Boise Truck Accident Attorney
If you have been in a wreck with a tractor-trailer, your injuries may have made it impossible for you to work. You may have severe pain, suffering, and soaring medical bills.
Talk to a Boise truck accident attorney to learn what you can do legally to recover both physically and financially. You can receive money to pay your medical bills. You can recover lost wages.
Our dedicated team of accident lawyers have decades of experience in truck accident cases and will help you receive ongoing medical treatment and therapy.
We are available seven days a week to help fight to recover money for your pain and suffering.
Most Truck Wrecks Come From Negligence
The size, weight, and speed of big rig trucks makes them especially dangerous in a collision. That is why trucks are regulated for safety in Idaho.
Some companies and drivers ignore or break these safety rules and crashes happen—many times with tragic injuries and destruction.
When a truck driver, the parent company, or manufacturer fails to follow regulations, they could be considered negligent and held responsible in court.
Negligence could occur due to:
- Driving too many hours: There are strict rules about a driver’s hours on the road and hours of rest. Many semi-truck drivers bend these rules in order to make delivery deadlines and make more money
- Intoxicated driving: The legal blood alcohol limit for commercial truck drivers is half the legal limit for other drivers
- Overloading: To save costs, some trucking companies overload their trailers. The extra weight makes it harder to control and stop the truck
- Speeding: High speeds increase stopping distance and make it harder to control the size and weight of a commercial truck
- Poor maintenance: Trucks are expensive to maintain and don’t make money when they are in the shop. Constant driving under heavy loads stress the rig and can lead to mechanical failures and crashes
We bring in EXPERT investigators to recreate the circumstances surrounding your crash, gather evidence, and fight for compensation for your injuries.
Tractor-Trailer Collision Claims in Boise
Truck accidents are often more complex than auto crashes. This is because there can be many different causes for an accident and various responsible parties.
This includes:
- The truck driver.
- The trucking company that employs the driver.
- The owner of the truck, which may differ from the trucking company.
- Third-party mechanics who worked on the truck.
Big rig accidents may also involve federal commercial trucking regulations.
An experienced truck crash attorney in Boise can fight to protect your rights and seek compensation from everyone responsible for your injuries.
What should I do first after being in an accident with a Semi-Truck in Idaho?
When someone is injured in an accident in Idaho, it is important to gather information about what happens next.
Being injured in a serious accident is always a shocking and scary experience, and dealing with the aftermath is exhausting and stressful. Accident victims are forced to deal with hospitalization, medical treatments, missed work, and lost income, often while trying to manage pain and disability from their injuries.
Your first priority after an accident is receiving medical care. Not only are the damages from Semi-Truck accidents usually incredibly severe, but you may not even be aware of how badly you are hurt due to the shock of the accident. If you are in good enough condition to do so, taking photographs of the scene and exchanging contact information with any other drivers involved can be helpful for supporting your claim later. It is important not to discuss who might be at fault for the accident at that time, as it may complicate your claim later.
Do Semi-Truck Accident cases often go to trial in Idaho?
These days, most personal injury cases, including truck accident cases, that result in a lawsuit do not go to trial. In fact, 90 percent of cases typically settle before a trial occurs.
Due to the multiple layers of liability that can be involved in a trucking accident, and the stringent requirements for records involved with large trucks can lead to exhaustive investigations that make going to court unnecessary.
Companies that employ Semi-Truck drivers are usually under strict State and Federal regulations, and when faced with an experienced Truck Accident Attorney who knows the laws surrounding these kinds of scenarios will often choose to settle rather than risk the accident going to court.
What kind of damages are usually involved in a Semi-Truck Accident?
Damages in trucking accidents tend to be fairly similar to other types of vehicle accidents, but much larger in scale. Some of the damages that are involved include:
- Medical costs, including predicted future costs
- Lost wages for the time you were unable to work due to your injuries
- Damage to property, such as if your vehicle was totaled or other property was damaged.
- Pain and suffering; Both physical suffering from your injuries and lost quality of life from things you’re unable to do because of them.
- Wrongful Death. The loss of a loved one in a Semi-Truck related accident can be tragic.
While there are other types of damages that may be involved, these are some of the most common. For the specific details of your case, you can learn more by reaching out to a Personal Injury Attorney for a free consultation.
How long do I have to make a claim after a Semi-Truck Accident in Idaho?
After you’re involved in an accident in the State of Idaho, the period of time you have to file a lawsuit is two years from the date of the accident. This is called the Statute of Limitations. The Statute of Limitations is just the time limit for officially filing a suit, and not the time for a case to completely resolve.
This is relevant for you because it is an indication of how long you have to negotiate with the other party to reach a settlement before you’ll have to make the decision to either take the issue to court Sometimes, an insurance company will stall and continually lowball you in order to push you out of this time limit, and an experienced Truck Accident Attorney will be able to help you deal with this hazard so you can focus on your recovery while we help you get the compensation you deserve.
Why is a Truck Accident more dangerous than a normal Car Accident?
Trucks need more time to stop, a fully loaded tractor-trailer weighing 80,000 pounds traveling under ideal conditions at a speed of 65 miles per hour will take 525 feet to stop (almost the length of two football fields). Because of the sheer size and momentum of these vehicles, when they are involved in an accident the damages tend to be considerably greater than with ordinary vehicles.
Did you know that about every 15 minutes, a person is killed or seriously injured in an accident caused by tractor-trailers, also called 18-wheelers or big rigs, or semi-trucks? In fact, around 500,000 trucking accidents occur each year in the United States, with about 5,000 per year resulting in death.
How does Liability work with Semi-Truck Accidents in Idaho?
Unlike with everyday passenger vehicles, large trucks are often covered by commercial, rather than personal, insurance. There are several reasons for this, including
- The size and handling of the vehicle leading to more severe accidents
- Semi-trucks being regulated under both State and Federal law
- Semi-trucks often being the property of businesses, rather than personal vehicles
Because of these factors, liability with Semi-Truck Accidents can often be more complicated than accidents involving regular passenger vehicles.
For example, the company may be partially liable if they knowingly failed to maintain sufficient regular maintenance on the truck, or forced the driver to drive an inappropriate number of hours or with an overloaded truck. The driver may be liable for their own driving errors, or for other unsafe behavior. The company involved in the maintenance and repair of the truck may be partially liable for failure to make sure that the truck was in proper working condition if the accident was caused by a mechanical failure.
Investigating the accident and discovering these details can be nearly impossible without professional help, which is why finding a reputable and experienced Semi-Truck Accident Attorney as soon as possible after your accident is an important step in successfully navigating your case and receiving the compensation you deserve.
If my case is successful, will my personal injury compensation be taxed in Idaho?
This is actually a somewhat complex question. In a personal injury claim, there are typically several different kinds of damages involved, and some of them are taxable and some are not. Some types of damages that aren’t typically taxable include
- Your medical bills, assuming deductions weren’t taken previously
- Emotional distress / Pain and suffering
- Damages directly related to your injuries,
- Loss/damage of personal property
While some of the damages that are common, but are taxable might include:
- Lost wages, as they would have been taxed anyway
- Punitive damages, if applicable
The specifics of your case can vary considerably, and these are just general guidelines. An experienced Semi-Truck Accident Attorney or your accountant will be better able to help you go over the details of your case to consider which parts of your compensation need to be considered with your taxes.
What are common injuries associated with Semi-Truck Accidents?
Unfortunately, due to the sheer size of Semi-Trucks, accidents involving them tend to lead to injuries both for the Truck Driver and anyone else who might be involved in or near the accident – whether that be other drivers or pedestrians. Some of the common types of injuries include
- Whiplash-induced head, neck, and back injuries. These may not be immediately obvious but have long-term effects.
- Broken bones from the impact of the collision
- Burn injuries from a fire started from the other vehicle or from the contents of the Semi-Truck’s cargo.
- Lacerations and cuts from broken glass or metal
- Paralysis from spinal injuries.
- Chronic pain and headaches
- Other types of soft-tissue injuries
Because many of these injuries are quite serious, and some of them are the type that only becomes obvious after the fact, it is extremely important to make sure that you receive medical attention as soon as possible after your accident. The last thing you want is for your injuries to get worse because you weren’t aware of them, and having no record of seeking medical attention after your accident will make it harder to build your claim that your injuries stemmed from the accident.
Experienced Investigators
When you are represented by our attorneys, we send investigators to the scene and to examine the vehicles.
Careful measurements and analysis help us to know the cause and responsibility for the crash. We also work with police and other specialists to know the facts of your case.
Steps to Take Following an Accident
First of all, you should get medical treatment. Even if you were treated in the emergency room, we recommend a follow-up visit with a doctor. Some injuries are frequently missed in the emergency room.
We use medical history, scans, and other documentation to help prove the full extent of your injuries in seeking compensation.
Keeping Records Helps Build Your Case to Fully Recover Your Losses
Anyone involved in a truck crash should do what they can to gather information about the accident.
- Take photos of your injuries
- Get a copy of the police report
- Keep receipts for expenses related to your injury
- Save all medical bills and collection notices
- Keep track of time lost from work
Important Deadlines
Under Idaho law, injury victims typically have two years following a truck accident in which to file a personal injury lawsuit.
You do not need to resolve your case completely within this timeframe, but you do need to start the process.
No matter how strong your case may be, if you don’t meet this deadline, you may not be able to recover any damages.
You should contact a Skaug Law truck accident lawyer soon after an accident to protect all of your rights.
A Boise Truck Accident Attorney Can Help You Win Maximum Compensation for Your Injury and Losses
The attorneys with Skaug Law guide injury victims through every step of the legal process and seek out every available insurance source to pay for damages.
You pay nothing up front and only when we win your case. Let a dedicated Boise truck accident lawyer help you seek justice for your injuries.
It doesn’t cost anything to see if we can help. Call or click the chat window today.