Truck accident law firms are groups of lawyers who specialize in cases that involve large vehicles, such as dump trucks and 18-wheelers. If an accident involves two large vehicles, it is possible that these lawyers may represent the driver who claims to be the victim. In most instances, however, these accident lawyers represent the drivers of small vehicles who claim to have been victimized by incidents involving trucks. Such law firms are usually paid on a contingency basis.
Accidents that involve large trucks can differ from crashes involving smaller vehicles in a number of ways. To begin with, due to the differences in the sizes of the vehicles, there is often more damage in truck crashes. One of the roles of the lawyers employed by truck accident law firms is to deal with the claims adjusters to ensure that the victim's damage is properly valued.
Before the lawyers at truck accident law firms can interact with claims adjusters, they must first determine which insurance company is primarily liable for the accident. The complexity of truck insurance is another of the ways in which this type of crash tends to be unique. Large trucks, such as 18-wheelers may have several types of insurance. For example, the driver may have a personal liability policy with one company, the truck may be subject to another policy, and the driver may haul double trailers, which each have differing policies.
The lawyers at truck accident law firms usually have the responsibility to collect all of the necessary evidence to prove their clients’ claims. Some of the information that is needed may be fairly easy to obtain, such as the police reports. Any information that is needed from trucking companies or their insurance companies may be much more difficult and time-consuming to gain access to. Even once evidence is collected, it must be used properly to be effective. In many instances, this requires truck accident lawyers to seek the assistance of the correct forensic specialists to conduct a professional analysis and draw expert conclusions.
In some cases, the trucking companies and their insurance companies do not want to accept responsibility for the harm done in the accident, or they attempt to under-compensate victims. To solve this problem, it may be necessary to take the matter to trial. In these instances, the legal professionals on these cases must develop a strategy to undermine the defense's case and to prove that of the victim.
The lawyers employed by truck accident law firms are usually familiar with the trucking regulations in their jurisdiction. They may have a great deal of knowledge about trucks and the trucking industry as a whole. In addition to this, they should be knowledgeable about their jurisdiction’s personal injury laws. These law firms are commonly compensated on a contingency basis. This means that, instead of the victims using their money to pay for legal representation, the truck accident law firms take a portion of the awards that they win for their clients.