When an 18 Wheeler jackknifes or rollovers the damage can be catastrophic due to the size of the 18 wheeler. In a jackknife truck accident, the trailer slides out to one side, and the truck and trailer fold into themselves. They take the “V” shaped form of a pocket knife that’s partially closed. The jackknifed truck and trailer now take up all lanes of traffic in their direction of travel with the trailer sliding sideways. In an 18 wheeler rollover accident, the tractor trailer will rollover, usually they are traveling at a high rate of speed and they make a sharp turn to avoid a collision and the truck will rollover. Both types of accidents can cause substantial property damage, injuries and even death. In addition to the likelihood of injuries, we generally see multiple vehicles being involved in the accident. The complexity of these types of cases require the legal knowledge of an experienced truck accident attorney. A truck accident attorney will be able to assist you in dealing with all aspects of a jackknife truck accident and rollover truck accident, such as difficult insurance companies, recovering medical expenses and property damage expenses and also determining the liability of the commercial trucking company. The Law Offices of David Kohm have Dallas-Fort Worth truck accidents attorneys who are ready to assist you in dealing with these types of trucking accidents.
Some Causes of Jackknifing and Rollover Accidents
There are a variety of reasons why a truck and trailer might jackknife or rollover. Here are some of the more common ones:
- Poor Brake Adjustment and Maintenance: This can cause a rear axle to lock before a front axle locks during hard braking. The truck then drags the trailer, and with its brakes locked, the trailer might swing out to the side.
- Sharp Turns and Curves: Couple a curve with a quick evasive maneuver at a high speed, and the trailer can swing and jackknife or rollover.
- Wet or Frozen Roads: The loss of traction can cause both the truck and trailer to slip and slide.
- Driver Inexperience: The lack of extensive experience increases the likelihood of a driver improperly responding to a danger on the roadway and jackknifing or rolling over.
Filing an Injury Claim
A jackknifed or rolled over truck can result in permanent and debilitating injuries to the drivers or passengers of any vehicles that it crashes into. Victims are physically, financially and emotionally devastated. They’re in no condition to pursue a personal injury claim on their own without the benefit of an experienced and effective truck accident attorney. The complexity of these cases makes it very difficult for an individual to know what they should do without the assistance of a truck accident attorney.
How Insurance Companies Make Money
Like any other business or industry, insurance companies operate to make money. They make that money by charging premiums. When customers pay those premiums, their money is banked, and it’s then invested to make even more money. When claims arise, insurance companies will do whatever they can to either pay as little as possible on the claim or even nothing at all by denying it in its entirety. That business plan operates to keep a healthy bottom line and happy shareholders. An experienced truck accident attorney understands the tricks that difficult insurance companies play and will be able to navigate these waters and most likely obtain a larger settle for the injured party.
Semi-Trailer Claims
Given the fact that semi-trailers can be more than 70 feet long and weigh up to 80,000 pounds, their weight and size can cause severe and permanent injuries in the event of a crash. Insurers know that they face significant financial exposure in large truck crashes. If an unrepresented injury victim makes a claim, an insurer has that victim right where it wants him or her. It will lull the victim into a false sense of security, and the victim will unknowingly make costly mistakes along the way. Those mistakes will be used against him or her in settlement negotiations or even in a trial. That claim is likely to be significantly devalued. By retaining the services of an experienced truck accident attorney you can most likely avoid these types of mis-steps.
Our Objective
The only way to file a truck accident personal injury claim is to place it in the hands of a knowledgeable, experienced, aggressive and respected Dallas-Fort Worth truck accident attorney here at the Law Offices of David Kohm. Not only are you preserving and protecting your rights by doing so, but you’re protecting the value of your claim too. Our objective is to maximize any proceeds that you might derive from a settlement or award.
Let Us Control Your claim
Don’t give control of your claim to the opposing insurer by cooperating with it. You’ll only be helping it build its case against you for the future. Invoke and protect your right to maximum compensation for your injuries by contacting our Dallas-Fort Worth truck accident attorney here at the Law Offices of David Kohm right away.
Call our law offices today at any of our convenient locations to arrange for a free consultation.
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