Hammond Truck Accident Lawyer
All it takes to cause a catastrophic Hammond truck accident is one inattentive truck driver, a trucking company with lax hiring practices, a manufacturer relying on shoddy materials to produce parts, a cargo loader in too much of a hurry to properly secure the freight, or a truck owner who doesn’t maintain their fleet. In a semi-truck collision, other road users may be subject to the full force of a vehicle more than 20 times heavier bearing down on them.
After a Hammond, Indiana truck accident, survivors often emerge with injuries that disrupt, or even irreparably damage, their lives. At Lerner and Rowe, we believe that you should not have to pay the price for a negligent truck driver’s actions or the carelessness of a third party. We encourage you to take advantage of our seasoned legal knowledge in a free consultation. This can be scheduled with our team by giving us a call at 219-999-0122 or completing a free online case review today.
Why You Should Choose Lerner and Rowe to Represent Your Truck Accident Lawsuit
The personal injury lawyers of Lerner and Rowe are the formidable legal team you want negotiating your Indiana truck accident lawsuit because we are not intimidated by the idea of facing a powerful insurance company to demand the compensation our clients deserve. Indiana clients who were injured in rear-end truck accidents on Calumet, lost-load collisions on I-90, or T-bone truck accidents at 165th and Indianapolis Boulevard can turn to our team to secure a fair settlement for their damages.
At Lerner and Rowe, we set high expectations for our team in terms of the quality of service we provide and the results we achieve. As a client of Lerner and Rowe, you will receive the full benefits of our skills and knowledge. Our comprehensive services include collecting depositions and evidence for discovery, documenting your damages, creating a convincing case for the defendant’s liability, managing administrative responsibilities, and negotiating with the defendant’s legal team to maximize your compensation for your Hammond truck accident lawsuit.
Understanding Hammond, Indiana Truck Crashes
The city of Hammond, Indiana is adjacent to Chicago, but it is located in Lake County like its neighbor Gary. With a population of 76,575, Hammond is currently the largest city in Lake County. In terms of trucking, Hammond’s industrial nature, the presence of multiple expressways, and the proximity of I-90 contribute to the increased number of large trucks on Hammond roads.
Manufacturers, railroad companies, and major retailers like Walmart are some of the largest Hammond employers. Companies like these require regular large truck deliveries for goods and materials to sustain their business, which in turn increases local truck traffic. The convenience of major interstates like I-90 and expressways like I-84 provides truckers with additional incentives to travel through Hammond. Unfortunately, this increases the likelihood that they will be involved in a Hammond traffic collision.
On a state level, large trucks were involved in 12,841 crashes in 2020. Large truck accidents account for the vast majority of Indiana’s 134 fatal commercial vehicle accidents that year. Contrary to national trends, large truck accidents in Indiana were more likely to occur on interstates, state routes, and other highways as opposed to local roads. Given that Hammond is crossed by numerous highways, local drivers should be aware of the risk of a serious truck accident.
Common Causes of Hammond, Indiana Truck Accidents
Truck drivers are entrusted with transporting goods, raw materials, and other freight in a vehicle that is not conducive to tight turns, quick stops, or visibility for the driver. Although long hours in isolation can make this task even more challenging, Indiana truck drivers are still held to a high standard. A Hammond truck driver cannot afford to take their eyes off the road to glance at an incoming text, use both hands to eat a sandwich, cut a slow driver off, be impaired by alcohol, or start dozing off.
By the time they redirect their full attention to the road, they may not have enough time to react or space to stop behind the car in front of them, avoid turning into a motorcycle despite having a red light, or swerve away from a vehicle in their blind spot while merging. In a moment like that, a truck driver needs to be able to rely on their training and that they are operating a fully functioning truck with carefully secured cargo.
Unfortunately, if a third party has been negligent in their responsibilities, a collision may become unavoidable or compounded. In some cases, the actions of a careless third party, such as a truck parts manufacturer who designed defective products, can cause an Indiana truck accident in the first place. In Hammond, Indiana, potential causes of truck accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Texting and driving
- Rubbernecking
- Reckless maneuvering
- Unsafe lane changes
- Excessively wide turns
- Aggressive driving
- Ignoring traffic laws
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Drowsy driving
- Mechanical failures
- Road rage
- Poor road maintenance
- Drunk driving
- Running red lights and stop signs
Hammond Truck Accidents Can Result in Debilitating Injuries
In a Hammond truck accident, you can be injured by the sudden jerking of the vehicle, being slammed against a hard surface like the dashboard, getting struck with debris such as glass, or being crushed by the truck. Given this, it is common for truck accident survivors to sustain extensive bodily harm that can render them unable to move, feel, process, speak, or generally function normally for some time after the truck crash. Typical injuries in an Indiana truck accident can include:
- Spinal cord injury
- Nerve damage
- Whiplash injury
- Disfigurement
- Soft tissue injury
- Fractured or broken bones
- Crush injury
- Amputations
- Deep lacerations
- Traumatic brain injury
- Contusions
- Severe burns
- Dental injuries
- Facial injuries
As compared to car accident injuries, truck accident injuries are usually considerably more severe, and should be treated as such. Just like after a car accident, you need to seek medical attention as soon as you can to make sure that any necessary treatment is administered and nothing is missed. Internal injuries, which can escalate quickly and cause irreparable harm, are more likely to be overlooked in favor of more obvious injuries.
Forgoing prompt medical care can also have a detrimental impact on any future personal injury claim you may want to make. Insurance companies look for inconsistencies, such as claiming extensive damages yet delaying medical care for injuries that were supposedly severe enough to produce the aforementioned damages. Don’t give them an easy excuse to reduce or dismiss your claim.
What Damages Are Available in a Hammond Truck Accident Lawsuit
In civil claims, the negligent party is held accountable for the harm they caused by being compelled to financially reimburse the injured party for the value of what they have lost as a result of the negligence. It is the responsibility of the plaintiff to detail and quantify these damages, with the help of their personal injury attorney. The top priority for most plaintiffs is to triage their monetary losses related to their truck accident injuries, which can be claimed as economic damages. The secondary focus is usually non-economic damages, or immaterial and emotional costs.
Economic damages are usually validated and quantified with receipts. In the case of economic damages like loss of future earnings, it may be necessary to engage an expert witness like an economist to supplement documentation like pay stubs to forecast potential lost income. Non-economic damages may require more creative approaches to establish a monetary value, as they are subjective in nature. Compensatory damages in a Hammond truck accident lawsuit may include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Car repairs or replacement
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
- Wrongful death
Why You Need a Hammond Truck Accident Attorney
Trying to negotiate an Indiana truck accident lawsuit without any prior knowledge of the personal injury claims process is effectively risking your opportunity to recover fair compensation. A high level of legal knowledge is required to navigate the personal injury claims process, let alone the negotiating skills needed to maximize compensation for damages in a truck accident claim.
This skill set can be found in a personal injury lawyer who specializes in truck accident claims. Truck accident claims differ from the average Indiana personal injury claim in that there are more potentially liable parties, which in turn demands an extra degree of keen investigative skills, a persuasive communication style, and knowledge of key legal concepts like the burden of proof. It is important to hire a personal injury attorney who can provide evidence of their previous successful settlements for truck accidents, specifically.
When you are facing the insurance company’s legal team across a negotiating table you want to feel confident that your position will be eloquently and effectively represented by a capable professional, which is what a Hammond truck accident lawyer can offer. Don’t let cost be a barrier to seeking qualified help, as personal injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, so you are not responsible for any costs until after they successfully settle your truck accident claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hammond, Indiana Truck Accident Claims
How long do I have to file an Indiana truck accident lawsuit to recover compensation?
Truck accident lawsuits are considered personal injury claims, as they are founded on an accusation of negligence with the goal of recovering financial compensation. As a type of personal injury claim, it is subject to the same statute of limitations as other forms of personal injury claims like car accident lawsuits. In Indiana, an injured party has a limited amount of time to file a personal injury lawsuit, or else they may no longer be entitled to seek compensation for their damages.
Are lost-load truck accidents dangerous?
Lost-load truck accidents pose a significant threat to road user safety. First of all, the lost cargo can create debris in the roadway that forces other motorists to swerve around. Second, the cargo itself may be dangerous in its own right, such as flammable or toxic chemicals. Finally, destabilized cargo can make the truck driver lose control of their vehicle, which can cause them to roll over, rear-end the traffic in front of them, jackknife and block the road, or swerve into oncoming traffic.
How long will it take my personal injury attorney to settle my Hammond truck accident lawsuit?
In a typical personal injury claim, a settlement would be reached in about 6 to 18 months. However, it is often the case that truck accident claims fall on the higher end of that range, or take even longer to settle. Your personal injury lawyer must establish who is liable, or legally responsible, for your damages, which can be a messy issue in a truck accident case and may involve multiple potential culprits.
It also takes time to identify, quantify, prove, and negotiate compensation for damages, which tend to be more significant in truck accident claims. There is also the risk of an insurance company engaging in considerable resistance to avoid paying out a large settlement, which can stall negotiations.
Contact the Hammond Truck Accident Attorneys of Lerner and Rowe
Your truck accident injury may be preventing you from working, paying your bills, completing daily tasks without assistance or pain, and enjoying your life. These costs deserve to be acknowledged and fairly compensated in a personal injury lawsuit, which our team of experienced truck accident lawyers at Lerner and Rowe is more than qualified to help you pursue.
As your personal injury attorneys, we will champion your Hammond truck accident injury lawsuit in negotiations. Our team will unapologetically protect your right to seek compensation for your damages, work meticulously to ensure liability is appropriately allocated, and document your damages to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation possible.
We understand that the financial losses you have suffered, as well as the physical and emotional toll of your truck accident injuries, can create significant stress. The Hammond personal injury attorneys of Lerner and Rowe are prepared to take the lead on your behalf to secure a fair settlement. To reach our highly skilled team of Indiana truck accident lawyers and schedule a free consultation, give us a call at 219-999-0122 or complete a free online case review today.