck accidents include:
- Whiplash
- Traumatic brain and head injury
- Bone, neck, back, muscle, and joint injuries
- Scarring and burns
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Permanent disability
- Wrongful death
How Does J.B. Hunt Handle Accident Claims
J.B. Hunt accident statistics are not much different than all other transport companies in the United States trucking industry. Although there is no average settlement, the company's track record of massive negotiated settlements in jury trial verdicts places J.B. Hunt truck company ahead of the pack.
Below is just a small sample of what injured victims filing a trucking accident claim could expect to receive from trucking companies, like J.B. Hunt, responsible for causing horrific accidents with catastrophic consequences.
$1,060,000 Illinois Settlement
While the injured party (plaintiffs) resided in Illinois, the defendants conducted business outside the state. The passenger vehicle collided with a box truck near Edwardsville, Illinois. The box van driver hired by J.B. Hunt Transport was towing a trailer from Kansas to Pennsylvania on I-270.
The plaintiff filed a civil lawsuit against J.B. Hunt seeking compensation for hospital expenses, doctor bills, follow-up surgeries, lost wages, future lost earning capacity, pain, suffering, and the long term effects of their disability. The lawsuit included J.B. Hunt and the driver as defendants, even though the driver worked as an independent contractor.
The plaintiff's truck crash attorney claimed that J.B. Hunt was negligent in hiring and overseeing the independent contractor's work.
The settlement provided financial compensation to pay the plaintiff's extensive bills and damages. The amount negotiated was significantly more than the average involving truck crashes.
However, the $1.6 million limits factored in the plaintiff's ability to return to work with only minimal handicaps and no need to receive constant care.
$32,500,000 Indiana Settlement
This massive negotiated settlement involved the J.B. Hunt transport truck crash occurring at an Indiana highway during adverse weather conditions when ice and snow littered the roadway. At the time of the accident, the trucker was working as an independent contractor for J.B. Hunt and lost control of his vehicle.
Although the accident closed a portion of the road for several hours, the trucker never used flashers or cones as required under the law. Eventually, the passenger vehicle reached the crash site and slammed into the commercial vehicle.
At the time of the accident, the injured victim was asleep on the passenger side while her fiancé drove. The passenger vehicle driver stated he could not see the commercial vehicle due to a lack of lights or cones while driving through adverse weather.
The passenger suffered critical injuries, including eye damage, brain trauma, and memory loss. The young woman about to get married now requires a wheelchair for mobility, compromising her promising career as a registered nurse.
Even though J.B. Hunt could prove that the fiancé was negligent in not slowing down to avert the crash, J.B. Hunt was overwhelmingly more responsible for causing the severe accident with injuries.
The injured party's truck accident attorney built the case on J.B. Hunt's deep pockets to ensure adequate compensation to pursue a claim.
$15,570,000 Pennsylvania Award
A J.B. Hunt independent contractor hit a victim on the road's shoulder while he was helping a friend. The J.B. Hunt truck driver fled the accident scene for fearing being punished for driving drunk.
The Pennsylvania court prosecuted the J.B. Hunt driver for intoxication with a blood-alcohol level three times over the legal limit. The trucker had previous DUIs and had been involved in numerous truck accidents.
J.B. Hunt fired the tractor-trailer trucker after the victim filed a civil lawsuit against J.B. Hunt and the trucker. Under the truck accident lawyers' theory, Hunt negligently screened and hired the trucker and never properly trained, oversaw, or supervised his actions.
$1,600,000 Illinois Award
The injured party acted carelessly when exiting an Illinois highway and smashing into barrels, sending her into the path of a J.B. Hunt semi-tractor trailer, causing the commercial vehicle to rear-end her. The impact pushed the car across the roadway.
The extent of the woman's serious injuries led to her demise. Sometime later, the personal injury lawyer representing her estate filed a civil lawsuit against J.B. Hunt, alleging that the company trucker's negligence caused her death.
Thus, the defendant was 60% liable for the crash. Under Illinois law, the jury award would be reduced by 40%, the extent of her damages minus the amount of her contribution to the crash.
Had she been found to be more than 50% at fault, she would have been barred from recovering compensation entirely. The jury awarded her $1,600,000 to compensate for damages that included:
- Future loss of society
- Past loss of society
- Court costs and fees
Hire Our Hunt Truck Accident Lawyers to Get the Maximum Compensation Possible
The Hunt truck accident lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC specialize in 18-Wheeler accidents. Our legal team helps injured victims pursue adequate financial compensation for their losses by negotiating a settlement or going to trial with Hunt trucks lawyers and the insurance adjuster.
A truck accident lawyer from our law firm can file a claim for victims involved in a J.B. Hunt truck accident against all responsible parties. Those held responsible often include truck drivers, trucking companies, maintenance crews, mechanics, independent contractors, truck manufacturers, etc.
Contact the law firm at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) to schedule a no-obligation, free consultation, and case evaluation to receive legal advice and discuss all legal options in handling a large transport truck accident claim. All information you share remains confidential through an attorney-client relationship.
Our law firm represents clients in numerous practice areas, including cases involving automobile accidents, motorcycle crashes, medical malpractice, construction zone injury, product liability, defective medication, premises liability, and wrongful death.