Birmingham Truck Accident Lawyer
Get in touch with a top-rated and reputable Birmingham truck accident law firm if you or someone you know needs urgent legal assistance after suffering from a truck accident.
Road incidents that involve trucks, 18-wheelers, or commercial rigs frequently result in severe injuries that can have lasting impacts. Survivors may require significant financial compensation to address medical costs, lost earnings, mental anguish, and life-altering disabilities.
To ensure that you can get the maximum amount for your suffering, damages, and property loss, it’s highly recommended that you hire an experienced truck accident lawyer. Feel free to browse through our verified client testimonials or read our five-star reviews on Google.
At Drake Injury Lawyers, our unwavering dedication to integrity, transparency, and effective communication ensures that each client feels truly acknowledged and understood by their attorney as we strive to pursue justice on their behalf.
Why Choose Drake Injury Lawyers?
While recovering from a devastating accident, you need legal representation that can step into the role of a trustworthy confidant and advocate, safeguarding your rights throughout the entirety of your case.
We believe that what sets us apart from other law firms is our passion, hard work, and commitment to justice – we will not allow negligent individuals to escape accountability for their actions. In every case we handle, we uphold a deep sense of care and professionalism.
With a track record of over 25 years and an almost impeccable 99% success rate, Drake Injury Lawyers has secured over $500 million in favorable outcomes for our satisfied clientele in Birmingham and across Alabama. One of the most notable cases secured $3 million for clients who were rear-ended by a trucker.
We offer superior negotiating skills and courtroom acumen. Our team of legal experts and seasoned attorneys will help you navigate the state’s legal system with ease.
How Much Do We Charge: We work on a contingency fee structure. With this type of arrangement, there’s absolutely no risk to you because we cover all the upfront costs of preparing your case. You only pay if and when we win you money for your damages.
Contact Us Now: We offer a free consultation to evaluate your case and discuss your legal options with you. We are available to provide support 24/7. If you or a loved one has suffered a truck accident, call our Birmingham office at (205) 859-2236 or contact us by filling out our secure and confidential form.
How Can We Help In A Truck Accident
While truck accidents are almost always unexpected events, you can protect yourself after the fact with help from an experienced injury lawyer in Birmingham.
The right truck accident attorney can help you focus on recovering and spending time with your family while we pursue the justice and financial compensation that you deserve.
Our legal experts can begin building a strong case on your behalf through comprehensive accident investigation, evidence collection, qualified experts, legal counsel and advice, and connecting you to the best doctors in Alabama.
We have experience in all manner of motor vehicle-related cases and have successfully resolved even the most complex of personal injury incidents.
About Truck Accidents in Birmingham
In addition to Alabama’s extensive regulations governing the use of trucks, trailers and semi-trailers, the U.S. government’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provides extensive requirements that apply to trucks used in interstate commerce.
Among the many subjects of regulation, the FMCSA sets out minimum standards for:
- Vehicle safety and maintenance
- Driver qualifications and limits on driver hours of operation
- Driver training requirements
- Financial responsibility
- Licensing requirements for motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders
- Lower minimum blood alcohol concentration levels
- Electronic logging device requirements
- Cargo loading and securement rules
- Special rules for hazardous materials
Violating these regulations amounts to negligence and can be the basis for recovering damages for injuries caused by a truck accident.
As a result, any lawsuit to recover for injuries in a truck accident may involve a detailed analysis of the regulations in addition to the usual concerns, like the speed of the vehicles in the accident, whether one vehicle was following another too closely, whether proper signals were used before turning, and the like.
Types of Truck Accidents
Not all accidents give victims the right to pursue financial recovery through the civil court system in Alabama. Certain types of accidents and injuries give rise to lawsuits more than others.
In our decades of experience, the attorneys at Drake Injury Lawyers have acquired a firm grasp on which types of auto incidents indicate negligence.
Where Do Most Truck Accidents Occur?
Truck accidents can happen anywhere, but certain locations and conditions tend to pose higher risks. Some common accident-prone areas include:
Border Crossings: Truck accidents often occur near border crossings where trucks transport goods across boundaries. Inspections, traffic congestion, and differing traffic regulations pose challenges for truck drivers, increasing the likelihood of accidents in these areas.
Construction Zones: These pose significant hazards for truck accidents due to reduced lane widths, lane closures, and altered traffic patterns.
Frequent Trucking Routes: Certain routes commonly used by trucks for long-haul transportation are susceptible to accidents due to fatigue, distractions, and increased traffic.
Highways and Interstates: Truck accidents are prevalent on highways and interstates due to high speeds, heavy traffic volumes, and long stretches of road. Increased speed limits and driver fatigue contribute to the risk of collisions.
Mountainous Terrain: Truck accidents are common in mountainous regions characterized by steep inclines, sharp curves, and adverse weather conditions. Braking failures, rollovers, and jackknifes are potential risks in these terrains.
Ports and Industrial Areas: Ports and industrial areas are busy hubs for trucking activities, with trucks transporting goods to and from warehouses, factories, and distribution centers. Tight maneuvering spaces, loading docks, and heavy machinery increase the likelihood of accidents in these environments.
Rural Roads: Truck accidents frequently occur on rural roads with limited visibility, narrow lanes, and uneven surfaces. Wildlife crossings, agricultural vehicles, and lack of street lighting further contribute to the risk of accidents in these areas.
Urban Areas: Urban areas with dense populations and complex road networks are prone to truck accidents. Narrow streets, congested intersections, and frequent stops increase the likelihood of collisions, especially during rush hours. Pedestrians and cyclists usually encounter accidents involving trucks.
Common Types of Truck Accidents
Blind Spot Collisions: Trucks have large blind spots, also known as “no-zones,” where the driver’s visibility is limited or nonexistent. Blind spot collisions occur when a smaller vehicle enters a truck’s blind spot, and the truck driver fails to see the vehicle while changing lanes or making turns. These accidents often result in serious injuries or fatalities for occupants of the smaller vehicle.
Cargo Spills: Cargo spills occur when the cargo being transported by a truck spills onto the roadway, creating hazardous conditions for other vehicles. Improper loading, insecure cargo, or sudden maneuvers can cause cargo to shift or spill, leading to accidents and road closures.
Jackknife Accidents: Jackknife accidents happen when a truck’s trailer swings outward from the cab, resembling the shape of a folding jackknife. These accidents typically occur when a truck driver brakes suddenly, causing the trailer to lose traction and skid sideways. Jackknife accidents can result in multi-vehicle collisions and block entire roadways.
Rear-End Collisions: Rear-end collisions involving trucks often occur when a truck driver fails to maintain a safe following distance or stops abruptly. Due to their size and weight, trucks require longer stopping distances, increasing the risk of rear-end collisions, especially in congested traffic or adverse weather conditions.
Rollover Accidents: Rollover accidents involve a truck tipping onto its side or rolling over onto its roof. These accidents can occur due to various factors, including excessive speed, sharp turns, shifting cargo, or adverse road conditions. Rollover accidents pose significant risks to occupants of the truck as well as nearby vehicles.
Tire Blowouts: Tire blowouts on trucks can lead to loss of control, especially at high speeds. When a truck’s tire suddenly bursts, the driver may struggle to maintain control of the vehicle, potentially causing a collision with other vehicles on the road. Tire blowouts can result from factors such as overloading, improper maintenance, or road debris.
Underride Collisions: Underride collisions occur when a smaller vehicle slides underneath the rear or side of a truck’s trailer. These accidents often result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities for occupants of the smaller vehicle due to the height difference between the truck and the car. Inadequate underride guards on trucks exacerbate the severity of these accidents.
Wide Turn Accidents: Wide turn accidents occur when a truck swings wide while making a turn, encroaching into adjacent lanes and colliding with vehicles traveling beside or behind the truck. These accidents commonly happen at intersections or highway exits where truck drivers misjudge the space needed to complete a turn.
Types of Damages and Compensation From A Truck Accident
After suffering injuries in a truck accident in Birmingham, you might want to put the experience behind you as quickly as possible. Spending months mulling over the details of the accident with an attorney, going through investigations, and filing paperwork might seem like the last thing you want to do.
Luckily, teaming with the right lawyer can make the claims process as fast, painless, and stress-free as possible. The Drake Injury Lawyers will take care of every aspect of your claim for you, so you don’t have to focus on anything except healing.
While you get well, spend time with your family and go back to work, our meticulous attorneys will be working on the sidelines to secure you compensation. We’ll do everything we can to achieve outstanding case results, such as the multi-million-dollar settlements or verdicts we’ve gotten for our clients in the past.
Asking an experienced Birmingham truck accident lawyer for help with your injury claim could result in compensation that extends well beyond payment for your hospital bills.
Expert insurance settlement negotiation and aggressive litigation in a court of law can result in fair and full payment for:
- Past and future medical costs
- Property damage
- Physical pain
- Emotional suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Lost income
- Lost quality of life
Were You Injured In a Birmingham Semi-Truck Accident?
Our lawyers have recovered over $500,000,000 for our Alabama accident victims. Fighting for you and your family is our number one priority.
If you or a loved one was hurt in an 18 wheeler accident, contact us for an immediate, free case evaluation by the legal team of Birmingham truck accident lawyers Whit Drake and Mary Bruce.
Role of a Specialized Attorney
There is no room for driver negligence in the trucking industry. With vehicles that can reach more than 20 times the weight of the average passenger car, commercial truck drivers must use the highest standards of care to avoid collisions. They must obey federal laws on top of state-specific laws as common carriers.
When they don’t, victims have the right to file lawsuits. Large trucks are particularly prone to involvement in accidents for at least three reasons:
- The trucks have limited visibility (large blind spots).
- They take longer to stop because of their weight; at 55 miles an hour, the stopping distance of a typical semi-truck is more than twice the stopping distance of a passenger vehicle.
- They are less maneuverable. Big rigs typically begin a left turn by swinging wide to the right to get a better angle. Drifting in the opposite direction of the intended turn has lured car drivers into trying to pass on the side to which the truck suddenly turns.
Due to the dangerous nature of commercial trucks and the propensity for catastrophic accidents, commercial drivers have a host of responsibilities that other drivers do not. Falling short of these responsibilities or breaking any regulatory laws and causing a truck wreck could lead to company liability.
The law allows you to attempt to negotiate a settlement on your own, but this generally means going up against wealthy companies that have very sophisticated defense attorneys and financial resources that can seldom be matched by an individual.
For most people, having to sue for a truck accident may happen only once in a lifetime. Insurance companies and powerful employers deal with these situations all the time.
To prevail in your pursuit of justice, you need to level the playing field with an equally experienced and sophisticated Birmingham truck accident attorney on your side — one that you will find at Drake Injury Lawyers.
Legal Strategies and Client Representation
In most injury lawsuits, a competent legal team must be able to determine if the party at fault has failed to demonstrate the required degree of diligence and care in an incident.
This is the concept of “negligence,” which is a legal theory that consists of four elements:
- A duty of care, or a legal obligation to act with reasonable care, which existed based on the circumstances.
- The defendant breached or violated his or her duty of care.
- The plaintiff was injured because the defendant breached his or her duty of care.
- The plaintiff suffered damages, or real and specific losses, due to the breach of duty.
As the injured party or plaintiff in a truck accident case, the burden of proof rests with you. This means that you or your injury lawyer must prove the grounds on which you are basing your case according to the applicable evidentiary standard.
The Importance of Expertise and Personal Experience
In the civil justice system, this is a preponderance of the evidence or clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is most likely responsible for your injuries. A skilled attorney can help you meet this burden of proof.
At Drake Injury Lawyers, our team of truck accident attorneys in Birmingham has vast experience in conducting thorough investigations into our clients’ cases to uncover all the important evidence that is necessary for a successful result.
This can include eyewitness testimony, tire skid marks, video surveillance footage, expert testimony, emails or text messages, and various factors, depending upon the circumstances of the case.
Working with a Local Truck Accident Lawyer
Alabama’s legal system, like any other, has its own set of statutes, regulations, and judicial precedents that govern personal injury cases.
From the state’s Contributory Negligence Rule, which can impact a plaintiff’s ability to recover damages if they are found even partially at fault for an accident, to specific deadlines for filing lawsuits known as statutes of limitations, exploring your legal options requires experience and expertise.
Navigating Legal Complexities in Truck Accident Lawsuits
Having a local attorney who understands the nuances of Alabama’s legal system can make all the difference. As your local truck accident law firm, we offer several distinct advantages:
Familiarity with Local Courts: Our attorneys have extensive experience practicing in Alabama’s courts, allowing us to anticipate the strategies of opposing counsel and effectively advocate for our clients.
Knowledge of Local Laws: We stay up-to-date with the latest developments in Alabama’s personal injury laws, ensuring that our legal strategies are tailored to the unique aspects of your case.
Community Connections: We are deeply rooted in the Birmingham community and have established relationships with local experts, medical professionals, and other resources that can further strengthen your case and arguments.
Accessible Legal Support: As your local injury lawyers, we are readily available to meet with you in person, visit whichever location you prefer, answer your questions, and provide the personalized attention you deserve.
Contact A Birmingham-Based Truck Accident Law Firm Now
Engaging the services of an experienced Birmingham truck accident attorney is crucial for assertively negotiating with powerful trucking companies and their corporate insurers.
Alabama also enforces a strict timeframe for filing a case. According to state law, you have a maximum of two years from the date of your truck accident to initiate a lawsuit for injury or property damage.
However, if you intend to hold the government accountable for the incident, the window to bring a claim against the municipality is limited to six months.
At Drake Injury Lawyers, we can help you deal with the catastrophic consequences of your truck accident in a timely and efficient manner. Our legal representation will be personalized and specifically focused on your needs and desired outcomes.
We shouldn’t delay the calls of justice. We’re here to protect your best interests. Contact our compassionate team at (205) 859-2236 or send a secure message online to get started.
Drake Injury Lawyers
2 Perimeter Park S #510e
Birmingham, AL 35243
(205) 859-2236