Every year in the United States truck accidents cause thousands of fatalities and catastrophic injuries to passenger car occupants, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The best trucking accident lawyers know the cost of care for victims can be astronomical with insurance only covering a fraction of the bills.
State of the art medical care for traumatic brain injuries (TMIs), spinal cord injuries (SCIs,) third-degree burns, and other severe traumatic injuries can help people that have been injured in trucking accidents regain their life and dignity.
If your family has been touched by the tragedy of a trucking accident in New Orleans, it’s important to work with an experienced New Orleans trucking accident attorney that knows how to help you collect the largest amount of money possible.
Wright & Gray goes the extra mile to maximize the value of every trucking accident case. Call 888-912-4944 for a free consultation – you don’t have to pay until we collect money for you. If you’re injured in a trucking accident, your medical treatment is the evidence that will be used to calculate the amount of compensation you’re entitled to. That’s why trucking accident lawyers in New Orleans carefully monitor each client’s medical treatment to ensure that the evidence that’s being produced is accurate and helpful.
This means requesting reports promptly from hospitals, physical therapists, testing facilities, and other healthcare professionals and following up to ensure they’re received in a timely manner.
The next step is reading every single page of the reports and following up with the client and the practitioner to discuss the results.
For example, when the attorney receives a hospital report that indicates a head injury and the client complained about headaches at the initial consultation, it’s important to find out if they are being treated by a neurologist. This attention to detail is an important part of maximizing the value of any trucking accident case.
The attorneys at Wright & Gray in New Orleans have a staff of paralegals and administrative assistants that are tasked with following up with clients to make sure they are getting their recommended treatment.
For example, some clients decide to stop going to medical appointments and physical therapy, preferring to do the exercises at home on their own, without realizing how harmful this is to their trucking accident case. When they’re reminded that objective evidence of continued discomfort and limitations of function is what’s needed to get the largest possible amount of money damages, they gladly return to treatment.
Following up with clients to make sure that they’ve sought treatment for every type of injury they’ve sustained is what makes a good case a great one. Clients that receive this type of concierge service from their trucking accident lawyers achieve the greatest amount of healing as well as the largest amount of money – a win-win! Call Wright & Gray for a free consultation at 888-912-4944. Every personal injury attorney knows that you usually can’t collect more money for your clients than the insurance coverage available. That’s why our trucking accident lawyers in New Orleans investigate every possible defendant that could bring their coverage on board.
Most truck accidents are caused by the following:
- Inexperience
- Inattention/Distraction
- DUI
- Fatigue
- Poor Maintenance and
- Poor Training and
- Improper Loading
Louisiana requires most types of commercial trucks to carry a minimum of $300,000 to $750,000 of insurance coverage depending on their weight. That’s insufficient to compensate a severely or catastrophically injured trucking accident victim and our New Orleans trucking accident lawyers are adept at finding deep pockets to contribute to the compensation package.
Even if the accident was primarily caused by the truck driver, it’s important to investigate whether other vehicles on the road contributed to the crash.
For example, if the accident was caused by a truck making a left turn in front of a vehicle that you’re a passenger in, it’s worth considering whether this car could have done more to prevent the collision. Was the car traveling too quickly? Were the brakes on the car properly maintained? Was the driver using a cellphone? Truck accidents often cause major pile-ups and every vehicle involved is a possible defendant.
Some truck accidents are caused, at least in part, by improper loading of cargo that makes the truck more difficult to handle on the road. If the loading was done by the manufacturer or seller of the cargo that was loaded, a claim can be made against that company, bringing their insurance coverage into the mix.
If a pothole, a broken traffic signal, a sign that’s obscured by overgrown foliage, or the poor design of the road contributed to the crash, a claim can be made against the responsible parties. If a manufacturing or design defect in the truck played a part in the collision, the company that made the truck could be held liable. The New Orleans trucking accident lawyers at Wright & Gray give every case in their office the attention it deserves because they know that their effort will pay off. It starts with taking the time to do a thorough interview to understand how the accident happened so that a theory of liability can be developed, and all responsible parties can be identified.
It’s also important to understand every injury that was sustained in the accident, past injuries, and health issues that may impact recovery and the treatment plan that healthcare professionals have recommended. Getting prompt high-quality medical treatment is crucial to regain functionality for severe and catastrophic injuries and it’s also important for a successful trucking accident case.
This means that every detail of the treatment plan must be considered. Is there health insurance that will cover the cost? Will the client need to apply for Medicaid or Medicare? Is there a family member that will take them to doctors’ appointments or does transportation need to be arranged?
After the client interview, an investigator is sent to the scene of the accident to take photographs, scout for witnesses, and take note of anything on the scene that may have contributed to the accident. It’s best to go around the same time of day as when the accident happened.
The investigator will notice such things as:
- Was there a downed stop sign?
- What position would the sun have been in when the accident happened?
- Are there any skid marks left on the road?
- What is the traffic, light, medium or heavy?
Taking the time to thoroughly investigate the scene will help build a case that’s worth millions if you’ve suffered catastrophic injuries from a trucking accident. Most personal injury lawyers try to settle small car accident and fall cases before starting a lawsuit. This makes sense because litigation is expensive and the cost of filing fees, transcripts, and hiring experts for a small case might even exceed the anticipated amount of damages.
The Wright & Gray attorneys use a more aggressive approach for their severely injured clients. As soon as liability is established with a police report, a witness, a confession or a strong theory, a lawsuit is filed against every likely defendant.
This sends the strong message that you’re looking for top dollar for settlement or you’re going all the way to trial. This initial message is followed up with top-notch trial preparation that shows that you’re not afraid to take the case to a jury verdict. Typical personal injury attorneys have a large number of small cases that they’re juggling while trying to keep their administrative costs down.
Wright & Gray knows that maximizing each and every case is a better strategy. For example, when depositions are scheduled they don’t adjourn them without a good reason, knowing that the sooner the case lands on the trial calendar, the closer they are to collecting the very large amount of money they expect to collect for their client.
It’s also important because testimony can often point the finger at additional defendants to bring into the case.
For example, issues like failing brakes and improper loading usually don’t come up until the truck driver does a deposition. Louisiana has no general caps on economic or non-economic damages, so it’s possible to get mega-million dollar jury verdicts for trucking accident victims with severe life-altering injuries, but only with a thorough investigation and an aggressive litigation strategy that holds all responsible parties accountable. If you’ve been injured in a trucking accident, you’re probably looking at years of out-of-pocket medical expenses and long-term disability that puts pressure on your entire family’s finances.
Reach Out to the Trucking Accident Lawyers at Wright & Gray
That’s why it’s important to hire skilled trucking accident lawyers in New Orleans that can help you collect the largest amount of compensation possible to help you get your life back in order.
Wright & Gray knows what to do to help you. Call 888-912-4944 for a free consultation – you don’t have to pay until we collect money for you.