Truck Accidents

Hire A Columbus Truck Accident Lawyer To Demand The Money You Deserve

No matter how carefully you drive or how closely you follow the rules of the road, your 4,000-pound passenger vehicle is no match for a fully loaded, 80,000-pound tractor-trailer. You, your passengers and your vehicle are going to get the worst in any collision. Aside from seat belts, air bags and luck, you have little protection. But you can protect your rights - particularly in the case of an accident caused by an impaired truck driver - by hiring truck accident attorney Scott Elliot Smith of the Smith Law Office to handle your case.

Columbus truck accident attorney Scott Elliot Smith has the experience and resources you need to take on the trucking companies in Ohio. He’s fought them successfully over and over again, including a historic $10.9 million verdict in a crash involving a frozen food truck. If a trucking company is responsible for your injuries, you need his advocacy on your side.

Considering the circumstances of any car vs. truck accident, the injuries suffered by you and your loved ones could be devastating, requiring a long, difficult and expensive series of treatments and therapy. If you are the breadwinner in your family, the pressure becomes even greater for you to pursue every legal avenue open to your disposal to seek a fair financial settlement. Scott Elliot Smith has more than three decades of experience in handling Columbus personal injury accidents. He is familiar with the various causes of truck accidents and understands how to investigate truck accidents. He knows you are entitled to compensation for hospitalization and other medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost wages, disfigurement or physical therapy.

Click here to read our attorneys’ in-depth legal analysis of a truck accident scenario.

Why do truck accidents happen in Ohio?

Accidents caused by commercial truck drivers often occur because the driver behaved in a negligent or reckless manner. But unlike other motor vehicle accidents, the driver might not be the only at-fault party. Sometimes, negligent trucking companies are to blame.

Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:

Speeding truckers going too fast, especially on highways like I-70 or I-71 in Columbus.
Inexperienced drivers who lose control of the truck, especially in bad weather or while trying to round a sharp curve or highway exit ramp.
Reckless truck driver who take unnecessary risks on the road, including changing lanes without warning, tailgating or driving too close to other vehicles on congested highways like the Jack Nicklaus Freeway (I-270), I-670 or other busy interstates in Ohio.
Tired truck drivers who fall asleep at the wheel, especially long-haul truckers driving late at night on highways in Ohio.
Distracted truck drivers not paying attention on the road, whether it’s texting while (which is against the law for commercial truckers), eating while driving, talking to a dispatcher or looking up directions.
Impaired truck drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Negligent trucking companies that knowingly hire an inexperienced or reckless truck driver.
Trucking companies that fail to properly maintain their trucks, resulting in a crash caused by defective brakes, bald tires or mechanical problems.
Improperly loaded or overloaded trucks, especially in cases involving tractor-trailer rollover accidents.

These are just some of the reasons why crashes happen involving tractor-trailers, delivery trucks and other large commercial vehicles. Whatever the cause of your crash, make sure you take your accident seriously right from the start. Make sure you talk to a lawyer right away.

Should I file a truck accident lawsuit?

If you’re trying to decide whether to file a lawsuit after a crash caused by a commercial truck driver, it’s important to understand how Ohio’s insurance system works. The state has an at-fault system. This means the at-fault party must pay for the injury victim’s accident-related expenses. As a result, you should be financially compensated for your medical bills, vehicle repairs and replacement income while your recover from your injury.

But actually getting the money you rightfully deserve can be much more complicated than you might expect. Sometimes, the at-fault party or their insurance company will do everything they can to deny your accident claim. When this happens, filing a truck accident lawsuit might be the best way to demand the compensation you deserve. An attorney can explain your options and help you find the right way forward.

Who can I sue if I’m injured in a truck accident?

As in other motor vehicle accidents in Ohio, the at-fault party must pay for your accident-related expenses if they’re found liable (legal term for responsible) for causing your truck accident. The liable party is also the one you can sue if you’re seeking financial compensation for your crash by filing a lawsuit.

Who’s at fault – and who you can sue – can cover a wide range when it comes to commercial truck accidents. This may include:

The truck driver who caused your crash.
The trucking company, especially if there’s evidence of negligence.
The company that manufactured the truck, if the truck manufacturer is found liable.
The company that manufactured any truck part which contributed to your crash, including defective brakes, defective tires (tire blowout) or another defective car part.
The company that owns the cab or the trailer.
The company that loaded the truck, especially in cases involving an improperly loaded tractor-trailer that rolls over or causes a jackknife accident.

Depending on the circumstances of your crash, you might be able to take legal action against one or more of these companies. This is why it’s important to talk with an experienced attorney familiar with handling truck accident lawsuits in Columbus and throughout Ohio as soon as possible.

How much is my truck accident claim worth?

The bottom line is you should be financially compensated for all your accident-related expenses. As a result, the value of your claim will depend on how much money you need to pay for all your injury-related expenses. Such bills can easily add up to thousands of dollars or significantly more.

But what you might not realize is you can – and should – be compensated for expenses related to your truck accident years from now. Such expenses can include:

Vehicle repair or replacement costs
Emergency medical care
Surgical procedures
Follow-up doctor’s appointments
Physical therapy
Replacement income if you cannot work while you’re recovering from a serious injury.
Lost future income if you cannot return to work due to a permanent disability.

You didn’t do anything wrong. You shouldn’t have to pay for a truck driver’s reckless or negligent behavior. Demand the money you deserve. Talk to a lawyer at our Columbus law firm to learn about your legal rights.

When Truckers Ignore Their Responsibilities, Make Them Pay Attention By Hiring An Aggressive Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck drivers have a special obligation to their fellow motorists. Unfortunately, they sometimes put the job of meeting their deadlines ahead of safety. In many cases, drivers are pressured by their employers who may be liable in accidents. The truckers speed. They drive with too little sleep. To battle fatigue, they take drugs that may impair their judgment and reflexes. To make more money, they drive overloaded trucks. They may not have the proper licensing or training to drive a particular rig or to transport a particular cargo. Under any of these scenarios, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, your life will be at risk when a trucker loses control of their vehicle. Scott Elliot Smith will work aggressively to help you regain control of your life by exploring all of your legal options for compensation.

Trucking companies, too, have an obligation to put safety first, both for their employees and for other motorists. Unfortunately, too many of these companies fail to meet that responsibility. They hire unqualified and untrained drivers. They set unrealistic delivery schedules that force truckers to break the speed limit or work through mandatory rest breaks. And when their negligence causes people to be seriously injured and killed, they fight tooth and nail to avoid paying compensation - with entire teams of adjusters, investigators and attorneys on their side.

Scott Elliot Smith has the experience and resources needed to take on the trucking companies. He's fought them successfully over and over again, including a historic $10.9 million verdict in a crash involving a frozen food truck. If a trucking company is responsible for your injuries, you need his advocacy on your side.

Who investigates truck accidents?

Commercial truck accidents can be very different than other motor vehicle accidents. This is especially true when it comes to who investigates these accidents. Part of it has to do with the different rules and regulations that apply to commercial truck accidents.

In particular, there are specific federal laws that only apply to drivers with the commercial driver’s license (CDL). Many of these laws can be found in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Such laws place strict limits on drivers with a CDL, including:

Mandatory breaks from driving.
Required safety training for drivers.
Inspection requirements for all vehicles.
Mandatory recording keeping, including Hours of Service (HOS) logs.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces these laws. And if driver with a CDL causes a serious accident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will likely investigate the crash, along with state and local police.

Why should I hire a lawyer?

You might think you don’t need an attorney if a commercial truck driver clearly caused your crash. This is especially true if the NTSB, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and local police are investigating your crash.

But it’s important to understand that their investigations are only focused on determining why your accident happened and who was at fault. They are not concerned with whether you’re fairly compensated for your accident-related expenses.

That’s your lawyer’s job. That’s why it’s critical that you have an experienced attorney on your side. Your lawyer can conduct an in-depth independent investigation about your crash. Their goal should be to find evidence in support of your case and to demand the maximum financial compensation you deserve.

Contact Scott Elliot Smith Today To Protect Your Rights

Insurance carriers and trucking companies have lawyers looking out for their best interests. You need an experienced attorney who will look out for you. If you've been injured in a truck accident, it's important to learn about your legal options and get answers to your questions.

Ohio truck accidents can be complicated. The driver, the trucking company, the truck manufacturer, the owner of the cargo and each of their insurance companies has different interests that they are working to protect. You can protect yourself by calling Columbus truck accident lawyer Scott Elliot Smith for a free consultation at 614-874-1056 or by contacting us online. We work on a contingency fee basis. In other words, we don't collect a penny from you in fees until we win a financial settlement in your case. You have nothing to lose by calling an experienced truck accident lawyer today.