Preparations for Litigation
When you need a truck accident lawyer Baltimore MD residents recommend, talk to the lawyers at Cohen and Cohen, P.C. Our experience with litigating personal injury lawsuits has resulted in recovering millions of dollars for our clients.
A Baltimore MD truck accident lawyer from Cohen and Cohen, P.C. may negotiate a settlement or pursue a lawsuit on your behalf. We aim to do whatever is necessary to make sure our clients recover the maximum amount possible for their losses.
If you have been injured in a truck accident due to another driver’s negligence, there are several things you might do to help your case. Before meeting with an attorney, here are some general tips to keep in mind:
Preserve Evidence
Think of the accident scene as a crime scene where evidence should be preserved. If the truck driver was careless or negligent, that may have directly caused your injury and property damage. A strong case may include evidence of this. Some of evidence may still be at the accident scene, particularly if signage, cement curbs, or other objects were damaged in the accident. More evidence could be found by examining your vehicle as well as the truck.
A Cohen and Cohen, P.C. truck accident lawyer in Baltimore MD might prepare and submit a spoliation letter to the trucking company. This would inform the company of the date the accident occurred and remind them that federal law requires the preservation of evidence in their custody. In the meantime, try to preserve the evidence that you are in possession of, including:
- Photographs you’ve taken of the vehicles involved, with special attention paid to your own damage from the accident.
- Photographs of your injuries immediately after the accident and after treatments.
- Anything of relevance to what happened, particularly if it pertains to how the other driver was negligent or careless. After hiring a truck accident lawyer Baltimore MD commuters recommend, he or she may advise you on what evidence could be relevant.
Establishing Who is Responsible
Though it may be clear in your mind that the truck driver caused the accident, it may still be necessary to prove liability in a court of law. Without a strong case, you might not receive a settlement or be awarded damages from a judge. A truck accident lawyer Baltimore MD offers may determine that more than one party is responsible for your costs. Here are the parties who are often held accountable after a truck accident:
- The truck’s owner. On occasion there are two owners: one party owns the cab and another party owns the trailer (and possibly the freight inside it).
- The freight owner. If the cargo includes hazardous materials that could break loose, this could seriously injure anyone in the vicinity. If the freight company loads their own freight, they would be responsible for doing so in a safe manner.
- The truck driver. If the driver operated the truck while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or was distracted while driving, your attorney might be able to establish their liability.
- The manufacturer of the truck, cab, trailer, tires or other parts that caused or contributed to the seriousness of the accident. An experienced truck accident lawyer Baltimore MD motorists rely on from Cohen and Cohen, P.C. may have experts testify. These experts would explain how the defective part helped to cause the accident. It may have to be proved that the manufacturer was aware of the defect but did not address it.
- Multiple parties. If the weight shifted inside and caused the truck to go out of control prior to hitting your vehicle, there could be as many as five parties responsible:
- The cab owner.
- The trailer owner.
- The freight owner.
- The person or company responsible for properly loading the freight.
- The truck driver.
Truck accidents, compared to auto accidents, may be very serious and result in severe injuries. If you or someone you know was injured through no fault of their own, contact us immediately. Call Cohen and Cohen, P.C. to meet with an experienced truck accident lawyer Baltimore MD drivers can trust to protect their rights.
