MOBILE, AL TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS

In a split second, your vehicle can be crushed in a collision with a large 18-wheeler.  Truck accidents often result in severe injuries or death and can mean weeks or months in the hospital, time off work, and even permanent scarring and disability.  This devastation is made much worse if the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence.  If this has happened to you or a loved one, call a Mobile, AL, truck accident lawyer at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana.  We will fight to get the compensation you deserve.  You don’t have to feel scared and alone.  Our skilled and compassionate truck accident attorneys will walk beside you every step of the way.  To find out more about how we can help, call us at (251) 444-7000 for a free consultation.

Why Choose Us?

A truck accident attorney in Mobile, AL, will stand up for what’s right.

The Mobile truck accident lawyers at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana are among the best and the brightest when it comes to aggressively negotiating and litigating personal injury claims.  Attorneys C. Randall Caldwell, Jr,  Drew Wenzel, and Dee Asthana have decades of experience successfully representing clients.  Our attorneys work hard to get the largest payouts possible.  Our legal team has achieved outstanding client victories and proven case results.  We handle truck accidents, car accidents, pedestrian injuries, motorcycle accidents, and many other types of claims.  When you hire us, you’ll receive our full attention, compassion, and commitment to see the case through to a successful conclusion.  We come highly recommended by many satisfied clients.  We also offer an attractive attorney referral program.

The attorneys at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana are tough negotiators and fierce litigators.  We will not rest until we’ve achieved the best outcome possible in your case.

How We Can Help

From start to finish, a Mobile, AL, truck accident attorney at our law firm will keep you informed, answer your questions, and explain your legal options.  We don’t want you to feel alone or overwhelmed.  We’ll explain legal concepts in terms you can understand, offer you guidance in decision making, and show you and your family the respect and compassion you deserve.  We’ll do everything we can to relieve the stress of filing your legal claim by doing the following:

1. Review and catalogue all the evidence
2. Interview accident eyewitnesses
3. Consult with expert witnesses, such as accident reconstruction professionals and highway safety personnel, as part of proving the other driver’s fault
4. Assess the amount of money to ask for in compensation based on your damages
5. Research relevant statutes and case law to build a powerful case
6. Manage all the necessary paperwork and court filings
7. Handle all communications with insurance companies and at-fault parties
8. Negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company, if possible
9. Aggressively litigate in front of a judge and jury, if necessary.

You have a smart team of powerful legal allies when our firm represents you.  You don’t ever have to wonder or worry about insurance companies, defendant’s attorneys, or anything else, because we’ll l handle all of this for you.

Truck Accidents Caused by Truck Owner & Driver Negligence

Many commercial truck accidents are caused by driver or trucking company negligence. These are just a few of the many causes of truck accidents that might be attributable to negligence, giving victims the right to bring a legal action to recover damages:

• Speeding
• Driver use of alcohol or drugs
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Careless lane changes
• Driver distraction
• Disregard of traffic laws, signs, or signals
• Failing to set the parking brake on a slope
• Braking abruptly
• Missing under-ride guard
• Skipping scheduled maintenance
• Overloading
• Failing to conduct legally mandated inspections
• Driver fatigue
• Insufficient training of drivers.

Whatever the factors that led to your injury accident, you can bet a skilled Mobile, AL, truck accident attorney at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana will get to the bottom of it and hold the negligent parties accountable.

Types of Commercial Vehicles that Can Be Involved in Truck Accidents

• Semi-trucks are the largest of the commercial trucks, weighing in at around 80,000 pounds when fully loaded, compared to a passenger vehicle weighing only several thousand pounds. These monsters of the road are responsible for more than their share of injuries and fatalities.
• Tanker trucks carry liquid cargoes which are sometimes flammable or toxic. If a tanker is not fully loaded and the liquid sloshes from side to side, it can throw the truck off balance, causing it to overturn. This can cause an accident with another vehicle or can injure people in the vicinity by exposing them to toxins or by catching fire.
• Delivery trucks such as UPS, DHL, and FedEx are ubiquitous. Drivers have strict schedules and delivery quotas, which at times predispose their drivers to be more concerned with speed than with safety.
• Sanitation trucks (garbage trucks) prowl through both residential and commercial areas where they often must maneuver in small areas, backing up frequently creating a danger to pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles.
• Construction trucks include dump trucks, cement mixer trucks, and flatbed trucks that move construction equipment and materials. They are heavy and unwieldy, and a crash or back-over can result in serious damage to other vehicles on the road and workers on the construction site.

Damages Our Truck Accident Lawyers in Mobile, AL, Can Pursue for You

Large trucks form the backbone of our commercial transportation system and are an essential part of our economy.  But they can create a significant hazard to drivers and passengers in smaller vehicles on the road.  There are a variety of damages a dedicated Mobile, AL, truck accident attorney can help you seek if you’ve been injured in a collision with a big rig.  The amount of the damages received will depend on the severity of your injuries and other details unique to your case. Damages generally fall into three categories — economic, non-economic and punitive damages.

Economic Damages

Reimbursement for Doctor Bills, Lost Time at Work and Other Measurable Losses

Measurable losses, also called economic damages, include costs that can be easily quantified in dollar figures. Doctor bills, hospital expenses, rehabilitation, medicines, lost time at work, property damage, and loss of future earnings potential all fall into this category. Even tasks you may need to pay for because you can no longer perform them can be asked for as economic damages such as house cleaning, lawn maintenance, childcare, and other similar services.

Non-Economic Damages

Payment for Pain and Suffering for Your Physical and Mental Trauma

Non-economic damages are much harder to quantify and put a price on. But when your life has been turned upside down because of another person’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation for these intangible losses. Physical pain, emotional stress, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement and scarring, damaged relationships with family and other individual losses fall into this category.

Punitive Damages

Compensation to Punish Negligent Parties

Sometimes, but not always, a judge will award punitive damages to punish the defendant for egregious disregard for the safety of others and to send a warning to other would-be wrongdoers.  One example of punitive damages might be a judge awarding additional compensation in a drunk driving accident in which someone was severely injured or killed.

Truck Accident FAQs

Our personal injury lawyers have represented hundreds of accident victims, and, over time, we hear many of the same questions.  Below is a list of frequently asked questions with answers.

Q:  What if my loved one was killed in a truck collision?

A:  It is always tragic when someone dies in a crash caused by the careless driver of a tractor trailer.  In these cases, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit to recoup not only the damages listed above, but also funeral and burial costs.  While no amount of money can bring back your loved one, financial compensation can provide surviving family members a way to move forward in life.

Q:  How many people die in large truck accidents each year?

A:  In 2020, 4,842 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes in the United States, a 4% decrease from 2019 but still a 33% increase since 2011, according to the National Safety Council.  Roughly 107,000 large trucks were involved in crashes resulting in injuries in 2020.  In 2019 in Alabama, 137 people were killed and 2,612 were injured in large truck crashes.

Q:  How do you prove negligence?

A:  To prove that the truck driver, trucking company, or truck manufacturer was negligent, your attorney will have to prove four elements:  Duty, Breach, Causation, and Damages.  These are the four pillars of negligence.

Q:  Is Alabama an at-fault state?

A:  Yes, Alabama follows the at-fault rule, also known as a tort state or fault system.  This means at-fault drivers must pay for the other person’s losses, including medical bills and property damage. 

Q:  How many parties can I sue in a Mobile, AL, truck accident claim?

A:  You can name one, two or more defendants in a truck accident lawsuit, depending on the facts in your case.  For example, the driver of the other vehicle is an obvious person to sue.  You could also sue a trucking company because it failed to train its drivers adequately or conduct periodic maintenance on its trucks.  And you can sue a truck manufacturer if there is evidence of faulty brakes, defective steering, or other mechanical or electrical defects that caused the truck to crash.

Q:  What kinds of injuries result from large truck accidents?

A:  There are the obvious injuries you might expect from large truck crashes – broken bones, cuts, back injuries, burns, and neck injuries  — but there are also hidden injuries like anxiety, phobias, depression and PTSD that often go unnoticed. 

We hope these answers have been helpful.  If you have more questions about your Mobile, AL, truck accident, call us at (251) 444-7000 for a free consultation.

The Losses Are Staggering

In Alabama, a traffic collision was reported every 3 minutes and 55 seconds in 2020.  That same year, a person was killed in a traffic accident every 9 hours and 20 minutes.  Whether a truck accident or car accident, this means there are a lot of grieving families in Alabama.

According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Top 10 causes of truck accidents in the state include:

1. Improper Lane Change (14.8%)
2. Failure to Yield the Right of Way (10%)
3. Unseen Object, Person, or Vehicle (8.2%)
4. Tailgating (7.5%)
5. Misjudged Stopping Distance (5.1%)
6. Improper Backing (4.1%)
7. Defective Equipment (4%)
8. Improper Turn (3.8%)
9. Avoiding Animal, Person, or Object (3.5%)
10. Failure to Heed a Sign or Signal (2.8%)

Statute of Limitations for Filing a Mobile, AL, Truck Accident Claim

The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Alabama is two years. ( Ala. Code. Sec. 6-2-38)  This means if you want to sue a party who caused a large truck accident, you must file your lawsuit quickly.  The clock begins ticking on the date of the collision in most cases, with just a few exceptions.  You can rely on our truck accident lawyers in Mobile, AL, to file all paperwork in a timely manner and meet all deadlines.  We have in-depth experience in navigating courthouse procedures, and we have a strong commitment to making sure all motions and filings are completed on time.

Call Our Mobile, AL, Truck Accident Lawyers Today

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in an accident with a large commercial truck, it is important to retain an experienced truck accident attorney in Mobile, AL, as soon after the accident as possible — before you engage in any conversation with the adjuster for the truck’s insurance company. Get medical attention immediately, and then talk to one of our experienced truck accident attorneys at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana. We serve clients from both our Mobile, AL, and Foley, AL, locations.

A MOBILE TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER AT CALDWELL WENZEL & ASTHANA OFFERS A FREE CASE CONSULTATION WHERE WE’LL ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS YOUR LEGAL OPTIONS. CALL US NOW AT (251) 444-7000.