Side-impact truck accidents in Richland can leave you severely injured and your car totaled. When trucks collide with the side of a smaller car, it can lead to catastrophic injuries and damage to the driver and vehicle. People involved in these “T-bone” wrecks often have painful bodily injuries and costly bills to deal with. However, there are options to pursue compensation.
If you were injured in a side-impact crash, a skilled truck accident attorney can work with you to gather evidence of the trucker’s negligence causing your injuries and ensure you get the most amount of compensation possible.
Trucks are much bigger, longer, and heavier than the average car on the road, which is why they are more likely to total someone’s vehicle in an accident. The size and weight causes more force upon impact, therefore truck accident can cause serious injuries and potentially destroy the other vehicles involved.
A side-impact wreck could happen in an intersection where a truck goes through a red light or stop sign and hits your car as you cross at the proper time. A truck driver failing to pay attention when approaching an intersection or driving while distracted, impaired, or fatigued, can all cause this kind of side impact.
The injuries that can follow are like injuries in typical car accidents:
The force of a truck accident can make these injuries more dangerous, turning a knock on the head into a traumatic brain injury or a back strain into a spinal cord injury or nerve damage. With a side-impact accident, a car’s airbags may not be able to protect you, and so may front-to-back accidents, depending on the age and make of the car.
After an accident, seek medical attention, even if you feel all right at first. And once you are safe and treating any injuries, you should then turn to a Richland attorney to make a legal claim for compensation for the side-impact truck crash.
If you decide to bring a lawsuit against a truck driver or the trucking company for a side-impact accident, you will likely need to show negligence, or that unreasonable behavior of the party at fault caused your injuries. Negligence claims require four main elements:
An attorney can help you prove these elements from the start by gathering evidence at the scene or interviewing witnesses after the fact. You can also get a lawyer’s help documenting your injuries and medical care so you can accurately express your damages in court.
But before you end up arguing about fault in court, you must file your claim in time. This state creates a statute of limitations of three years from the date of the accident, as set forth in Revised Code of Washington § 4.16.080, after which you cannot bring a claim. Working with a Richland attorney as soon as possible can ensure that you do not lose your chance to make your case for your side-impact truck wreck injuries.
Once you make your claim and prove the other party’s fault, you also need to keep your own actions in mind. You could be assigned fault for your own injuries if you were also negligent, which can reduce your compensation under RCW § 4.22.005. Fortunately, being partly to blame for your injuries will not completely block your claim unless no one else’s fault can be shown.
Of course, you will not be on your own when making a claim for compensation. An attorney can walk you through the whole process, from evaluating your injuries and damages to filing a claim and seeing it through.
Our experienced attorneys at Telaré Law can meet you where you are and fight on your behalf. Call our office as soon as you can after an accident to see how we can help with your side-impact truck accident in Richland.