3 Differences Between Car Accidents and Big Truck Accidents
If you are involved in an auto accident with a big truck, there are some differences you should be aware of. The obvious one is that you could have more damage done to your car and more physical damage to your body because of the massive difference in the size of the vehicles. Aside from that, there are some differences regarding insurance and legalities that you should be aware of moving forward.
Insurance
When it comes to insurance coverage, the amount insured depends on whether the driver leases with a carrier or is simply an owner-operator without a lease. Some factors that help determine policy amounts include:
- What the driver is carrying
- What the truck is worth
- The driver’s credit history
- The age of the driver
- How far the driver travels
- The driver’s CDL experience
When all of these factors are put together, an insurance coverage amount is settled on. These policies are often in the millions, which is why the truck driver’s insurance provider will fight many of the claims that come through. Especially if there is an obvious flaw in the case, insurance companies may not blink at the chance to spend the big bucks to get out of paying for such claims.
Federal Laws
When you are on the road in your little sedan, you are required to follow local and state traffic laws. Big trucks are under a different obligation to follow all federal laws as well. The reason this is important is that if you were to go against a truck driver in court, your attorney would need to be familiar with all federal laws. There are different aspects of their job that can get you a higher compensation amount if your lawyer knows exactly what that driver was expected to do.
Evidence
Your lawyer will need to investigate three main areas when it comes to accidents with big trucks. In a car accident, the attorney will look at the scene of the accident and the driver, whereas with a big truck accident, your attorney will investigate the truck driver, the vehicle itself, and the cargo that was on the truck at the time of the accident. It’s possible the driver isn’t liable for the accident because the cargo wasn’t secured properly by the proper authority. It’s possible the owner of the truck didn’t complete a proper investigation prior to leasing the truck to the driver. There are a lot of different circumstances that would need to be investigated.
Hiring an Attorney
If you are in an accident with a big truck, you deserve to have someone on your side. Contact a truck accident attorney, like a truck accident attorney, to get started with your case.