Truck accidents are often more devastating than collisions between passenger cars, leaving victims with bad injuries that deservedly take much of their time and attention. As you prioritize your health, we can focus on your financial recovery by filing a lawsuit against the appropriate parties.
We can get the witness statements necessary to strengthen your lawsuit as soon as possible by immediately contacting eyewitnesses to set up interviews. Experts in accident reconstruction can corroborate the sequence of events we present in your case after analyzing vehicle black box data, property damage, and other photographic evidence, potentially leading to court testimony if lawsuits go to trial. Before that happens, we must file complaints, which will name the liable party or parties and request relief for damages. Filing must take place within three years of your injury, which we can ensure when handling your case in Frostburg.
Get a free case review from our truck accident lawyers when you call Rice Law today at (410) 694-7291.
Getting the Witness Statements Necessary for a Frostburg, MD Truck Accident Lawsuit
Having witness statements to support your case might be the leverage you need to get a fair out-of-court settlement or the evidence necessary to prove liability in court. Our attorneys can identify eyewitnesses present at the scene and experts who can lend their expertise and knowledge to your case, such as regarding accident reconstruction.
Eyewitnesses
First, we will begin identifying eyewitnesses. Doing this as quickly as possible is paramount. If you talked to witnesses before leaving the scene, give our truck accident lawyers any information you obtained from them, like their names or phone numbers. If not, we may learn their contact details from the police crash report. Scheduling interviews right away will enable us to preserve eyewitnesses’ statements and recollections. Their memories can be particularly helpful in combatting pure contributory fault defenses from defendants. In Maryland, victims who are at all liable for their injuries are totally barred from seeking compensation for them. Eyewitnesses can corroborate our case, confirming that you weren’t acting negligently in any way when the at-fault truck driver struck you in Frostburg, such as by speeding or following too closely.
Expert Witnesses
We may then turn our attention toward identifying the appropriate experts for your lawsuit. Often, accident reconstruction experts are beneficial, even when collisions seem fairly straightforward. These experts can confirm a crash’s apparent cause based on the evidence left at the scene and from black box data from involved vehicles. Images of property damage can tell experts how fast each car was traveling, as well as which vehicle caused the impact. The more photos and videos experts have to analyze, the better, so always take detailed photos of your car and the other involved vehicle after an accident. In addition to the photos you took, we can get pictures from law enforcement or eyewitnesses and provide those to experts as well. Experts can present their findings in front of juries when cases go to court, and their statements can be used as leverage during settlement negotiations to get better offers from stubborn defendants.
Preparing Your Truck Accident Complaint in Frostburg, MD
While much goes into preparing truck accident lawsuits and writing complaints, we must first and foremost identify the liable party or parties in the petition. We will go on to request relief based on the economic and non-economic damages and then file your lawsuit in court before the statute of limitations ends.
Naming the Defendant or Defendants
Even though the truck driver was the one who operated their vehicle negligently and hit you, they might not be the only party named in your lawsuit. Suppose they were operating within the scope of their employment, meaning they were on the clock when they struck and injured you. In that case, you might be able to sue their employer as well, the trucking company. This could open the door to a greater recovery but could also come with challenges we can help you overcome.
Not all truck accidents are caused by operator negligence, and sometimes a vehicle defect will lead to a collision. Our attorneys may discover this after reviewing the truck’s black box data and the police report for the accident, in which case your claim may be against the part manufacturer, not the trucker or their employer. That is, unless the malfunction happened because the truck owner failed to properly maintain it and get the appropriate inspections, in which case they may be liable.
Requesting Relief
Requesting relief is one of the most crucial aspects of your truck accident complaint. While your actual recovery may be slightly different, the request for relief will be based on the actual damages you have incurred that we can prove through bills, documents, and testimony. We will not underplay your damages in requests for relief. We will spend the appropriate time tallying all medical expenses and lost wages. Furthermore, we can discuss your pain and suffering with you, involving mental health experts to help us quantify the intangible harms you have incurred because of your injuries.
Filing the Case
Once your complaint is prepared and we have organized a strong and compelling case, we can file it with the court. Generally, this must happen within three years of a truck crash, according to Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-101. Not filing within the allotted timeframe will block you from getting compensation, and we will ensure you submit your complaint on time so this does not happen. After the case is filed, settlement negotiations may commence, as might a trial, depending on each party’s willingness to negotiate. Our lawyers will prepare for either situation, though many truck accident lawsuits settle favorably out of court for plaintiffs.
Call Our Lawyers to Talk About Your Truck Accident in Frostburg, MD
Get help with your case from the truck accident lawyers of Rice Law by calling us today at (410) 694-7291.