Thornton Truck Accident Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a recent truck accident in Thornton, Colorado, you may need an attorney to help you get through the recovery process. A Thornton truck accident attorney will work for you through every stage of your case, answering your questions and guiding you through legal matters with tailored advice. At Dormer Harpring, LLC, we’ve been helping crash survivors and family members recover for many years. Find out how we can help you today.

Why Choose Our Thornton Truck Accident Lawyers

• We are an experienced, skilled, and compassionate team of attorneys.
• Your lawyer will make sure you have everything you need to get back on track.
• We have a 99 percent case success rate.
• We can take your truck accident case to trial, if necessary.
• Our attorneys work on a no-win, no-fee basis.

The Importance of Hiring an Accident Attorney

Hiring a truck accident lawyer to represent you during a claim can vastly change the outcome of your case, as well as your overall legal experience. An attorney can take care of all of the complex and challenging aspects of your case while you focus on recovering. Hiring a Thornton truck accident lawyer can come with important advantages such as professional crash investigation, connections to qualified experts, and experienced claim negotiators working on your behalf. With a lawyer in your corner, you can go up against insurance claims adjusters, defend your legal rights as a victim and demand the financial compensation that you deserve.

What to Do After a Truck Accident in Thornton?

Although truck accidents happen every day, most truck accident victims never expect to be involved in this type of crash. It can be difficult to remain calm and take the steps that are necessary to protect your rights after this type of crash. If you can, however, try to take the following actions:

1. Pullover and call 911 to report the accident.
2. If you’re injured, seek immediate medical treatment.
3. Identify the other parties involved and get their information.
4. Do not admit fault for the truck accident.
5. Check for witnesses at or near the scene of the collision.
6. Document the accident by taking pictures and writing down what happened.
7. File an insurance claim with the trucking company’s insurance provider.
8. Be careful when speaking to an insurance claims adjuster about your truck accident.
9. Do not sign anything sent to you from the insurance company.
10. Contact a truck accident attorney in Thornton for assistance before settling.

Knowing what to do and what not to do after a truck accident in Thornton can give you greater peace of mind. Even if you cannot perform all of these actions after a truck accident, you can be eligible for financial compensation. A personal injury attorney in Thornton can help you build a compelling claim even if you could not take all of these steps.

How Are Truck Accidents Different From Other Auto Accidents?

It is important not to treat a truck accident in Thornton like a regular car accident. Collisions involving commercial trucks and 18-wheelers are unique in many different ways. A truck accident case is more complex than a normal auto accident case for many reasons:

• Vicarious liability. A legal doctrine that can make a trucking company responsible for a crash caused by a driver or employee.
• Severe damage. The injuries, losses and property damage caused by a truck accident are generally more severe than in a typical collision.
• Rapid response teams. Trucking companies often send people to the scene immediately to gather and remove crucial evidence.
• Time-sensitive evidence. It is important to collect evidence as soon as possible, including the truck’s black box, employment records from the trucking company, video surveillance footage from traffic cameras, electronic logging device records and cell phone records.
• The size of the adversary. You may not be going up against just another driver; instead, your case may involve a powerful trucking company and its aggressive lawyers.

As a crash victim who is seeking a financial recovery, it is critical to recognize these differences and respond accordingly. Rather than handling your claim on your own, you may wish to hire a truck accident lawyer in Thornton to help you with the complex legal process.

Trucking Industry Regulations

Unlike standard motor vehicles, commercial trucks come with special state and federal regulations to improve safety. These regulations are enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They include:

• Truck size and weight limitations
• Cargo loading and securement rules
• Truck maintenance and repair requirements
• Truck driver hiring and training rules
• Truck driver hours-of-service restrictions
• Mandatory drug and alcohol testing for drivers
• Lower limitations for blood alcohol content (BAC) levels
• Cell phone use prohibited except in emergencies

There are rules that must be obeyed by the trucking company, cargo company and truck driver. Unfortunately, many trucking companies break the rules and take shortcuts to save on time and money. Violating trucking laws increases the risk of truck accidents.

Types of Truck Accidents

A large truck can crash in ways that are different from a standard car accident. A trailer may separate from the cab, for example, or cargo may fall from the bed of a truck. Several types of truck accidents that you may see in Thornton are:

• Rear-end collision
• Underride/override accident
• Rollover accident
• Jackknife accident
• Head-on collision
• No-Zone (blind spot) accident
• Wide-turn accident
• T-bone collision
• Lost load accident

All of these types of collisions have the potential to be catastrophic. Identifying the type of truck accident can help investigators determine the cause of the crash.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Almost all truck accidents in Colorado can be prevented. They are caused most often by careless and reckless parties, such as negligent truck drivers. Common causes of truck accidents include:

• Failure to keep a proper lookout
• Texting while driving
• Driver fatigue
• Broken hours-of-service regulations
• Other violated safety laws
• Lack of truck driver training
• Driver substance abuse
• Unsafe lane changes
• Following too closely
• Reckless driving
• Improper load securement
• Poor truck maintenance

If you need assistance determining the cause of your truck accident, an attorney can revisit the scene of the crash, hire experts and take other steps to identify the defendant(s) in your case.

Who Is Liable in a Colorado Truck Accident?

Liability, or legal and financial responsibility, for a truck accident, will fall to the person or party at fault for causing the crash in Colorado. This is because the state uses a tort-based insurance law. Before you can file a claim, you must identify the person or party who caused your crash. What is unique about a truck accident, however, is that trucking companies are vicariously liable for their truck drivers and employees under federal law. This means that if a truck driver caused your crash, you can file a claim against the trucking company, in most cases.

What Damages Are Available in a Colorado Truck Accident Case?

A successful truck accident claim in Colorado could repay you for many costs and losses associated with your crash. The results that you achieve with assistance from an attorney can help you and your family move forward with greater financial peace of mind. You may be entitled to recover compensation for many past and future losses, including:

• Medical expenses
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Lost capacity to earn
• Permanent disability
• Pain and suffering
• Lost quality of life
• Punitive damages

The value of your commercial truck accident claim will depend on factors such as the seriousness of your injuries, the pre-crash value of your vehicle, your income level before and after the crash, and more. Our Thornton car accident attorneys can accurately evaluate your claim before you accept a settlement offer.

Free Consultations With a Thornton Truck Accident Attorney

If you were involved in a truck accident in Thornton, Colorado, our attorneys can help you understand and protect your rights as a victim. We will identify your goals and pursue them using proven legal strategies for the best possible outcome. If we don’t win your case, we won’t charge any legal fees – guaranteed. Learn more about our services during a free case consultation. Contact us online or call (303) 747-4404 today to schedule your meeting.