Truck Accidents and You (2024)

Massachusetts is a hub for production and distribution, with ports accessible for shipping via water, air and land. Semi-trucks are common fixtures on our highways and roads, and most people learned to share the road with large trucks when they obtained their licenses. Unfortunately, sometimes even the best prepared drivers can be involved in traffic accidents involving other motor vehicles, motorcycles and semi-trucks.

When dealing with motor vehicle or motorcycle accidents, you’re (hopefully!) dealing with individuals with their own insurance who aren’t beholden to a large corporation or chain of command that may limit or even circumvent your ability to receive the compensation you deserve. Dealing with trucking companies is a horse of a different color.

There are significant differences between handling an interstate trucking case and other car wreck cases. In many cases, semi-trucks are the property of the company of which the driver is an employee or contractor. For example, in most cases, Wal-Mart trucks are owned by Wal-Mart, the drivers are employed by Wal-Mart; after an accident, you’re dealing with Wal-Mart’s insurance. While there are individual owner/operators for semi-trucks, nearly 90% of semi-trucks on the road are owned by larger corporations.

In order to successfully resolve an accident involving a semi-truck, it is imperative to have knowledge of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, technology, business practices and insurance coverages, and have the ability to discover written and electronic records. Trucking companies almost always send accident investigators to the scene of a truck accident to limit their liability. As a regular citizen without a Fortune 100 insurance company and big budget behind them, this process may be daunting. Consulting with an attorney with knowledge of truck accidents soon after an accident may help to sway decisions in your favor. Trucking companies are going to fully protect themselves when their vehicles are involved in an accident; you should do the same.

Accidents involving tractor-trailers or other large commercial vehicles can result in life-changing injuries that are financially crippling without adequate compensation. The Boston attorneys at the Kiley Law Group understand the extensive medical costs, long-term rehabilitation and lost wages that can burden accident victims and their families. We also know how difficult it can be to receive fair compensation from trucking companies and their insurance providers without legal representation, and we have more than 40 years of experience recovering the financial security injury victims need to restore their lives.

There are different types trucking accidents, all of which may be difficult to assign fault without a knowledgeable attorney facing off against the trucking company. Trucking companies themselves often bear a great deal of responsibility in commercial vehicle accidents. These companies may put innocent lives at risk by careless actions, including:

• Enforcing or encouraging unrealistic schedules
• Inadequate vehicle inspections and maintenance
• Failure to monitor drivers’ hours for time on and rest
• Encouraging transport overloading

Many times, due to the sheer size of the semi-truck, speed and force of impact, accidents involving semi-trucks and passenger vehicles result in a wrongful death. In those cases, a skilled personal injury attorney with the nuanced knowledge of trucking accidents is essential, as they will know the information necessary to address both the trucking and wrongful death aspects of a case.

The sad truth is that some companies put profit before safety and then try to limit the compensation victims deserve when accidents occur. Money cannot make up for all the losses associated with a traffic accident, but it can make the recovery process less burdensome. Luckily, when engaging the Kiley Law Group to represent you or your family in the event of a truck accident, you are gaining a firm made up of attorneys dedicated to protecting the rights of accident victims across Massachusetts. Recent successful outcomes for our clients include $3.5 million for the victim of a tractor-trailer accident; $785,000 for a victim who suffered a crushed ankle in a truck accident; and $650,000 for the victim of a truck rollover crash.

Remember, if you or someone you know is ever involved in a collision with a commercial truck, you should contact a Boston truck accident lawyer as soon as you can. Contact our offices today to receive a free case review and to potentially start your claim immediately.

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