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PHONES ANSWERED 24 HOURS A DAY
Nashville and its environs form the largest metropolitan area in Tennessee. It lies at the crossroads of interstate highways I-40, I-65, and I-24. The region includes 14 counties, with Davidson County at the center. Cities, suburbs, communities, and unincorporated areas near Nashville include Green Hills, Belle Meade, Oak Hill, Antioch, Bellevue, Donelson, Hermitage, Madison, Whites Creek, Old Hickory, and Goodlettsville. Like other bustling cities around the United States, Nashville is often traversed by large commercial vehicles. Although the tractor-trailer industry is heavily regulated, truck crashes remain common. If you have been harmed by a negligent commercial driver, you should contact experienced Nashville truck accident lawyer Matt Hardin. He has helped many Tennessee residents file claims based on car wrecks, truck wrecks, wrongful death, slip and falls, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, and other types of accidents.
Truck accidents are legally complex and pursuing compensation can involve a prolonged investigation and identifying numerous liable parties, including the truck driver, truck company, and truck owner. The complexities of these cases leaves many victims like you wondering about the status of their claims and what they can do to improve their chances of getting maximum compensation.
At Matt Hardin Law, our goal is to keep our clients well-informed about every step of the legal process and common questions and concerns about truck accidents in general. To learn more about how truck accident claims play out and a list of tips for what to do after your truck accident, check out the resources below:
Being a victim of a truck accident can be an intimidating, stressful, and confusing experience. You may feel like you’re being pulled in several directions at once—and that can be harmful when you’re trying to recover from your injuries. To simplify the process and create an easier game plan for victims like you, we created this list of the things truck accident victims should concentrate on during the hours, days, and weeks after their accidents.
We know that truck accident victims like you often have many questions about their roads to getting compensation and how our attorneys build successful claims. To help answer some of the most common questions we receive, we created a list of frequently asked questions specifically for truck accident cases. If you have any additional questions or concerns not addressed on this page, feel free to contact the Nashville truck accident attorneys at our office.
In many truck accidents, the injuries to people in other vehicles are catastrophic due to the size and weight of the big rig involved. A victim who is harmed by a careless or reckless trucker can bring a lawsuit alleging negligence against that individual, and may also consider suing his or her employer for vicarious liability, negligent hiring, or negligent supervision.
In the negligence claim against the commercial driver, the plaintiff must show the existence of the driver’s duty of care, his or her breach of that duty, actual and proximate causation, and compensable damages. Generally, it is straightforward for the victim to prove he or she was owed a duty. All truck drivers have a duty to other people on the road to operate their vehicles safely, taking into account not only traffic rules but road and weather conditions.
A breach of duty may arise when a tractor-trailer driver fails to abide by any of the many regulations outlined by federal and state law. For example, truckers must follow strict rules related to rest so that they aren’t on the road while unreasonably fatigued. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) prohibits truck drivers from working more than 14 consecutive hours without sleeping or going off duty. Truck drivers may not work more than 60 hours in seven days, or 70 hours in eight days. Other specific rules govern areas such as the loading of commercial vehicles, and a Nashville lawyer with experience handling truck accident cases will be familiar with them.
There are many ways to show causation from evidence related to the accident scene. For example, data can be recovered from electronic transponders installed in a big rig to show the amount of time that its driver is on the road and the timing of various deliveries. These can be used to extrapolate other facts, such as how much time a driver rested and whether he or she properly loaded cargo on the truck. In some cases, it may be appropriate to retain an accident reconstruction specialist who can look at electronic data as well as skid marks, debris, and damage to other vehicles.
When the injuries are devastating, the damages award in a successful lawsuit may be substantial. Forms of compensation can include coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, vocational rehabilitation, property damage, loss of enjoyment in activities, and pain and suffering.
Commercial drivers, their employers, and their insurers are likely to mount a vigorous defense to suggest that the accident victim was partly or completely at fault for an collision. Therefore, after a truck accident, it is important to consult a Nashville lawyer experienced in these types of cases as soon as possible. We can help make sure that evidence does not disappear, and work to hold the appropriate parties accountable. Contact Matt Hardin by calling 615-200-1111 or sending a message through our online form.
“I'm super pleased with Matt and his whole team. I was hesitant to contact a lawyer after my accident, but I'm so glad I did!”
William