Given the size and force of a collision involving an 18-wheeler, the risk of severe injury or death is significant and is all too common on highways in Mississippi and Alabama. Thousands of these crashes occur nationwide each year, and the likelihood of wrecks occurring is only increased by the heavy loads 18-wheelers carry, and the difficulty of stopping 18-wheelers at a moment’s notice.
What Are The Risk Factors Involved In Truck Accidents?
Drivers of 18-wheelers are often operating on little or no sleep for long periods of time in order to reach their destination on time, and their fatigue can cause crashes. The risk of a crash is further increased when trucking companies decide to cut costs on safety measures required by law and fail to properly maintain their vehicles, to increase a company’s profits at the expense of human life.
Another crucial difference between crashes involving 18-wheelers and typical car accidents is that in the case of a tractor-trailer crash, the company that owns the 18-wheeler can be implicated, as well. For this reason, make sure to gather important information, such as the company the 18-wheeler belongs to, the name of the driver, and other information that will allow an attorney to properly identify the responsible parties. Ultimately, if the driver is unable to pay the costs of a judgment, the company that owns the truck, and in some cases the manufacturer of the truck, may be forced to compensate you for your injuries.
Above all, when a crash with an 18-wheeler occurs that causes serious harm to you or to your loved ones, locating and retaining an experienced lawyer qualified to handle cases like these is crucial to getting you results.
We Have Experience Taking Trucking Companies To Court
Attorney Kasie Braswell achieved one of the largest verdicts to ever be awarded against a trucking company on the Mississippi Coast. She also achieved an unheard-of arbitration award against a trucking company (over $2.3 million) in a case where a Mobile, Alabama man was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler on a Mississippi interstate.
If you have been involved in a crash with an 18-wheeler or a commercial truck, time is of the essence. Most trucking companies dispatch lawyers, investigators and other members of their “cleanup crew” as soon as they are notified of a crash. Trucking company lawyers and investigators often arrive at crash scenes before the injured people are even out of the hospital. That is why it is very important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible – you need to ensure that your rights — and the evidence — are protected.
If you have been involved in a crash with an 18-wheeler or a commercial truck, please contact Braswell Murphy as soon as possible at 251-225-4811. If the crash occurs after hours or over the weekend, our attorneys welcome calls to their cell phone at 251-225-4811 (Kasie Braswell) or 251-689-7972 (Brian Murphy). Don’t wait to contact a lawyer – you can bet the trucking company already has.
