To someone who is not well-versed in litigious matters, it seems as though there would be no discernable difference between car and truck accidents. If you have looked into getting a lawyer following such an event, however, you will quickly find that several key features are unique to each. Let us examine them so that you will have a better understanding of the way each one is regarded in legal circles.
The Extent of the Damage
For this article, we will define truck accidents as incidents involving a tractor-trailer, a semi-truck, or an 18-wheeler. Whenever one of these vehicles is concerned, the amount of property damage and the cost of the potential destruction is seldom the same as what you might get with considerably smaller vehicles, like cars. It’s true that there are sometimes minor accidents involving trucks, but the potential exists for catastrophic harm on a scale that is simply not seen with your average collision involving personal vehicles.
The Cost of the Investigation
It’s something that a lot of people never think about, but there is a financial cost associated with the investigation of a car or a truck accident. In the case of a truck accident, the cost of that investigation is almost always more. That goes back to the likelihood that the damage that took place is more extensive than if exclusively cars were involved. The investigation that goes into a truck accident can be complex, costly, and it is guaranteed to be time-consuming. Several different insurance companies and branches of the law are also likely to be involved.
The Loss of Life
Any vehicular accident can lead to serious injury and loss of life, but when you have an immense vehicle like a semi-truck or a tractor-trailer involved, a severe accident can lead to several fatalities in the worst of cases. A vehicle weighing multiple tons overturning or colliding with a pedestrian, smaller vehicles, or occupied structures is more than likely to leave a significant path of destruction in its wake. The carnage is more likely to include loss of life than with accidents involving exclusively smaller vehicles.
The Compensation from Damages Can Be Different
In the case of an accident between two or more cars, the drivers and the insurance companies are the entities that are most likely to be involved. With commercial trucking accidents, the trucking company itself is also going to play a part in the financial compensation paid to the victims if it is determined that they are at least partially liable for what happened. A trucking company failing to keep up with the maintenance of a truck could be sued for damages, for instance, if that negligence caused the accident.
While truck accidents can be deadly and costly in the area of both property damage and loss of life, it is important to know that they are relatively rare. It is much more common to be involved in an accident involving a personal vehicle. In all cases, be aware of trucks that are on the road near you, and treat them with deference and respect.