Truck Accident Attorney In Hattiesburg
You need to hire a Hattiesburg truck accident lawyer right away if you have been injured in any accident involving a commercial truck. These cases are difficult not only due to the severity of the injuries they often cause, but also due to the complex legal disputes they can generate. An experienced attorney can be an invaluable asset to your case, and WaideLaw is ready to provide the legal counsel you need in this difficult situation.
Experienced Legal Counsel for Truck Accident Victims in Hattiesburg, MS
WaideLaw offers compassionate, results-driven, and responsive legal representation for a variety of accident cases in Hattiesburg, including commercial truck accident cases. Daniel Waide is a prominent figure in the local community, known for consistent involvement in local youth sports leagues and as the current executive committee chair for the employment law section of the Mississippi Bar.
Guided by faith, Daniel Waide strives to live the values described in Isaiah 1:17, fighting to seek justice for the oppressed and doing everything possible to maximize recovery for every client represented by WaideLaw. Whether you were hurt in a highway truck accident on I-59 or US-11, or your accident happened on a smaller local road, you need a legal advocate you trust to guide you to the fullest possible recovery.
Do not make the mistake of assuming you can handle your case by yourself, even if the fault for your accident seems perfectly obvious. The reality is that you could encounter a host of unexpected challenges as your case unfolds, and you need to hire a truck accident lawyer as quickly as possible after your accident to have a better chance of ensuring the fullest possible recovery.
Proving Liability for a Truck Accident in Hattiesburg
Accidents involving large commercial trucks are less common than passenger vehicle accidents, but when they do happen, they tend to result in devastating injuries and expensive economic losses to those involved. Your Hattiesburg truck accident lawyer can be a valuable asset when it comes to proving the cause of your accident and identifying the party or parties responsible for causing your damages.
According to the National Safety Council, there were 114,552 large trucks involved in crashes resulting in nonfatal injuries throughout the United States in 2023. That same year, 5,375 large trucks were involved in crashes resulting in fatalities. The vast majority of victims of truck accidents are occupants of smaller passenger vehicles.
It’s possible for truck accidents to happen for many of the same common causes as other vehicle accidents, such as speeding, distracted driving, and moving violations like improper lane changes or failure to yield. However, these accidents can also happen when truck drivers and/or their employers fail to follow trucking industry regulations.
For example, large trucks spend more time on the road than most other vehicles, meaning they have much greater maintenance requirements. Failure to ensure proper truck maintenance could potentially lead to an accident. Additionally, trucking companies and their drivers must follow hours of service rules set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and failure to do so could lead to fatigued driving accidents.
Failure to ensure balanced truck cargo can also lead to accidents, and special types of cargo, such as smaller vehicles, lumber, construction materials, and oversized loads, require specific security measures. The party responsible for addressing these issues could face liability if they are negligent and contribute to an accident. An experienced attorney can identify these issues to help you accurately establish liability for your accident.
Truck accidents can also happen because of illegal misconduct, like drinking and driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that about 3% of truck drivers responsible for causing fatal accidents in 2022 had blood-alcohol concentrations over the legal limit. A truck driver who causes an accident this way can face criminal charges and loss of their commercial driver’s license, along with civil liability for the damages they caused.
Your Hattiesburg truck accident lawyer can gather various forms of evidence to help you establish fault for the accident, such as documentation from the trucking company, vehicle maintenance records, police reports, cell phone data, GPS data, and testimony from any witnesses who saw the accident happen.
It’s possible for vicarious liability to apply to a trucking company or other employer if the facts show that the company shares fault for the actions of its employee. It is also possible for multiple parties to be found liable, in which case Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence law comes into effect, and each liable party will have a fault percentage assigned. Your truck accident attorney can explain whether this is a cause for concern for your case.
Recovering Compensation for Your Truck Accident in Hattiesburg
Under Mississippi’s at-fault rule for vehicle accidents, the party responsible for causing your truck accident is liable for all resulting damages. State law requires drivers to have auto insurance that meets minimum coverage requirements, and most truck drivers are covered by their employers’ commercial auto insurance policies.
While a commercial auto insurance policy may have greater coverage limits than what you might expect from a standard individual auto insurance policy, insurers will generally try everything they can to avoid paying out large settlements. You should expect the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier to look for ways to justify devaluing your claim as much as possible, or they may attempt to deny it outright.
Some insurance company representatives will attempt to use an injured claimant’s own words against them in their efforts to avoid paying out a settlement. Some will even engage in bad faith, hoping claimants will not know how to respond. It is vital to hire a truck accident lawyer before you attempt to negotiate any type of settlement with an insurance company. Your attorney can make sure they handle your claim in good faith and that you receive a fair settlement offer.
You may need to file a personal injury case to recover your losses. The plaintiff in a personal injury case must identify the defendant who caused their injury and prove the full scope of their damages. The plaintiff must also establish causation between the defendant’s negligence or misconduct and the damages cited in the claim. In other words, the plaintiff must prove the defendant is solely responsible for causing their claimed losses.
Your Hattiesburg truck accident lawyer at WaideLaw can potentially help you recover compensation for:
- Property damage, such as vehicle repair costs or the value of your vehicle if it was damaged beyond repair. You may also claim compensation for the value of any personal property lost in the accident.
- Medical expenses. Most personal injury cases pertain to physical injuries, and truck accidents can potentially cause devastating injuries that require extensive long-term care. The defendant is liable for your immediate and future medical treatment costs.
- Lost wages. If you cannot work while you recover from your injuries, the defendant is liable for the income you cannot earn during this time. Additionally, if your accident caused a permanent disability that diminishes your ability to work and earn an income, the defendant may also be liable for future income you are no longer able to earn.
- Pain and suffering. Mississippi law allows a personal injury plaintiff to claim financial compensation for the physical pain and emotional suffering a defendant caused, but there is a limit to how much a plaintiff can receive. Your truck accident attorney can help you maximize this aspect of your case award.
It is also possible for the plaintiff to receive additional punitive damages at the discretion of the court. For example, if the defendant caused the personal injury by breaking the law, such as by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the plaintiff may receive punitive damages alongside their claimed damages.
Resolving your truck accident case will be easier with an experienced attorney’s help. When you choose WaideLaw to represent you in this case, we can immediately begin gathering the evidence you will need to prove exactly how your accident happened. Trust us to resolve any disputes regarding liability, accurately calculate your claimable damages, and do everything we can to maximize your compensation as efficiently as possible.
In Mississippi, the standard of proof for a personal injury case is a preponderance of the evidence, meaning the plaintiff’s evidence must show that the defendant is likely responsible for causing the damages. Your Hattiesburg truck accident lawyer can be invaluable for the help they can provide in not only gathering the evidence needed for your case, but also for resolving the case swiftly.
Many personal injury cases in Hattiesburg are resolved through pretrial settlement negotiations. During the negotiation process, the plaintiff and defendant meet to try and reach a mutually agreeable resolution to their case. As long as both parties are willing to compromise, they may be able to resolve the case far more quickly than they could expect in litigation.
The team at WaideLaw can develop an individualized case strategy for you aimed at resolving your case quickly, but we are ready and willing to represent you in the courtroom if litigation is necessary for your case. You have limited time to gather the evidence needed to prove fault and file your personal injury case, so it’s vital to reach out to our firm and hire a truck accident lawyer you trust at your first opportunity.
FAQs
Who Is Liable for a Truck Accident in Hattiesburg?
Liability for a truck accident in Hattiesburg could fall to the truck driver, the driver of another vehicle, or a combination of multiple parties. It is also possible for a truck accident to happen due to the negligence of the truck driver’s employer. Your Hattiesburg truck accident lawyer at WaideLaw can gather the evidence needed to prove the exact cause of your accident so you can hold the appropriate party or parties accountable for your damages.
How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Truck Accident?
The amount of compensation you can claim for a truck accident will depend on the severity of your damages. If you can prove that another party is responsible for causing the accident, it is possible to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle repair costs, and the pain and suffering you experienced. Hire a truck accident lawyer with proven experience, and you will have a better chance of maximizing your recovery.
What Happens if I Share Fault for a Truck Accident in Mississippi?
If you are found to share fault for a truck accident in Mississippi, the state’s pure comparative negligence law comes into effect, and you will have a percentage of fault assigned to you that reflects your level of contribution to causing the damages. If you secure a jury verdict, you will lose a percentage of your case award equal to your fault percentage and keep the remainder.
How Long Does It Take to Settle a Truck Accident Case?
The time required to settle a truck accident case will vary based on several factors. Your Hattiesburg truck accident lawyer can help you navigate the insurance claim filing process, but if you must file a personal injury case, they can help you resolve this case efficiently. Pretrial settlement is typically faster than litigation but requires the cooperation of both parties. Hire a truck accident lawyer as quickly as possible to streamline your legal proceedings.
Why Do I Need to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
You need to hire a truck accident lawyer to have a better chance of not only winning your case but also of maximizing your recovery. The right legal representative can have a significant positive impact on the outcome of your case, and you will be better prepared to address any unexpected challenges you encounter as the case unfolds.
Ultimately, commercial truck accident cases can be difficult to resolve in many ways, and it is vital to hire a truck accident lawyer you trust at your first opportunity. The right legal team can have a tremendous positive impact on the outcome of your case, and WaideLaw is ready to provide the compassionate legal counsel you need in this situation. Contact us today to schedule a case evaluation with an experienced
