Were you injured in an 18-wheeler accident in Montgomery, Alabama? A Montgomery 18-wheeler truck accident lawyer at Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers can help you pursue compensation for your injuries. Call our office at 334-518-6098 to schedule a free consultation.
Accidents involving large commercial trucks can cause serious injuries and involve multiple responsible parties. Determining who caused the collision may require reviewing driver records, trucking company practices, and vehicle maintenance documents.
How Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an 18-Wheeler Accident in Montgomery
An 18-wheeler accident can leave you with serious injuries, expensive medical bills, and questions about your future. At Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers, our attorneys bring over 100 years of combined experience and have recovered more than $400 million for clients.
When you hire a personal injury attorney in Montgomery, AL from our firm, we can:
- Investigate the collision to determine what happened
- Gather evidence, including driver logs and maintenance records
- Identify potentially liable parties
- Review applicable state and federal trucking regulations
- Calculate your damages, including future expenses
- Negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf
- Take your case to court if necessary
Our Montgomery truck accident attorneys can handle the legal process while you focus on recovering. Contact our office in Montgomery, AL, for a free consultation.
Why Are 18-Wheeler Accidents So Dangerous in Montgomery, Alabama?
An 18-wheeler is significantly larger and heavier than a typical passenger vehicle. This size difference can make collisions particularly destructive, especially at highway speeds. Large commercial trucks have substantial blind spots, require longer stopping distances, and need additional room to turn safely.
These characteristics can contribute to several dangerous types of accidents, including:
- Jackknife accidents: A truck’s trailer swings toward its cab, forming an angle that resembles a folding knife.
- Underride collisions: A smaller vehicle slides beneath the trailer or another part of a large truck.
- Rollover accidents: A tractor-trailer tips onto its side, potentially striking nearby vehicles.
- Wide-turn accidents: A truck strikes another vehicle while making a turn that requires additional space.
- Rear-end collisions: An 18-wheeler strikes a vehicle ahead of it, sometimes because the truck cannot stop in time.
These crashes can cause severe injuries, even when occupants of smaller vehicles are wearing seat belts.
What Causes 18-Wheeler Truck Accidents in Montgomery?
Many 18-wheeler accidents involve preventable driving errors or equipment problems.
Common contributing factors include:
- Distracted driving
- Driver fatigue
- Speeding or traveling too fast for road conditions
- Unsafe lane changes
- Following other vehicles too closely
- Improperly secured or overloaded cargo
- Inadequate vehicle maintenance
- Brake or tire failures
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Federal safety regulations apply to many commercial trucking operations, including rules addressing driver hours of service, vehicle inspections, and maintenance.
An attorney can review the evidence to determine whether a driver’s conduct, an equipment problem, or a violation of an applicable safety rule contributed to your accident.
Who Can Be Held Liable for an 18-Wheeler Accident in Alabama?
Determining liability after an 18-wheeler collision can be more complicated than identifying which driver caused the crash.
Depending on the circumstances, potentially liable parties can include:
- Truck drivers: A driver may be responsible for negligent actions such as speeding, distracted driving, or unsafe lane changes that cause a truck accident.
- Trucking companies: An employer may be liable for a driver’s negligence committed within the scope of employment or for its own negligent conduct.
- Maintenance providers: A company responsible for servicing the truck may be liable if negligent repairs contributed to the crash.
- Cargo loaders: A party responsible for loading cargo may be liable if improper loading caused or contributed to the collision.
- Parts manufacturers: A manufacturer may face liability if a defective truck component caused the accident.
Not every party will be responsible in every case. Our Montgomery truck accident attorneys can investigate the circumstances and identify the parties against whom a valid claim may be made.
Can I Recover Compensation if I Was Partially at Fault for an 18-Wheeler Accident in Alabama?
Alabama follows a strict contributory negligence rule. If your own negligence contributed to causing the accident, you may be unable to recover compensation, even if the truck driver was mostly responsible.
However, being accused of contributing to a crash does not automatically mean you were negligent. The evidence must support that conclusion, and certain exceptions may apply.
A Montgomery 18-wheeler truck accident lawyer can investigate the collision, evaluate allegations of shared fault, and help protect your right to pursue compensation.
How Long Do I Have to File an 18-Wheeler Accident Lawsuit in Alabama?
Under Alabama Code § 6-2-38, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury. Exceptions and different deadlines may apply depending on the circumstances. Missing the applicable deadline could prevent you from recovering compensation through a lawsuit.
It is also important to preserve evidence promptly. Electronic records, vehicle inspection reports, photographs, and witness accounts can be valuable in determining the cause of the collision.
Contacting an attorney soon after an accident can help protect your rights and preserve important evidence.
Contact Our Montgomery 18-Wheeler Truck Accident Attorneys for a Free Consultation
An 18-wheeler accident can disrupt your health, finances, and everyday life. You do not have to handle a complicated legal claim on your own. At Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers, we are ready to review your case, explain your options, and help you pursue compensation.
Call our office today to schedule your free consultation with a Montgomery 18-wheeler truck accident lawyer.