3 reasons an attorney is crucial in a commercial vehicle accident

The thought of getting into a car accident is terrifying, especially if you were to have loved ones in the car. Despite your best efforts to be a safe driver, others may not be driving as attentively or safely as you are. Any accident is an awful experience, but things get especially complicated if the accident involves a commercial vehicle, such as a delivery truck or taxi.

If a commercial vehicle accident occurs, you need a skilled attorney on your side. Here’s why:

1. Commercial accidents are more complicated than personal accidents.

Because the driver of a commercial vehicle is employed by a company and driving as part of their job, accidents get especially complicated. Other factors become important aside from just determining who was at fault and what the damages are.

The driver may hold fault in the accident if they were driving recklessly or against company practices. However, the company can also be involved in the fault of the accident if they engaged in poor hiring practices, vehicle maintenance, training, or if they prioritized the driver’s delivery speed over safe road habits. On top of that, some truck drivers are contracted through a different company, outside of the one for which they make deliveries.

Because so many parties can be involved, these cases get very complex very quickly. Without consulting an attorney, you may have no idea how to file a claim or how to show that you are entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages.

2. A lawyer can gather evidence and info about what happened.

Commercial vehicle drivers keep logs of their trip. These drivers’ companies can look at these logs and records of the vehicle’s maintenance and driver history whenever they like. This is already a large sum of information that they can use as evidence. Because drivers can immediately communicate with their companies, the company will probably know about the accident as soon as it happens too, and they will probably send investigators to the scene.

An attorney can do the same for you by gathering as much evidence and info about the accident as possible. If the company is the only one with information about what happened, the evidence could easily become biased against you by showing no fault on their part.

3. The other side already has attorneys.

Companies already have attorneys ready to defend them when something like this happens. Attempting any legal proceeding without representation is a risky venture, but it is unwise to face a commercial vehicle accident case on your own. There is no need to disadvantage yourself if the other side already has attorneys defending them. With legal representation, your rights will be properly fought for, and an attorney can work to maximize the compensation you receive so that your family is not burdened with medical and repair bills.