When families come to me after a death caused by an accident with a semi truck, dump truck or other commercial vehicle, one of the most important things they want to know is sometimes the most obvious thing – how did the accident happen.
It is amazing how often it’s unclear how a truck accident happened. So I view it as job one to utilize all the legal and investigative resources at our disposal to discover the truth and hold the wrongdoers accountable.
18-Wheeler Accident Investigation
Our experience is that accidents caused by a truck driver losing control of a big rig usually involve one or more of the following elements:
- A truck driver who is distracted by a cell phone call, texting, eating, or just day dreaming;
- A truck driver who is overtired or who fell asleep at the wheel;
- A truck driver driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
- A medical condition (truck drivers are not supposed to drive if they are not fit for the job); or
- A defective vehicle part, for example, a bad brake or a faulty hitch.
The initial investigation done by the police or state patrol is never the end of the story, and we have seen many examples of police accident investigations which hastily reached the wrong conclusion. In fact, this happened in a recent case of ours. The police report stated that the accident victim who died was at fault, but we took the case and proved that the semi truck driver was at fault. Our independent investigation involved digging until we got every piece of evidence we needed to win the case.
How Much is My Truck Accident Case Worth?
With our semi truck accident wrongful death cases, we personally investigate the scene of the accident and the vehicles involved and hire accident reconstruction specialists and other experts to come with us. If our pursuit of evidence requires us to travel to several states, we go. Our past successes have given us the resources to carry these expenses until we win the case–we are not paid unless we win.
If your husband, wife, child or other family member has died in an accident caused by a truck driver who lost control of his big rig, I am available for a free consultation. To contact me, submit our free consultation form, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or email me at eric@pritzkerlaw.com.
Attorney Eric Hageman represents accident victims and their families throughout the United States. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was recently named an “Attorney of the Year” by Minnesota Lawyer. Below are more articles written by Eric:
- What do I do if a truck driver lost control and killed my loved one? Depending on your relationship to the person who died, you may have a wrongful death claim.
- FMCSA rules address bus and truck drivers and drug use.
