Alabama Fatal Truck Accident Lawyers

Fatal truck accidents can devastate the lives of everyone involved. As the family member of someone killed in a collision with a commercial truck, you’re left to pick up the pieces of your life and figure out how to move forward without your loved one. In addition to the emotional burden, you may be acutely feeling the loss of your loved one’s financial contributions to your household. That’s where a Huntsville fatal truck accident lawyer at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. can help.

When you have lost a loved one to an accident involving a large truck, such as an 18-wheeler, you may be able to recover compensation for your loss through a wrongful death case. A wrongful death case can help you secure your financial future in the aftermath of a tragic loss.

Our lawyers at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. have extensive experience representing people in wrongful death cases arising from fatal truck accidents. We have seen first-hand how these kinds of accidents can affect your life and will approach your case with the compassion, sensitivity, and respect that you deserve during this difficult time in your life.

While you focus on grieving and helping your family through this loss, we’ll carry the burden of investigating the accident, compiling evidence, and pursuing your claim — and we’ll aggressively fight to see that the person or company responsible for your loss is held accountable and compensates you to the fullest extent possible.

If someone you loved was killed in a truck accident, call us now to schedule your free consultation and learn what we can do for you.

Fatal Truck Accident Have Wide-Spread Effects

The effects of losing someone tragically and unexpectedly in a truck accident can be life-shattering. Your grief following the accident can be overwhelming. You, other family members, and friends may need to seek counseling to process the event and help you to eventually move on.

In addition to the emotional aftermath of an accident, you may be wrestling with settling your loved one’s affairs — executing a will, making insurance claims, closing accounts, and transferring property. You may be worrying about paying for the cost of the funeral or wondering about who is responsible for medical bills your loved one incurred before passing.

The fact that you have to deal with the practical and financial aspects of a person’s death in addition to trying to grieve only adds to the traumatic nature of losing someone in a truck accident. The consequences of a sudden death may leave you in a precarious financial situation. When this is the case, it’s particularly important that you look into whether they are able to bring a wrongful death claim against the person responsible.

Alabama Wrongful Death Law

Under Alabama Code Section 6-5-410, the personal representative of someone who died is allowed to file a wrongful death claim within 2 years of the death. A personal representative may be someone appointed in the accident victim’s will, a spouse, or other heir.

A wrongful death claim is available when the person who died would have had a claim against the defendant had they lived. For instance, the victim of a truck accident would have a personal injury claim based on the other driver’s negligence. This cause of action doesn’t disappear, instead the ability to try the case is transferred to the victim’s personal representative, for the benefit of the victim’s heirs.

Even if the person at fault for the accident also dies, a wrongful death claim can still be brought against that person’s estate.

Wrongful death lawsuits are allowed to ensure that the family members of a victim of a truck accident can hold the person who caused the accident responsible for the actions. While a wrongful death claim doesn’t seek compensatory damages, the financial recovery from this type of suit ensures that the decedent’s heirs have some sort of reimbursement for their expenses and suffering.

The damages are punitive, which means they are used to punish the wrongdoer, but they can be a tremendous financial help to a family struggling after the loss of a parent and family breadwinner. The damages from a wrongful death suit aren’t subject to the estate’s liabilities or debts and are distributed to the victim’s heirs according to Alabama law.

Contact Our Alabama Fatal Truck Accident Lawyers

If you lost someone close to you in a truck accident, don’t hesitate to seek legal advice about what you can do next. An experienced Alabama fatal truck accident lawyer can help you deal with insurance companies and file a wrongful death claim against the responsible party.

Truck accidents can involve complicated evidence, a need for engineers or other experts to evaluate wreckage and documents, and unique laws and regulations specific to truck drivers and the trucking industry. The success of your claim depends on having an attorney who understands the nuances of these cases and has a proven history of obtaining results in cases involving fatal truck accidents.

The fatal truck accident lawyers at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. have more than 65 years of collective experience and understand the nuances of Alabama wrongful death law, which is considerably different than in other states. We have a proven track record of getting advantageous settlements and jury awards for people we represent, including numerous recoveries of more than $1 million. We can do this because we understand how insurance companies work and aren’t afraid to take cases to trial in order to get you the best possible result.

Contact a truck accident lawyer at 205-933-1500 or online to schedule your free consultation.