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Defending Your Rights After A Truck Accident

As a Wisconsin driver, you share the roadway with a variety of vehicles, and each requires a special type of care to minimize the risk of collision. Large commercial trucks have a variety of associated hazards, including slow stopping, the risk of jackknifing and the risk of the driver losing control of the truck. All of these hazards put other drivers, their passengers and personal property in harm’s way.

If you have been involved in a collision with a commercial truck and you are now suffering from an injury, work with an attorney who has experience with truck accident claims to seek compensation for your damages. At Hammett, Bellin & Oswald, LLC, our attorneys offer you nearly 80 years of combined experience and a dedication to helping you get the compensation you need to recover after severe accidents. Our team works with clients in Appleton and Neenah as well as Door County. If you have been injured in an accident involving a big rig, contact us today.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

There are a lot of different ways negligence on the part of a truck driver, the driver of a passenger vehicle or the government entity tasked with maintaining the stretch of roadway where the accident occurred can cause a truck accident. Some examples of issues that can cause truck accidents include:

  • Distracted driving by any involved party. This can include using a cellphone, eating or carrying on an animated conversation with others while driving
  • Potholes, uneven pavement and mismarked roadways that confuse drivers
  • Issues specific to large trucks, such as jackknifing and the tractor becoming detached from the trailer
  • Drunk driving
  • Adverse weather conditions, such as wet or icy pavement

Because of the size and power of a tractor-trailer compared to that of a passenger car, a victim can potentially sustain much more serious, even life-threatening, injuries as a result of a truck accident. Some examples of injuries that can result from this type of collision include:

  • Broken bones
  • Burns
  • Lacerations
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Head trauma
  • Organ damage as a result of a laceration or impact with the vehicle or the road

When a truck accident happens because of negligence on the part of the truck driver, injured parties may seek compensation for their damages from either the truck driver’s employer or the driver himself or herself, depending on whether the driver is an employee of the company for which he or she was driving or if he or she is an owner-operator. Talk to your attorney about the differences between seeking compensation from an employer versus seeking compensation from an independent contractor who is required to carry their own insurance policy.

Contact Our Office Today

If you have been injured in a truck accident, you can potentially recover compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. To get started on your claim, contact our team of injury lawyers online or call 920-202-8872.