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Answers To Common Truck Accident Questions

At Dawkins & Gowens, we regularly pursue trucking companies and truck drivers responsible for injuries. Since 1985, we have offered the victims of commercial vehicle accidents experienced legal perspective and advocacy.

We want to offer guidance to you as you learn more about your situation. This is a complicated area of the law and it’s natural to have questions, such as:

Why are commercial vehicle accidents more complicated than typical car accidents?

Truck and commercial vehicle accidents are more complicated than car accidents for two primary reasons. Firstly, as drivers are often employees, fault can lie with the trucking company and the driver. Also, if the trucking company is a vendor for another party that overloaded the truck, making it challenging to control, then that would add another layer to the fault calculation.

The second reason truck accidents are more difficult than other accident types is that trucking companies maintain extremely aggressive legal teams. They take every opportunity to dismiss and fight off any lawsuit, to place blame on the victims. It can feel like an uphill battle.

How else do Oklahoma City truck accidents differ from car accidents?

A truck accident is much more devastating than a standard car accident. The size and weight of a commercial vehicle make it more dangerous, but the conditions that the drivers are under increase the likelihood of accidents. Injuries from truck accidents can be devastating, permanent or fatal. These vehicles are dangerous, and the damage they cause can inflict untold suffering for drivers.

Why are truck accidents so frequent?

Truck accidents are frequent for several important reasons:

  • Inexperience: Truck drivers must undergo testing to attain a commercial driver’s license, but passing the test, does not necessarily mean they are the right person for the job. Increasingly, demand for drivers causes employers to seek less experienced and less qualified personnel who may not have the ability to handle certain routes.
  • Overloading: Commercial vehicles all have strict weight limits. These limits are in place to make a truck more controllable on the road. When those packing a truck ignore those weight limits, the truck becomes much more dangerous to drive.
  • Road conditions: Even properly packed and balanced trucks can have difficulty on poorly maintained roads or roads with bad conditions. Heavy vehicles on roads that may have once worked just fine may be devastating if a municipality hasn’t kept up with repairs and updates.
  • Driver fatigue: Drivers have tight schedules and must meet deadlines. They have a great deal riding on their ability to do this and can take risks to ensure they meet their deadlines as a result.

On top of these reasons specific to commercial trucks, you can add the typical reasons others get into accidents, such as distractions or mechanical failures.

What is the difference between a commercial vehicle accident and a truck accident?

Mainly when we refer to commercial vehicle accidents, we mean trucking accidents because those are the vast majority. However, commercial vehicles include construction vehicles, fire trucks, buses and other large, road-going vehicles.

No matter the vehicle involved, you may have the same struggles and the same difficulties pursuing maximum compensation.

How will my Oklahoma City personal injury attorney help after a truck accident?

In a commercial vehicle accident, your attorney takes the lead on pursuing your compensation for you. While the legal team of the commercial vehicle owner may try to pressure you into taking a smaller settlement or try to bury you in red tape, your attorney can fight back.

Experienced legal representation offers several advantages to you when you’re facing any sort of injury matter. Your attorney has resources and knowledge built over a career, and they know the process.

If you or a loved one has been in a commercial vehicle accident, reach out to Dawkins & Gowens by calling 405-254-8461 or by using this convenient email form. We can speak with you about your concerns and build a plan to fight for the compensation you deserve.