According to the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, the United States experienced an 11% increase in large truck-involved injury crashes and an 18% increase in fatal trucking collisions from 2020 to 2021. This uptick in truck accidents left 117,000 individuals injured and 5,700 dead that latter year. In Kentucky and across the nation, trucking industry negligence continues to endanger the lives of passenger vehicle drivers who share the road with large commercial vehicles.
If you or someone you love has been seriously hurt or lost their life in a trucking accident, Thomas Law Offices is here to provide you with legal help to assist you in navigating this devastating time. We invite you to get in touch with a qualified Louisville truck accident lawyer in our office to learn about your legal options for recovery.
If you’ve been injured in a collision with a tractor trailer, it’s important to correctly identify the cause of the crash. This is an essential component for determining liability, holding the liable parties accountable, and recovering compensation for your damages.
Truck collisions have many causes, but some factors more commonly to blame for their occurrences than others include:
Injuries caused by tractor-trailer collisions are almost always serious. While distracted driving might lead to a fender-bender between passenger cars, the same act of negligence can kill multiple people when the distracted driver is behind the wheel of a 40-ton semi-truck.
Severe injuries suffered in a truck crash are often catastrophic, meaning that the victim is no longer able to live the life they once led before it occurred. Paralysis, permanent disability, and fatality are common outcomes of trucking accidents.
Severe injuries victims often suffer when in collisions with large trucks include:
If a medical mistake harmed you or your newborn, we’ll investigate what went wrong and fight for funds for lifelong care. Start with a free case evaluation today.
A head injury can change everything. We pursue negligent drivers, companies, and providers to seek compensation for treatment, lost income, and long-term needs. Get a free case evaluation now.
Exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune (1953–1987)? This page explains what happened and potential harms—note the firm is no longer taking these cases. Explore the details and see other options.
From fender-benders to serious crashes, we help you pursue the money you need for medical bills, repairs, and time off work. Don’t face insurers alone—request a free case evaluation.
Hurt on a jobsite? We’ll identify who’s responsible beyond workers’ comp and pursue the recovery you deserve for pain, lost wages, and medical costs. Talk to us for a free case evaluation.
When care goes wrong, you deserve answers and accountability. We review records, build strong claims, and pursue compensation for the harm you suffered. Schedule a free case evaluation.
Motorcyclists are vulnerable—and insurers know it. We fight for riders injured by careless drivers and push for full compensation for medical care and recovery. Request a free case evaluation.
If your premature baby developed NEC after cow’s milk-based formula, your family may have legal options. We’re representing families seeking justice and compensation—act now for a free case evaluation.
Attacked because a property lacked basic security? We investigate owners’ failures—lighting, locks, cameras, staffing—and pursue compensation for your injuries. Start with a free case evaluation.
If a loved one was neglected or harmed in a facility, we’ll help you hold the home accountable and pursue compensation. Take action today—get a free case evaluation.
Injured because someone else was careless? We’ll handle the legal fight so you can focus on healing and getting life back on track. Start with a free case evaluation.
Used a recalled Philips CPAP/BiPAP or ventilator? We help people harmed by defective devices pursue claims tied to the recall and alleged foam exposure. Get a free case evaluation.
Hurt on someone else’s property? We pinpoint unsafe conditions, prove negligence, and pursue damages for medical bills and lost time. Don’t wait—get a free case evaluation.
Defective products shouldn’t cost you your health. We pursue manufacturers and sellers when unsafe designs or warnings lead to injury. Find out if you have a claim—free case evaluation.
Survivors deserve support and accountability. We help you understand your rights and pursue civil action against abusers and enablers. When you’re ready, request a free case evaluation.
A fall can mean ER visits, missed work, and lasting pain. If poor maintenance or hazards caused your injury, we’ll help you pursue compensation. Get a free case evaluation today.
Benefits can be hard to win alone. If a condition keeps you from working, we’ll guide you through the SSA process and strengthen your claim. Start with a free case evaluation.
Spinal trauma can bring lifelong care needs and huge costs. We fight for compensation that reflects the full impact on your mobility, work, and future. Request a free case evaluation.
Crashes with semis are complex and high-stakes. We investigate drivers and trucking companies and pursue the recovery you need after serious injuries. Get a free case evaluation now.
Injured at work in Kentucky? We help Louisville workers fight delays, denials, and lowball benefits so you can get medical care and wage support. Request a free consultation.
When negligence takes a life, accountability matters. We help families pursue a wrongful death claim and seek financial stability during an impossible time. Start with a free case evaluation.
You have enough on your plate. Get a free case evaluation and clear answers from our experienced attorneys today — we’ll take it from here.
One of the most important details to be aware of is that truck and small vehicle accident cases often differ from lawsuits involving smaller vehicles. When a commercial truck is involved, there are several factors that make litigation much more complex. For this reason, not all personal injury lawyers are willing to take on commercial trucking accidents. When pursuing your claim, be sure to partner with a law firm highly experienced in this area of the law.
The following (and other) factors make truck accidents more challenging to litigate than passenger vehicle accidents:
Commercial tractor-trailers are roughly 20-30 times the weight of a passenger car. This means that any devastation caused will likely be more severe than a normal traffic accident. A court of law will look at factors such as speeding or distracted driving in greater detail since truck drivers inherently need to be more careful while behind the wheel.
When an accident involving a semi-truck is being investigated, a court of law will first check to see if everything in the original accident report complies with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and any local trucking standards that may be in place. The FMCSRs attempt to regulate the trucking industry on a federal level by enforcing licensing requirements, work hour, weight, size, and route limitations, and trucking insurance minimums. Any state and local regulations can complicate the case even further.
An auto accident typically involves vehicles owned by the drivers. This is not the case for trucking accidents. The truck may be owned by the trucker oneself but is more often owned by the trucking company or another entity. In some cases, the truck may be owned by the driver, but the load being hauled may be owned by another party. Determining liability can quickly become complicated in these situations.
Big rig crashes are complicated events involving many factors. A truck collision may be caused by an action that happens immediately prior to the wreck (such as distracted driving) or by actions that were carried out long before the accident occurred (such as inadequate driver training).
It takes an experienced truck accident attorney to accurately determine how and why an 18-wheeler crash happened. This includes examining the actions of multiple parties over extended periods of time. Truck accident lawyers must be well-versed in trucking industry, including federal regulations established by the FMCSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and legislation at the state and local levels.
A tractor-trailer has the capacity to cause extreme devastation if involved in a collision with a passenger vehicle. If even one person in the commercial trucking industry acts negligently in their role, the results can be catastrophic and are often fatal.
Because the truck’s operator is the most visible party in a tractor-trailer accident, many people automatically assume that the trucker is liable. But that is not always the case. A truck driver is only one of several parties who may be deemed at fault in a trucking crash case. A driver who engages in negligent actions, such as the following, may be deemed as fully or partially responsible for a Louisville truck accident as well:
Truck drivers aside, liability might also lie with other parties. In this case, it’s possible that your truck accident was caused by an action that occurred long before and far away from the crash scene.
For example, if the shipping company that loaded the trailer did so in an irresponsible manner, this could have caused the load to shift, ultimately causing the collision. Or, a company responsible for inspections and maintenance could have sent an unsafe truck out on the road.
Entities ultimately most commonly found to be at fault for 18-wheeler accidents (other than truckers themselves) include:
Truck crash cases are complex, but they are often made even more complicated by the tractor-trailer operator’s employer, the trucking company, or their insurer. Commercial truck accidents are costly to the motor carrier.
Victims of a large truck accident often need to seek compensation for life-altering injuries by filing a personal injury case. Many for-profit trucking companies are willing to do whatever it takes—no matter how illegal or dishonest—to shield themselves from liability, avoid a financial payout, and keep their records clean from an incident proving company negligence.
It is nearly impossible for an individual to win the compensation they deserve without an experienced attorney by their side. Going up against a negligent trucking company while dealing with serious injuries can be an insurmountable challenge for many. That’s why our firm’s truck accident lawyers make sure there is no obstacle to justice.
We have the experience needed to gather and analyze evidence, such as the following, needed to prove and win your case:
When you work with us at Thomas Law Offices, you can rest comfortably, knowing that your lawyer will do the hard work so that you can focus on what’s most important in your life.
Kentucky truck accident victims file insurance claims or injury lawsuits in an attempt to secure a financial recovery. Depending on the repercussions of your collision, you may be entitled to:
This category includes tangible losses you have, like:
Large commercial trucks have the capacity to cause immense physical damage to accident victims. The economic damages recovered following trucking accidents are often much more substantial than those only involving passenger vehicles.
Not every loss comes with a bill. Some of the most substantial losses suffered by those injured in truck accidents are known as noneconomic damages—the less tangible ways your life is altered by a severe injury.
Noneconomic damages may include:
Economic and noneconomic damages are known as compensatory damages because they seek to compensate the victim for what was taken from them. Punitive damages, on the other hand, aim to punish the defendant for deliberately harmful or grossly negligent behavior. Punitive damages may apply in trucking accidents that involve drunk driving, for example.
During your free case evaluation with us at Thomas Law Offices, you can expect the truck accident attorney you meet with to discuss all the ways your life was impacted by your collision with you. We will make sure you obtain maximum compensation to cover all current and future losses. If applicable, we will also pursue punitive damages on your behalf.
Each Louisville truck accident lawyer on our team knows the cost of a catastrophic truck accident. A full and fair settlement is often the only way victims have to get their lives back on track after the devastation caused by trucking negligence. As truck accident attorneys, we make a promise to devote the time and effort needed to fully value your claim.
The legal action we take together can demonstrate to negligent trucking companies that dangerous practices won’t be tolerated. Through obtaining justice for you, we also work to make the roads safer for all Kentucky residents.
As with all traffic accidents, it’s important to contact a lawyer as quickly as possible after your 18-wheeler collision. This ensures that evidence is properly preserved in case it is needed at a later date. Evidence at the scene, including skid marks and road scuffs, begin to disappear mere hours after an accident occurs once the police barriers are removed. This means that securing photographs or video evidence must be done right away.
Additionally, U.S. trucking companies are not usually forced to keep records and evidence for longer than a certain period of time after a trucking accident. As such, a trucking company may be quick to dispose of any evidence and documentation in order to avoid possible lawsuits. Having a truck accident lawyer experienced in quickly securing evidence and documentation can greatly impact the outcome of your case.
With Thomas Law Offices on your side, you can rest assured knowing that we will do everything in our power to help you and your family through this difficult time. Although our law firm is based in Louisville, Kentucky, we handle cases across the entire state of Kentucky.
Any Louisville truck accident lawyer can assist you every step of the way—from case and insurance claim filing to evidence preparation, courtroom preparation, and during the litigation process. Time is of the essence. Don’t wait to receive the assistance you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation right away.
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