Our law firm represents people who have been injured on Michigan roads by large and small trucks, (DOT/SMART) and private buses, or 18-Wheeler commercial vehicles. Injuries in trucking collisions can be very serious. The weight difference between a large truck and the average automobile can cause severe injuries to the driver in the smaller vehicle. Injuries can vary from back and neck pain, broken bones, severe burns, spinal injuries, loss of use of limbs, and in some cases, death. Our law firm will work to recover money from the at-fault party for your physical injuries, pain and; suffering, medical expenses, loss of income, disfigurement, loss of wages, loss of normal life and any other recoverable loss related to the collision.
Because trucking accidents can be very serious, federal regulations require large trucks to carry greater amounts of insurance. Most large commercial trucks carry liability limits of $1,000,000.00 or more. One of the first steps our firm would take in representing a client in a truck accident, is to formally notify the commercial insurance carrier of the claim.
Many people know that truck accidents occur quite frequently throughout the country. However, most people do not know that trucking accidents result in thousands of injuries and countless deaths. Below, statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation are provided to highlight the severity of truck accidents:
- Approximately 500,000 truck accidents take place in the country every year. Of those 500,000 accidents, nearly 5000 results in people being killed.
- One out of every eight traffic fatalities results from a truck accident.
- The revenue related to truck accidents is expected to double by 2015. In 2009, the revenue lost due to truck accidents was estimated at $615 billion.
- In collisions involving tractor trailer trucks, 98% of people who are killed are individuals in passenger vehicles.
- 68% of all truck accidents that are fatal happen in rural regions.