Prattville truck accident attorney | Comprehensive And Compassionate Legal Help For car Accident Victims
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident caused by a negligent driver in or around Prattville, the road to recovery may seem daunting. The pain, uncertainty, and strain of handling medical bills, lost income, and personal responsibilities can be difficult to bear and leave you wondering if your life can ever return to normal.
A dedicated and experienced Prattville truck accident lawyer with Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys can help you. While we can’t erase all of your pain and suffering, our purpose and goal is to help ease many of your burdens by fighting for the compensation you deserve.
With deep roots in Alabama, Alexander Shunnarah is committed to helping those injured by negligent truck drivers reclaim their lives and find a path forward. Full and fair compensation is crucial to your physical, emotional, and financial recovery, so don’t delay. Call Alexander Shunnarah’s Prattville office today.
FREE CASE REVIEWWhy Are Prattville Residents at Risk of Being Injured in a Truck Accident?
For thousands of Prattville residents, I-65 is the quickest way to commute to Montgomery. But I-65 is also the commercial artery that connects the Port of Mobile and the Port of New Orleans to Birmingham, Alabama’s industrial hub, and beyond to cities such as Huntsville, Nashville, and Atlanta.
As the highway connecting Alabama’s economic centers, I-65 is busy with commercial truck traffic most of the time. Sometimes, commercial trucks take alternate routes or use other highways, such as U.S. Route 82 and U.S. Route 31, to connect to other destinations.
These roads facilitate business, but they also create a heightened risk of severe accidents when so many trucks and smaller vehicles share the road.
Why Choose Alexander Shunnarah for Your Prattville Truck Accident Case?
Choosing the right attorney for your truck accident case can make all the difference. You need someone who understands Prattville, knows complex trucking law and regulations inside and out, and is prepared to take on the trucking company’s army of lawyers and insurers.
Alexander Shunnarah’s success as a Prattville personal injury lawyer has enabled him to build a law firm that extends beyond Alabama to multiple states and stretches across the United States. We have recovered more than $1.5 billion for 250,000 satisfied clients.
What sets Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys apart from other firms? Here are a few reasons our clients choose us—and stay with us—throughout the legal process:
Why Choose Alexander Shunnarah for Your Prattville Truck Accident Case?
When you’re facing the aftermath of a serious truck accident, choosing the right attorney to stand by you can make all the difference. Here are some of the qualities that set Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys apart:
When you’re ready to take the next step in your recovery, Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys is here to stand by you with strength, knowledge, and unwavering dedication.
- Client-Centered Approach: Our attorneys prioritize your well-being by offering personalized support and clear communication every step of the way.
- Aggressive Negotiators: We don’t back down when insurers try to minimize your claim, fighting persistently for every dollar you deserve.
- Proven Trial Lawyers: If trucking companies and their insurers refuse to settle fairly, our experienced trial lawyers are prepared to argue your case before a judge or jury.
- National Resources: Our extensive national resources and deep local knowledge bring unmatched support and knowledge to your case.
- Understanding of Complex Trucking Regulations: Our thorough knowledge of state and federal trucking laws helps us identify critical violations and strengthen your claim.
- Focus on Maximum Recovery for Clients: We pursue maximum compensation that covers your immediate costs and your long-term needs, setting you up for the best possible recovery.
- Respect for Your Time and Peace of Mind: We handle all legal matters so you can focus on healing, with updates to keep you informed so you’re never left wondering about the status of your case.
- Proven Record of Life-Changing Results: Our track record of winning top-dollar settlements and verdicts speaks to the dedication and skill we bring to every case.
- Compassionate Advocates: We understand the hardships you’re facing, and we’re here to fight for you with empathy, respect, and determination.
- Contingency Fee Structure: You won’t have to pay any out-of-pocket expenses or upfront costs when you work with us, and you will never pay for our services unless we win your case.
When it comes to seeking justice in a truck accident case, you need a team with the skill, resources, and determination to obtain results. Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys provides that and more with a relentless commitment to our clients and the outcome of their cases.
Why Truck Accidents Are So Dangerous
Truck accidents aren’t like other traffic accidents—they’re more violent, more destructive, and often more life-altering. Passenger vehicles weighing an average of 4,000 lbs. are no match for a fully loaded 80,000-pound semi-truck.
Truck crashes can lead to catastrophic injuries and loss of life in an instant. Because of their size, shape, weight, and longer stopping distance, commercial trucks pose special dangers to other motorists. Common types of truck accidents include:
- Jackknife Accidents: The trailer skids out to form a 90-degree angle with the cab, resembling a folding pocketknife. This kind of crash can sweep up nearby vehicles or even block entire lanes, creating side underrides and chain-reaction accidents.
- Underride Collisions: One of the most dangerous types of truck accidents, underrides occur when a smaller passenger vehicle slides beneath a truck’s trailer. Underrides often result in the top half of the passenger vehicle being sheered off.
- Override Accidents: When a truck drives over a smaller vehicle in a rear-end collision, the smaller vehicle’s occupants often suffer severe injuries, often due to the immense crushing pressure exerted from above.
- Rollover Accidents: If a truck driver takes a curve too quickly or swerves to avoid an obstacle, the entire truck can tip over. Prattville drivers may have witnessed some of the frequent truck rollovers on the sharp I-65 and I-85 interchange near downtown Montgomery.
- T-Bone Accidents: T-bone collisions happen when a truck strikes the side of another vehicle, usually at intersections, delivering a powerful impact to the most vulnerable part of the passenger vehicle.
Truck accidents also tend to result in higher medical costs, lost wages, and prolonged recovery times for victims. This is why you need experienced representation to help make your recovery as complete as possible—physically, emotionally, and financially.
What Causes Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents can happen for countless reasons, often involving more complex factors than a standard vehicle crash. Some of the leading causes of these accidents are:
- Distracted Driving: Truck drivers using cell phones, radios, navigational devices, or even just eating can lose focus on the road, increasing the risk of a serious crash.
- Driver Fatigue: Many truckers are under pressure to meet tight deadlines and may skip rest breaks, which can lead to impaired reflexes, judgment, and reaction times.
- Speeding or Reckless Driving: Truck drivers may speed or drive aggressively to meet deadlines. At high speeds, however, large trucks become difficult to control and stop.
- Improper Loading: Overloaded or improperly loaded cargo that shifts during transit may make the truck unstable and more prone to accidents, especially when turning.
- Mechanical Failures: Failure to maintain the vehicle or detect mechanical issues such as worn brakes, tire issues, or steering assembly problems can make the truck difficult to control at highway speeds.
- Inexperienced or Poorly Trained Drivers: Driving a truck requires specific training and certifications. When companies cut corners on hiring and training, the risk of an accident rises. Unvetted, unqualified, and poorly trained commercial truck drivers are a major risk on U.S. highways.
Each of these factors poses a direct risk to road users and introduces unique legal considerations. Establishing fault requires expert analysis, detailed accident reconstruction, and access to the driver’s hours-of-service (HOS) logs, driving history, and vehicle maintenance records.
Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accidents often result in injuries that change lives forever. Truck accident victims bear physical injuries, but the emotional and financial devastation can ripple throughout their families, too. Common injuries from these severe crashes include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Other Head Injuries: Blunt force trauma to the head can cause a traumatic brain injury that can result in permanent brain damage that affects speech, memory, and motor skills. Concussions and other types of head and brain trauma can affect truck accident survivors in multiple ways.
- Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis: Spinal cord damage can result in partial or complete paralysis, profoundly impacting a victim’s ability to live independently.
- Broken or Fractured Bones: The sheer force of a truck crash can shatter bones, requiring multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation.
- Internal Organ Damage: The impact can lead to life-threatening damage to organs like the liver, spleen, and lungs, requiring immediate emergency surgery.
- Severe Burns: Fires or ruptured fuel tanks in a truck accident can lead to serious burn injuries, often requiring extensive treatment and resulting in long-term pain and scarring.
- Lacerations: Flying debris from a collision can cause deep cuts and lacerations, which may lead to significant blood loss, infection risks, and permanent scarring.
Truck accident injuries can be life-changing events that can impact your ability to work, care for family, and enjoy life. A skilled Prattville truck accident attorney with Alexander Shunnarah will work with you to calculate the full extent of your damages, including all potential future costs.
Do I Have a Truck Accident Claim?
After a truck accident, the big question is whether you have a legal claim—and in most cases, it all comes down to negligence. For a successful truck accident case, your personal injury attorney must establish the four elements of negligence:
- Duty of Care: Truck drivers, trucking companies, and other parties have a responsibility to follow safety regulations and not endanger other drivers on the road.
- Breach of Duty: Any behaviors that deviate from this duty, such as speeding, distracted driving, or failing to maintain the vehicle, constitute a breach (or failure) of that duty.
- Causation: We must prove this failure directly caused the truck crash, connecting actions or omissions to the resulting injuries.
- Damages: Your injuries directly caused measurable harm, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
An experienced truck accident lawyer will work to establish each of these elements, using evidence like eyewitness testimony, black box data, and accident reconstruction reports to build a solid foundation for your case.
Don’t Fight with the Insurance Companies
When you’re injured in a truck accident, you can almost count on a call from the trucking company’s insurance adjuster. They’ll likely offer you a settlement that may sound good at first, but don’t be misled. Their goal is to settle quickly and as cheaply as possible.
With a skilled Ptrattville truck accident lawyer, you’ll have someone to handle the insurance company’s questions and negotiate a settlement that truly accounts for all your injuries and losses.
Insurance companies have teams of adjusters, lawyers, and investigators working to minimize what they pay out on claims. Their representatives may seem friendly, but remember—they’re working for the insurance company’s best interests, not yours. Working with a lawyer drastically improves your chances of recovering all the compensation you’re eligible to receive.
Who May Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident Case?
Truck accidents are complex cases with multiple potential parties responsible for your injuries. The truck driver may be at fault, but liability could extend to others involved, including:
- The trucking company for improper hiring or training practices
- Maintenance providers if poor upkeep caused or contributed to the crash
- Manufacturers for defective vehicles or components that cause crashes
- Cargo loaders for imbalanced or dangerous loads
Identifying all liable parties is essential to ensure maximum compensation for your injuries and losses. With an Alexander Shunnarah attorney on your side, you can pursue every responsible party for the justice you deserve.
What Compensation is Available to Truck Accident Victims?
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for both the tangible and intangible damages and losses. These types of compensation include:
- Economic Damages for costs like medical bills, lost wages or income, loss of earning potential, future care and rehabilitation, and other expenses.
- Non-Economic Damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and more.
In cases where a loved one dies from truck accident injuries, families may seek wrongful death damages, covering funeral costs and the loss of companionship. In some cases involving gross negligence or recklessness, the victim may receive punitive damages. These damages are often quite high because they’re intended to punish the at-fault parties and discourage future wrongful actions or neglect.
Is There a Deadline for Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Prattville?
Alabama has a strict deadline, or statute of limitations, for filing personal injury claims, including truck accidents. In most cases, you have two years from the date of the accident to take legal action. Missing this deadline could mean losing your chance to recover compensation. Don’t wait to take action; consulting a lawyer sooner ensures your rights are protected.
How Can a Lawyer Help with My Prattville Truck Accident Case?
Navigating a truck accident case on your own can be overwhelming, but with a lawyer from Alexander Shunnarah by your side, you’ll have a knowledgeable ally. Our team will:
- Investigate the crash and collect evidence
- Determine liability and calculate damages
- Demand your full and fair compensation
- Negotiate aggressively with insurance companies
- Represent you in court if needed
Our goal is to restore you and your life as much as possible after a truck accident. While we can’t make you fully “whole” again, we know that with full and fair compensation, a quicker, less stressful recovery will be within your reach.
Contact the Alabama Truck Accident Lawyers at Alexander Shunnarah Today
At Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys, we know that choosing the right lawyer for your truck accident claim is an important decision – one that may impact the rest of your life. We take that responsibility to heart. When we take on your case, your fight becomes our fight, and we won’t back down until you’ve received maximum compensation for all you’ve suffered.
The first step toward justice begins with a phone call. You can reach our Prattville truck accident lawyers today at (800) 229-7989 or fill out a quick online form to request a free, no-obligation consultation.