Were you injured in a crash involving a commercial truck? If so, you could receive compensation for your resulting injuries. Commercial trucks are subject to a host of rules and regulations, especially when trucking activities impact interstate commerce. Although trucking regulations are regularly violated by both truckers and trucking companies, in recent years trucking companies and their insurers have become adept at dodging those rules, skirting responsibility, and limiting exposure for truck accident injuries. Rather than stress out over your claim, let a Hillsboro truck accident lawyer from Rizk Law take the wheel and advocate for your interests.
Our legal team benefits from founding attorney Richard Rizk’s unique insight into the insurance industry. It comes from his past work as a defense attorney for some of the nation’s largest insurance carriers. His knowledge of how insurers defend against injury claims allows us to stay a step ahead of tactics designed to prevent our clients from securing the financial recoveries they deserve.
Our experienced legal professionals know the games trucking companies and their insurers play. We can stand up to trucking companies and insurers on your behalf to demand accountability including just compensation for truck crash losses. Contact Rizk Law today for a free initial truck accident case evaluation. We will discuss how we can secure fair compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and more.
Benefits of Hiring a Hillsboro, Oregon, Attorney for Your Truck Accident Claim
The truck accident legal team at Rizk Law can take the reins of your injury and financial loss of Hillsboro truck claims while you focus on treatment and rehabilitation. An experienced attorney from Rizk Law can help by:
- Investigating the crash to recover evidence that demonstrates the truck driver’s or trucking company’s fault for the accident
- Documenting your injuries and losses to determine the amount of compensation you deserve for your ongoing and future anticipated expenses
- Identifying liable parties and applicable insurance coverage limits
- Negotiating with insurance adjusters, trucking company representatives, and defense lawyers to fight for a fair settlement for your case
- Advocating on your behalf in court, if litigation becomes necessary, to demand a favorable result
What to Do After a Truck Accident
If you have endured a truck accident injury, take the following steps to protect your right to hold the truck driver and trucking companies accountable:
- Follow your doctor’s treatment plan and obtain copies of your medical records.
- Request copies of the police crash report.
- Notify your auto insurance company about the accident.
- Keep any bills, invoices, and receipts for expenses you incur during your recovery.
- Gather copies of your pay stubs or income statements to calculate any lost earnings if you must take time off from work due to your injuries.
- Talk to a Hillsboro truck accident lawyer from Rizk Law as soon as possible to help with the post-accident investigation matters and discuss your legal options.
How We Investigate Hillsboro, Oregon, Truck Accident Cases
Our truck accident law firm thoroughly investigates our clients’ accident claims to identify and preserve useful evidence. Compelling evidence that proves a truck driver’s or trucking company’s fault for a big rig crash could mean the difference between success and failure for your claim.
We at Rizk Law will pursue every potential piece of evidence to identify those responsible for your injuries and losses. Examples of evidence we may use to build your semi-truck, big-rig, 18-wheeler, or other commercial truck accident case include:
- The truck driver’s hours-of-service logs, which record the time the driver spent on duty and behind the wheel
- The truck’s event data recorder and GPS logs
- In-cab or dashcam footage from the truck
- The truck’s cargo manifests and bills of lading
- The truck’s repair and maintenance records
- The truck driver’s pre- or post-trip inspection reports
Other evidence we use to investigate truck accident cases includes police accident reports, accident scene photos and videos, and eyewitness testimony. When necessary, our firm also works with accident reconstructionists and trucking industry experts. They help us to evaluate the evidence and build a persuasive case for the financial relief you deserve.
Why Trucking Accidents Are More Complicated Than Other Motor Vehicle Crashes
Truck accident claims frequently involve unique complexities and obstacles that make them far more challenging than other auto accident claims. Some of the factors that contribute to the complicated nature of trucking accident cases include:
- Truck Accidents Tend to Cause More Severe Injuries – An 18-wheeler or other kinds of truck accidents can frequently cause more severe injuries than other kinds of motor vehicle crashes. This can complicate the resolution of a truck accident claim, as trucking companies and their insurers tend to fight harder against larger claim demands.
- Truck Accident Cases Can Involve Complex Evidence – Due to the amount and complexity of truck accident evidence, truck accident attorneys must often turn to experts for assistance. This might include working with medical professionals, accident reconstruction specialists, and other industry experts who can analyze and interpret evidence.
- Truck Accidents Often Involve Multiple Liable Parties – When a truck accident claim involves multiple potentially liable parties, resolving the claim can become more challenging. This is because liable parties often fight among themselves to shift liability for your claim.
- Trucking Companies Can Have Complicated Insurance Coverage – Many trucking companies use layered liability insurance policy structures, where each layer of coverage triggers only after coverage under the previous layers is exhausted. Layered insurance can make it challenging to determine coverage availability and evaluate whether settlement offers are adequate.
Compensation You Could Recover in a Hillsboro, Oregon, Truck Accident Claim
After a truck crash, you could have the right to obtain financial recovery for economic or personal losses for the injuries you sustained. Truck accident compensation can include money for:
- Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation services for your injuries
- Costs of long-term care and support services if you develop prolonged or permanent disabilities
- Loss of wages after missing time from work or earning less while working part-time or light-duty
- Loss of future earning potential and employment benefits after becoming permanently disabled
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life caused by disabilities or disfigurement
If someone dies in a fatal truck accident, their surviving family members could have grounds for a wrongful death claim. A successful wrongful death claim can provide compensation for many losses. These include the decedent’s final medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and conscious pain and suffering that the decedent experienced before their death. Survivors can also claim money for the loss of growth of the value of the decedent’s estate and the loss of the decedent’s companionship and guidance.
Parties Who Could Be Held Liable for a Truck Wreck in Hillsboro, Oregon
Because multiple companies are often involved in commercial truck operations, various parties can bear liability for a trucking accident. They include:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The truck’s owner (if not the driver or truck company)
- The cargo or shipping company
- The truck’s manufacturer
- Manufacturers of truck components
- Third-party mechanics or auto shops who maintain or repair the truck
Could You Recover Compensation if You Are Partly to Blame for a Trucking Accident?
Yes. Under Oregon law, you could have the right to recover compensation even if you share some responsibility for causing the trucking accident. Oregon follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which states that you can pursue compensation for your injuries as long as your share of fault for the accident does not exceed 50 percent.
However, this rule can also reduce your financial recovery in proportion to the percentage of fault you bear for the truck accident. This is why it is so important to seek professional legal assistance for your truck accident injury claim.
How Long Do You Have to File a Trucking Accident Lawsuit in Oregon?
The Oregon statute of limitations for injury claims usually requires you to file your truck accident lawsuit within two years of the date of the crash. If you file your lawsuit after the two-year filing window passes, the court could dismiss your case, and you might lose the opportunity to demand financial recovery.
A Hillsboro truck accident attorney from Rizk Law can help you protect your legal rights by preparing and filing your truck accident claim on time.
Common Types and Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents in Hillsboro, Oregon
At Rizk Law, we represent victims who have suffered life-altering injuries due to truck accidents, such as:
- Rear-end truck collisions
- Head-on truck collisions
- T-bone truck collisions
- Sideswipe truck collisions
- Underride truck accidents
- Jackknife truck accidents
- Wide-turn truck accidents
- Rollover truck accidents
- Cargo spill accidents
Typical Injuries Resulting from a Truck Collision
Truck accidents tend to cause more severe injuries than other kinds of auto accidents. This is because commercial trucks carry more momentum in collisions due to their size and weight. Examples of injuries that can occur in an 18-wheeler crash include:
- Lacerations
- Burns from post-collision fires
- Dislocated joints
- Ligament sprains or tears
- Muscle and tendon strains or tears
- Broken bones
- Whiplash
- Nerve damage
- Herniated disc injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Facial injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Traumatic amputations or loss of limb
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer in Hillsboro, Oregon, Today
If you have sustained injuries in a commercial truck accident, you need an experienced legal advocate who will fight for maximum compensation on your behalf. Our Hillsboro truck accident lawyers are here to discuss your legal options based on your situation. Contact Rizk Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation.