Truck Accidents

Need an Albuquerque truck accident lawyer? Call Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C. today for a free case review: (806) 763-9377

Were you in a vehicle accident with a commercial truck? Did you lose a loved one as a result of such an accident? Are you looking for an Albuquerque truck accident lawyer?

Commercial truck accidents are usually catastrophic and often fatal simply because of the size and weight of the trucks. Drivers and passengers that are lucky enough to survive the crash can be left dealing with devastating injuries.

You should not have to worry about how you are going to survive financially in addition to trying to heal physically. Who you hire as your truck rig accident lawyer matters more than you may realize.

Why Are Truck Accident Claims Different from Car Accident Claims?

Truck accident lawsuits are very different from car accident lawsuits. For one, damages and injuries are usually greater, so the value of the cases is higher than car accident suits. A bigger difference is the identity of the defendants.

In the majority of car accidents, the at-fault party is the party or parties that caused the accident, or maybe the car manufacturer if there was a defect somewhere. In truck accidents, the group of defendants can potentially be much larger.

Aside from the driver and the truck manufacturer, there is also the driver’s employer, the truck owner, and other third-party companies.

The other big difference is the identity of the insurance company.

In car accident claims, injured people must first attempt to settle with the negligent driver’s insurance company.

If the driver’s policy is enough to cover the amount of the person’s claim, that’s the end of the litigation. If their individual policies do not cover the plaintiff’s damages, the plaintiff can go after the driver personally. In commercial truck accidents however, it is often the driver’s employer’s insurance policy that pays out on the claim.

Trucking businesses and other companies have a lot to lose when it comes to these liabilities, so they must have deeper pockets to protect themselves against risks. Employers have much larger policies and greater coverage than individual insurance policies.

The insurance companies also have a lot more to lose. They want to make your claim go away while paying you as little money as possible.

Each of the businesses involved—and probably the individual defendants as well— will have their own attorney to defend them. It is essential that you have an experienced commercial truck accident lawyer as well.

What Is the Average Value of a Truck Accident Lawsuit?

It’s normal that people injured in truck accidents wonder about the amount of the average trucking settlement. The truth is that there is no such thing as an average settlement amount.

Every settlement amount depends highly upon the circumstances involved. A large portion of the settlement is going to be the amount of past and future medical costs and wages lost, and other economic damages arising from the accident and the injuries.

Your compensation can also include an amount for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering and emotional distress.

It is easy to estimate economic damages because they are documented through pay stubs and medical bills. However, non-economic damages can be a big wild card, and it’s difficult to accurately estimate them without an attorney.

Your settlement also depends on the insurance policies and if there are other defendants at fault beside the driver and trucking company. Each party’s percentage of fault and ability to pay will be different.

On the issues of fault, it also matters how much you were responsible for the accident. In New Mexico trucking accident cases, the jury assigns each party a percentage of fault depending on the party’s part in the accident. The amount of damages owed by each party will directly relate to their percentage of fault.

For example, let’s say you were hurt in an accident with a semi-truck and the amount of your damages was $1,000,000. The jury determines that you were 25% at fault because you could have avoided the accident when the truck driver lost control but you were texting while driving.

The amount of your damages would be reduced by 25%—your percentage of fault—and the defendants would owe the remaining 75%.

What Can an Albuquerque 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer Do for Me?

Individual drivers injured in trucking accidents are at a legal disadvantage. You will not only have to deal with the insurance company, but likely more than one attorney.

This is probably your first time dealing with the legal system or insurance for a trucking accident. Meanwhile, these attorneys have plenty of experience dealing with these situations because this is how they make a living.

And the insurance companies will do what they can to minimize your damages and maximize your percentage of fault, because they want to pay out as little as possible.

For these reasons it is so important that you be selective and careful about whom you hire to be your Albuquerque semi-truck accident lawyer.

An experienced big rig accident lawyer will protect your interests by dealing directly with the insurance companies and other parties’ attorneys. They will investigate your claim, identify the right parties to sue, and put together a fair estimate of your claim amount.

Your attorney will craft a legal strategy to protect your interests and help you achieve the best possible outcome. It’s resented that your Albuquerque truck accident attorneys be specifically experienced in handling commercial trucking accidents. It would be wise of you to ask how many trucking accident matters they have handled and what the results were.

Why Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conway?

If you are searching for an Albuquerque trucking accident attorney, look no further than Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conway.

We are experienced Albuquerque truck accident lawyers, and we have the results to prove it. For example, we won over $8,000,000.00 for one of our clients involved in a trucking accident with an impaired driver.

You can also read testimonials directly from other clients on our website. Litigation is overwhelming when you don’t know what you’re up against or what the next steps are and you’re trying to figure out how to pay your bills while you heal from an accident. You don’t need to do it alone.

Please contact us online or call (806) 763-9377 to discuss your case with an experienced Albuquerque truck wreck attorney.