Crestwood Truck Accident Attorneys
Any kind of auto accident involving a large truck can result in severe and fatal injuries. Large trucks, which include 18-wheelers and semis, can weigh anywhere from 20 to 30 times as much as a passenger car, according to the Insurance Information for Highway Safety (IIHS). Accordingly, when a large truck is involved in a collision with a light truck or a sedan, the occupants of the passenger vehicle often sustain serious and life-threatening harm. The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that nearly 5,000 large trucks are involved in accidents annually in recent years. While trucks account for a small portion of vehicles on the road, they account for about 10 percent of all automobiles involved in fatal crashes. When a truck accident does happen, the injured person or one of their surviving family members may be able to obtain financial compensation from the negligent truck driver or from another party. An experienced Crestwood truck accident lawyer at Meagher Injury Lawyers can discuss your case with you today.
What Causes Truck Accidents in Crestwood?
What are some of the most common causes of truck accidents in Crestwood and throughout Kentucky? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regularly conducts a large truck crash causation study, which identifies many of the following as common causes of a big rig or 18-wheeler collisions:
- Drowsy driving, or fatigued driving.
- Distracted driving can include a range of distracted driving behaviors.
- Drunk or drugged driving.
- Improperly loaded truck trailer.
- Negligently maintained or serviced truck.
- Tire defects, brake defects, and other vehicle defects.
- Road defects or hazards.
- Inclement weather.
Who is Liable for a Crestwood Truck Accident?
Liability for a Crestwood truck accident will depend on the facts of your case. The cause of the truck accident will typically indicate liability. In many truck accident lawsuits, especially those in which the truck driver’s negligence caused the collision, it may be possible to file a claim against multiple parties. Indeed, under the legal doctrine of “respondeat superior,” an employer may be liable for an employee’s negligence, which could mean that a truck driver’s employer could be liable for a crash caused by the trucker’s error. Examples of parties who could be liable in a truck collision in Crestwood include but are not limited to:
- Truck driver.
- Employer of the truck driver.
- Owner of the truck.
- Loader of the truck.
- Mechanic.
- The driver of another motor vehicle was involved in the crash.
- Owner of the road or other premises where the truck accident occurred.
Other parties could also be liable depending on how and where the truck accident happened.
Truck Accident Lawyer in Crestwood
Statute of Limitations for a Crestwood Truck Accident Lawsuit
Like other types of personal injury cases, a Crestwood truck accident lawsuit will most likely have a minimum of a two-year statute of limitations. What this means is that Kentucky law requires a person who is injured in a truck crash to file a lawsuit within two years from the date of the trucking incident (or two years from the date of the last personal injury protection payment, whichever is later). If you fail to file your lawsuit within that required time window, you will end up with a time-barred claim. Accordingly, you should get started on your case with a truck accident attorney in Crestwood as soon as possible.
Since many trucking accidents are fatal, it is also important to know the statute of limitations for a wrongful death case. Under Kentucky law, wrongful death lawsuits have a one-year statute of limitations. However, the one-year clock will begin to tick on the date of the deceased’s death rather than the date of the truck crash. Sometimes these dates are the same, but in many circumstances, a person spends several days or weeks in a hospital following a crash before succumbing to their serious injuries.
Contact Our Crestwood Truck Accident Lawyer Today
Anyone who has been injured in a trucking crash in or around Crestwood, or has lost a loved one in a devastating truck accident, should find out about filing a truck accident lawsuit. Given that truck accidents frequently cause life-altering and deadly injuries, it may be necessary to speak with a truck accident lawyer about a wrongful death lawsuit. If you were injured in a collision with a large truck and survived the accident, you may seek medical treatment, and you will likely be facing significant medical bills.
An experienced Crestwood truck accident attorney at our law firm can help you seek financial compensation and hold the party liable for the devastating harm they have caused. Contact Meagher Injury Lawyers to learn more about the services we provide to injury victims and their families in Kentucky. Call today at (502) 309-9213 for a free consultation.
