Who is liable in a truck accident?

One or more of the drivers, the trucking company, or the cargo company may be liable for any damage or injuries you suffer in an accident. It all depends on the circumstances. The driver may not have been in a good state to be behind the wheel. The trucking company may not have provided proper maintenance. The cargo company may have overload or unevenly loaded the truck. Many different factors can contribute to negligence.

What should I do if I’m involved in a truck accident?

The first thing you should do after any type of accident involving a truck is call 911, or have someone do it for you if you are unable to. You want to make sure that both an ambulance and the police show up at the scene. If your injuries are not serious enough for the first aid crew to take you to the hospital, you should see a doctor and get a full exam and medical report as soon as you can. If you are able, you should also try to take as many pictures of the accident scene as you can (from a safe place or distance). Take pictures of the vehicles, any injuries to yourself or passengers, specific damage to your vehicle or other property, marks on the roadway. Pretty much everything you can think of. Just be careful not to get in the way of any first aid or police workers, and don’t get too close to any vehicles that may be unstable or leaking chemicals. After that, you should contact an auto accident attorney for a consultation about what your next legal steps might be.

What makes truck accidents so much more dangerous than car accidents?

The main danger when there’s a large truck involved in a collision is just their size and weight. The average passenger vehicle weighs about 5,000 pounds. A loaded truck can weigh 80,000 pounds or more, and they’re anywhere from two to four times the length of a regular car. It’s just simple physics. When two vehicles who are unevenly matched collide, the smaller vehicle is going to get the worst of it.

What should I look for in a truck accident attorney?

The main thing you should consider is a prospective lawyer’s track record of success and experience specifically with accidents involving trucks. Commercial vehicles and drivers must adhere to special, much stricter, laws than the average driver. You need an attorney that understands how these laws work and how to protect your right in such cases.

What kind of compensation can I receive after a truck accident?

The compensation you might receive will depend on the circumstances of your accident and your personal injury claim. To give you an idea though, you can include some or all of the following factors in your claim: Permanent full or partial disability Loss of the use of one or more limbs Pain and suffering Lost wages Damage to your vehicle Medical expenses Prescription drug costs Physical therapy expenses There may also be other items you can include in your claim. Our team will be able to tell you exactly what you could include in your truck accident claim after a consultation.

Experienced and Dedicated Arkansas Truck Accident Lawyer

Little Rock Truck Accident Lawyer

Name: Levar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers
Brand: Levar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers
Rating: 5 (27 reviews)

Arkansas’ highways are filled with large commercial trucks hauling cargo across the country. Many trucking companies are located here since it’s one of the best places in the U.S. for the trucking industry to set up hubs. While most truck drivers handle their vehicles responsibly, accidents involving big rigs often prove devastating to the innocent victims involved.

If you’ve been hurt in a collision with a tractor-trailer, you should speak to our Little Rock truck accident attorneys. LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers offers free, no-obligation consultations. To speak with our team about your semi-truck crash, contact our Arkansas law firm. You can also reach our office serving Pulaski County by phone at (866) 751-5846.

How Common Are Truck Accidents in Arkansas?

According to numbers from the National Safety Council (NSC), there were 123 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in Arkansas in 2022, comprising 13.4% of all fatal accidents statewide. A 2023 report from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette noted that Arkansas had the fourth highest large truck crash fatality rate in the country, with 30 fatalities per 1 million people.

The accident numbers are supported by findings from TRIP, a national transportation research non-profit. According to TRIP, 28% of travel on Arkansas’ interstate highways is made by semi-trucks; that number jumps to 34% if you just look at Arkansas’ rural interstate highways. These numbers represent the third highest share of tractor-trailer travel in America.

More semi-trucks and big rigs on the road means a higher risk of catastrophic and even fatal accidents.

How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Arkansas?

Per Arkansas Code § 16-56-105, you generally have up to three years from the date of the semi-truck wreck to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim. After that three-year statute of limitations has passed, you will not be able to file a legal action.

Do not wait for the three-year deadline to pass. It’s in your best interests to speak with our truck accident attorneys in Little Rock as soon as possible.

LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers can let you know if you have a claim worth pursuing and start investigating the trucking accident. We’ll also start negotiating a settlement with the insurance company so you can pay bills and debts from the crash.

Why Choose LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers

LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers has helped car and truck accident survivors all over Little Rock and nearby Pulaski County communities. We can help you seek compensation from the negligent party who caused the auto wreck.

We Fight for the Little Guy in Little Rock

Before he became a personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, Alan LeVar worked as a prosecuting attorney and as a public defender. This experience made him want to fight for the underdogs throughout the state and give his legal clients the benefit of the doubt.

We Wrote a Book About Truck Accidents and Driver Safety

Alan LeVar is the author of There Are No Accidents, Only Collisions: What You Need To Know If You Are Hit By A Tractor-Trailer. This book helps people hurt in 18-wheeler accidents understand the challenges after a crash and what they can do to put their lives back together.

We’re Willing to Go to Trial

Some accident lawyers settle for less than a case is worth. Not us. Our attorneys will go to trial if we know we can win more money for our clients. Insurance companies know that our law firm means business. That reputation helps us put them on notice during negotiations, which can maximize settlement payments to our clients.

Se Habla Español: Legal Help in Spanish

LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers has Spanish-speaking team members who can provide services. This is very helpful for Little Rock’s Spanish-speaking community or if you are assisting a Spanish-speaking relative or loved one who was seriously injured by a big rig.

Free Initial Consultations

Your initial consultation at our Little Rock law office is free of charge. We know that you have a lot of bills and other expenses after a tractor-trailer wreck. A free case review allows you to speak with qualified accident attorney without added financial burden.

Request a Free Consultation with Our Little Rock Truck Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one got hurt in a tractor-trailer crash, LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers can help you seek compensation. To set up a free case review to discuss your semi-truck accident, contact our Little Rock injury lawyers.

Accidents Caused by Truck Driver Fatigue

Most truck drivers are safe, committed professionals who operate their vehicles safely. However, drivers are often undermined by the demands placed upon them. Many trucking companies push their drivers to meet unrealistic schedules, and the only way for a driver to keep up is to drive through the night, foregoing sleep. This impairs reaction time and puts everyone on the road in danger.

Our semi-truck accident attorneys in Little Rock, AR can take trucking companies to task if their business practices put their truckers and other motorists in danger.

Accidents Caused by Over-Loaded Truck Cargo

A poorly loaded or overloaded cargo trailer is another common causes of truck accidents. These vehicles are difficult to operate even in the best of circumstances. When the trailer is loaded with too much cargo, the center of gravity is thrown off. Even a skilled truck driver can struggle to control the vehicle, especially in inclement weather situations.

LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers can investigate the big rig wreck and determine if negligence by the trucking company or the cargo company was a primary cause or contributing factor in the semi-truck accident.

Accidents Caused by Truck Driver Distraction

Truck drivers have a lot of responsibilities while in the cabs of their trucks. Managing multiple responsibilities all at once while behind the wheel can interfere with the safe operation of the tractor-trailer. Texting while driving, checking the GPS, and even filling out paperwork is common. These practices are as dangerous as they are widespread.

When distracted driving plays a role in a semi-truck crash, our attorneys can hold the negligent truck driver accountable for putting other people’s lives at risk.

Driving a Semi-Truck Under the Influence

When it comes to truck accidents caused by intoxication, we’re usually not talking about alcohol. Instead, these trucking accidents tend to involve amphetamines or other so-called “uppers.” Many truck drivers take these drugs in an effort to stay awake and meet tight schedules. The use of any controlled substance while driving can negatively affect a person’s decision-making and good judgment.

Whether a trucker was using meth, speed, or alcohol, LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers can make sure they are held accountable for their negligent behavior.

Other Potential Causes of Semi-Truck Accidents

These are four other causes of big rig and 18-wheeler wrecks our Little Rock truck accident lawyers have seen in crash lawsuits:

Defective Big Rigs or Vehicle Parts – Despite a truck driver’s diligence and safety, poor vehicle design, shoddy manufacturing, or faulty tires and other parts can lead to serious collisions.
Poor Truck Maintenance or Repairs – When a truck hasn’t been tuned up or checked in a while, it increases the likelihood of a serious crash, including a jackknife accident that could harm drivers in multiple lanes.
Lack of Truck Driver Experience – Operating a big rig requires more skill and training than driving a pickup. If a dangerous situation arises and a truck driver lacks the proper experience, it could lead to numerous injuries.
Poor Road and Weather Conditions – Snow, ice, and rain make driving tractor-trailers more difficult. The same is true of roads full or potholes or that have malfunctioning traffic signals.

Trucking companies hold a lot of data that can prove vital to your claim, especially GPS tracking information, and many of them will erase that data after a certain period of time.

In a Truck Accident? Contact Our Little Rock Attorneys for a Free Case Review

No matter the cause of your collision, you can trust LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers to be strong advocates for you. To request a free consultation to discuss your semi-truck crash, contact our Little Rock accident attorneys.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident

Our Little Rock truck accident lawyer and his skilled personal injury team will exhaustively investigate your accident to determine its cause and prove liability. We have pursued compensation claims against these parties in the past.

Drivers of 18-Wheelers and Semi-Trucks

Most truck drivers safely and conscientiously operate their vehicles, but reckless and irresponsible driving is still unacceptable. And with the size of these vehicles, such driving tends to cause catastrophic injuries.

Trucking Companies

Many trucking companies care more about profits than safety. As a result, they will push drivers to meet dangerous and unrealistic schedules, put unsafe trucks on the road, and generally behave in negligent ways.

Cargo Companies

Our semi-truck accident attorneys will follow your accident all the way back to its source. If that source is a cargo company that made a mistake in loading the 18-wheeler, we can pursue compensation from them.

Other Kinds of Large Trucks That Can Cause Serious Accidents

In truth, when we talk about truck accidents, we’re talking about collisions that might involve any of the following types of commercial vehicles:

Delivery Trucks – Trucks and vans from Amazon, UPS, and FedEx have major blind spots and could cause serious collisions.
Cement Trucks – Crucial for many construction projects, these large vehicles can cause serious crashes that result in catastrophic harm.
Dump Trucks – Another important vehicle in construction projects, dump trucks could hit cars or accidentally dump their loads onto the road, creating major hazards.
Fire Trucks – Fire trucks could cause major wrecks at intersections if they do not have lights flashing and sirens blaring while en route to an emergency.
Garbage Trucks – Garbage trucks are massive and could cause serious collisions if the driver is not paying attention to others sharing the road.

Know the Blind Spots: How to Stay Safe When Driving Near Large Trucks

Passenger vehicles must be extraordinarily cautious around semi-trucks, delivery vehicles, dump trucks, and other commercial vehicles. It’s important to know where the blind spots are around these big trucks.

The blind spot danger zones when driving near large trucks include:

To the right of the truck driver and just slightly behind the cab
To the left of the truck driver behind the cab
To the front of the large truck for about 20 feet
Behind the large truck for about 30 feet

For your safety, avoid driving in the truck blind spots listed above, and avoid passing a truck unless you feel absolutely certain there is enough space and time to do so safely.

Many of our clients are reluctant to file a claim, blame themselves for the accident or just don’t know a crucial piece of information. That’s why it’s so important to speak to our truck accident attorneys about your case at a free consultation.

Speak with Our Little Rock Truck Accident Attorneys About Your Case

Whether you were hit by a tractor-trailer, a delivery truck, or a dump truck near a construction site, you can count on LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers to listen to what happened and help you understand your legal options. To set up a free case review about your truck accident, contact our Little Rock, Arkansas personal injury law firm.

Compensation Available in a Truck Accident Claims

Because of the massive size of most commercial big rigs driving through Arkansas, our Little Rock truck accident lawyers often deal with catastrophic injury cases. When seeking compensation, we will consider the following effects on a client’s life and livelihood.

Medical Bills and Health Expenses

Our attorneys can seek compensation to cover hospitalization, life-saving surgical procedures, physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and use of prescription drugs.

Lost Wages and Earning Potential

Our truck accident attorneys can note if the collision led to extended leave from work, changes in your job duties, or long-term effects on your ability to earn a living wage.

Damage to Your Vehicle and Other Belongings

Tractor-trailer crashes could wreck your car, requiring replacement of the totaled vehicle. We can also add up the cost of repairs, car rentals, and even the cost of replacing broken phones, laptops, and other belongings damaged in the collision.

Losses in Fatal Truck Accidents

When you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal truck crash, our lawyers can help with a wrongful death lawsuit to seek compensation for funeral costs, your deceased loved one’s pain and suffering, your emotional distress, and the effect of the loved one’s absence on your household.

Should I Accept a Settlement or Go to Trial?

That depends on what happened during the big rig collision. LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers can let you know if a settlement offer is fair given your injuries or if your case should go all the way to court to maximize your compensation.

Structured Settlements and Lump-Sum Settlements

When a lump-sum trucking accident settlement is agreed upon, you will be paid in full in a single payment.

When a structured settlement is agreed upon, you will receive payments from the insurance company at regular intervals over a predetermined length of time. For example, if you receive a $200,000 settlement, you may agree to accept $20,000 a year for a total of 10 years.

Since a settlement’s classification determines how it will be taxed, the type of settlement can substantially affect the amount of money you receive after taxes. Our Little Rock truck accident attorneys can help determine the best option for your situation.

Request a Free Consultation with our Truck Accident Lawyers in Little Rock, AR

You do not have to negotiate with insurance reps or take on the trucking industry alone. LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers are ready to fight for you against corporations. We advocate for the underdog. To discuss your case with our truck accident attorneys, contact our Arkansas law firm. Our can also reach our law office in Little Rock by phone at 501-588-0082.

Levar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers – Little Rock Office Location

204 Executive Ct #208
Little Rock, AR 72205
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