A truck accident can leave victims with catastrophic injuries and lifelong consequences. If you are in an accident with a commercial truck, you may be in for a long frustrating time trying to get compensation for your injuries. A qualified Fort Collins personal injury attorney can help you file your claim and get the compensation due to you.
If you have been injured, the Fort Collins truck accident attorneys at Dulin McQuinn Young can fight for you. For more information about your rights and how we can help you, contact us today for a free consultation.
How Our Fort Collins Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help
At Dulin McQuinn Young, we are passionate about helping people get the justice they deserve. The truck companies have a team of legal professionals working for them. You need a team of qualified truck accident lawyers in Fort Collins who understand the law and have experience holding liable truck companies accountable for the damages they cause.
Some things you should know about us include:
- Our firm was built by trial lawyers who embody the will to win. We have been fighting for our clients for over 20 years.
- Our proven track record in the courtroom and record trial recoveries on behalf of injured clients set us apart.
When you hire our experienced truck accident lawyers, you know that you are in capable hands. We handle every aspect of your case, including:
- Case assessment – We get started by meeting with you to discuss the details of your case and identify your legal rights and options for pursuing compensation after a serious truck accident has injured you.
- Investigation – Our team launches a rapid-response investigation in which we go to the scene of the accident, photograph it, and begin gathering details to identify how the crash happened and who is responsible. In some cases, we hire accident reconstruction experts who use objective scientific data to create visual representations of how the accident occurred.
- Evidence preservation – We can send spoliation of evidence letters to ensure valuable evidence is not lost or destroyed and request critical evidence, such as event data recorders and electronic logging devices, that can help prove your legal claim.
- Claim management – We prepare your claim paperwork and handle all communications with insurance companies so you can focus on your health.
- Damages assessment – We meticulously build your claim by gathering evidence to show all the ways the accident has negatively affected your life. This process sometimes involves working with medical experts, economists, or vocational rehabilitation specialists to fully understand the long-term impact the injuries will have on your life.
- Negotiations – We pursue maximum compensation and aggressively negotiate for it.
- Litigation – If your case must go to trial, our seasoned trial attorneys handle every aspect of the legal process, including discovery, mediation, negotiation, and trial preparation.
Let the Fort Collins truck accident lawyers at Dulin McQuinn Young fight to get you compensation while you focus on your recovery. Call (303) 246-1111 today to schedule your free consultation.
What Makes Truck Accident Cases Unique?
Truck accident cases are often more complex than traditional car accident cases because they involve complex issues involving:
- Liability – Multiple parties could be responsible for an accident. In some cases, parties assume liability due to language in a contract or have an agency relationship with others that can impact who is legally responsible for the crash.
- State and federal regulations – Truck drivers or companies could violate rules that do not apply to traditional motor vehicle accident claims, such as hours of service or load securement rules. These violations can make them responsible for a crash that happens due to the violations.
- Extensive damages – Because commercial trucks are so much larger than passenger vehicles, occupants in the latter tend to suffer serious injuries.
Common Injuries from Truck Accidents in Fort Collins
Truck accidents often result in serious bodily injury. Trucks are approximately 20 to 30 times heavier than passenger vehicles and because of the size differential between passenger vehicles and trucks, a crash with a truck can result in very extensive damages. Serious bodily injury is any injury that involves a substantial risk of death, permanent disfigurement, loss or impairment of the function of any part of the body, or second or third-degree burns.
Truck accidents can also result in death. Some of the common injuries sustained in truck accidents include:
- Neck and back injuries
- Broken bones and lacerations
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Amputations
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
Whether you have suffered an injury or lost a loved one in a truck accident caused by another person’s negligence, you need a skilled Fort Collins truck accident lawyer who can protect your interests and help you recover financial compensation for the damages you suffer.
Common Causes of Fort Collins Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can be caused by many different circumstances including:
- Reckless driving
- Improperly maintained truck and equipment
- Overloaded truck
- Inexperienced drivers
- Truck driver fatigue
- Inattentive driving around trucks
- Weather conditions
- Poorly maintained roads
While many truck accidents are caused by driver and truck company negligence, not all causes of truck accidents are actionable. Your Fort Collins truck accident attorney has the resources to determine the cause of the truck accident and identify the party legally responsible for your injury.
Who Is Responsible for My Accident?
As noted previously, various parties can be liable for a truck accident. Being able to name multiple defendants in your case may help you maximize compensation. Our experienced Fort Collins truck accident attorneys can conduct a meticulous investigation to determine all the factors that contributed to the accident and identify all the parties whose negligence was at play.
Responsible parties could include:
- Truck drivers – Truck drivers are responsible for following the rules of the road, adhering to state and federal trucking regulations, and taking action to avoid collisions with other motorists. When they violate these rules, you may be able to file a legal claim against them for the damages you’ve sustained.
- Employers – Trucking companies that hire truck drivers assume responsibility for accidents their employees cause through the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds employers responsible for injuries caused by their negligent employees. Since many trucking companies tried to evade liability by hiring independent contractors rather than employees, rules by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have been updated to hold companies responsible even when the driver was an independent contractor when they operate interstate.
- Truck or trailer owners – Many truck drivers lease or borrow trucks from owners, or the trailer may be owned by a separate entity. If the accident was due to mechanical failure, poor maintenance, or defects, the owner of the rig or trailer may be responsible for the resulting accident.
- Shippers – Third parties may load and secure cargo into the trailer. If the accident involves loads that were not properly secured or the load shifts during transit, these third-party shippers may be responsible for the accident.
- Maintenance contractors – Many trucking companies outsource maintenance to a third-party maintenance contractor. If this contractor performs negligent repairs or overlooks mechanical issues, they may be responsible for your damages if these factors played a part in the accident.
- Manufacturers – If a manufacturing defect caused the accident, the manufacturer could be responsible for your injuries.
What Financial Compensation Can I Recover in a Truck Accident Claim?
Colorado generally divides damages that an accident victim can recover into two categories: economic damages and general damages. Economic damages have a specific, quantifiable value. For example, it’s common for many truck accident victims to suffer serious injuries that require extensive medical treatment. Accident victims can recover compensation through a personal injury claim to make up for these unexpected financial losses.
Economic damages that are often awarded in the cases we take to trial or settle for top value include:
- Medical bills for treatment related to the accident
- Costs for ongoing medical treatment, including rehabilitation, therapy, and in-home care
- Future medical expenses
- Medical devices and medication
- Medical transportation costs
- Lost income
- Reductions in future earning capacity
- Replacement costs for household services the injured individual would have otherwise performed
- Property damage
Accident victims also have the right to recover compensation for general damages. These damages are assumed under the law and do not require a receipt or other documentation to quantify. However, damages for such losses are capped by Colorado law. General damages can compensate for losses such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Permanent disabilities or impairments
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
In some cases, accident victims can recover compensation for exemplary (punitive) damages if they can show the defendant’s malice, fraud, or wanton conduct caused their injuries.
What Is the Deadline to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Colorado?
Statutes of limitations set timelines for taking certain types of legal action, including the filing of a personal injury lawsuit. If you are unable to settle your case with the trucking company or other negligent party, you have up to three years to file a lawsuit in Colorado.
However, this timeline is shorter in some situations – such as if the defendant is a government agency – and valuable evidence can be easily lost and destroyed if an independent investigation team does not preserve it. For these reasons, you should contact an experienced Fort Collins truck accident lawyer immediately.
Get Help From a Fort Collins Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If you have suffered injury or lost a loved one in a truck accident caused by another person’s negligence or wrongdoing, the Fort Collins truck accident attorneys at Dulin McQuinn Young will fight to get you justice. We will handle your case from investigation to recovery. We will work diligently to secure the best possible outcome in your case.
Contact us today at (303) 246-1111 for a free consultation with one of our experienced truck accident lawyers in Fort Collins.