If you suffer an injury in a semi-truck or commercial truck accident, do not make the mistake of believing that this will be the same process as a car accident. Passenger vehicle accidents are different from truck accidents. Here is a rundown of the differences that you can expect if you’re in a truck accident.
Larger Insurance Policies
A truck’s insurance policy may be worth 50 times that of a passenger vehicle. This is due to the damage that a truck might inflict on other cars. These policies may be worth millions of dollars. Now, because of this, you’ll find out that commercial truck insurance carriers may jump through hoops to try to avoid liability. They will assign their most experienced adjusters to the case and will strategize against you. They may also try to offer too low of an offer at first, to distract a driver from making a claim.
Extra Property Damage
Commercial trucks may weigh up to 80,000 pounds! The size of a truck means that it can inflict a serious amount of damage on anyone or anything that is in its path. Due to this, most truck accidents involve much higher costs in property damage than a typical car accident.
Different Types of Regulations
Truckers and trucking companies have to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation. Most of the trucks on the road make interstate deliveries. Hundreds of different regulations cover truckers. These regulations may include special driver’s licenses, maintenance, inspections and logbooks.
These regulations may make it more complicated when it comes to determining liability during an accident. It’s much more complicated than when dealing with a car accident.
Increased Medical Bill Expenses
With a larger vehicle, there is more potential for costly medical expenses. The injuries sustained tend to be more severe after a commercial truck accident. Due to this, what the passenger vehicle driver may be entitled to is a lot higher. It’s important for the driver to receive compensation that fits the scale of those injuries.
If you’ve been in a trucking accident, you have to stay aware of your rights as a driver. The cases are a lot more complex than passenger vehicle accidents. After an accident, it’s important to understand the details of the process and to know where to go from there. Trucker accidents and car accidents are not the same. It’s important that you understand the differences before pursuing a case. For a consultation, contact a truck accident lawyer today.
Source: Truck Accident Lawyer Trenton, NJ, Davis & Brusca, LLC