If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you know how traumatic the whole process is. Beyond the shock, pain, and potential loss incurred in the initial incident, there is also the ensuing months of navigating medical expenses and legal entanglement. Just a collision between two passenger cars can create nearly insurmountable amounts of red tape that cannot be navigated alone. What happens, however, when the collision is with a commercial truck? The process involved becomes very different, and much more complicated.
How is a Semi Collision Different?
The first difference between regular car accidents and one with a semi is obvious and Newtonian: trucks are much more massive than cars, so a car can’t deliver that “equal and opposite” reaction, causing a great deal more damage than a normal car accident would. Collisions with semis, on average, produce more injuries and deaths than other accidents. That is only the start of the difference, though. The major difference between the two is the level of legal involvement after the fact. Instead of colliding with a car, where one party or another can be found responsible, there are a myriad of parties that may be found responsible in a truck accident. The driver, the truck manufacturer, the company that owns the truck, the company that does maintenance on the truck or even the company that loaded the materials being shipped can all be found liable for the accident. As all parties involved will have their separate lawyer or team of lawyers, you should always have your own Los Angeles truck accident lawyer if you are involved in such an accident.
Pursuing a Legal Case
There are a number of different damages that can be paid out as a result of an accident with a semi, such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, or even due to the loss of a loved one. The higher propensity for grievous injury drastically expands the potential list of damages that you and your attorney may seek. If you are involved in such an accident in Los Angeles, immediately call the police to the scene. Seek all medical attention that is necessary, and as soon as possible, make sure to acquire adequate legal counsel. An effective truck accident lawyer, as opposed to one used to dealing with the normal rigmarole of traffic collisions, will be necessary to navigate all of the various parties that could be held liable.
