Almost every day in the news there is a report of another serious truck accident. Despite the fact that truck drivers have to undergo training and pass a test before being set loose on busy highways they cause far too many accidents.
Sometimes, smaller autos are side swiped by a truck and lose their doors and sides of their vehicles on impact.
This sort of accident can have serious consequences for the driver and passengers of the smaller vehicle. They are often caused by the truck driver misjudging the distance between the truck and a car it’s overtaking.
If you have been injured in a side-swipe accident caused by a truck you may be entitled to compensation to cover you for the financial hardship as a result of the accident. You will need to hire the services of a personal injury attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Truck Drivers Do Not Always Drive Carefully
You need to be aware that when sharing the road with heavily laden trucks with drivers who are always in a hurry to meet deadlines, you can’t expect them to pay their full attention all the time. They could lose concentration just for a second or two when overtaking and get far too close causing a side swipe accident to occur.
Many truck drivers like to keep in contact with their families while on the road. That means using a cell phone while driving may be common practice. It’s these sorts of distractions that can without sufficient warning cause serious accidents and a truck could side-swipe your smaller auto while overtaking.
Injuries Caused By A Side-Swipe Could Include:
- losing or breaking an arm or a leg;
- l dislocated or broken shoulder;
- shock;
- internal injuries.
It’s not just the injuries to drivers and passengers in a side-swipe accident that could be serious, but the car could be destroyed completely, depending on how close the truck was when the side-swipe took place.
How to Prove Fault in A Side-Swipe Truck Accident
Proving who was at fault in a truck accident is never easy. You will need the proof as sometimes trucking companies and drivers try to cover up any evidence that the truck driver was at fault.
This could include removing a cell-phone or the remains of food packaging that could have contributed to the driver losing attention and side-swiping your car. Eye witnesses’ accounts are useful forms of evidence as are police reports.
Taking photos of the damage and the position of the vehicles at the scene of the accident can provide suitable proof too. Once you think you have sufficient evidence that you weren’t to blame for the accident you should contact a personal injury attorney who will do his or her best to assemble the information and file a personal injury claim on your behalf.
Why You Need To Hire A Personal Injury Attorney
If you hire a personal injury attorney you will get a far more favorable settlement than if you tried to negotiate a settlement on your own. Personal injury attorneys know how to present a case and will help to ensure every cent of your financial hardship is covered when filing a claim on your behalf.
