Hartford Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck Accident Attorney in Hartford, CT

Accidents involving large commercial vehicles, such as semi-trucks, box trucks, and vans, are more likely to result in severe injuries than accidents involving only passenger cars. The size of these vehicles makes it almost inevitable that someone will get hurt. If you’ve been injured in a crash with a commercial vehicle, you should contact a Hartford truck accident lawyer. You may be eligible to receive compensation.

Turn to Buckley Wynne & Parese

You need a Hartford personal injury lawyer you can trust to handle your truck accident claim. The team here at Buckley Wynne & Parese has many years of experience practicing personal injury law, and at our firm, the law partners do the work. Your truck accident case won’t just be passed on to paralegals. You’ll get all the benefits of working with a seasoned attorney.

How Common Are Truck Accidents in Hartford,  CT?

In 2023, commercial trucks comprised 5% of all registered vehicles. In Hartford, there were 130 FMCSA-qualifying crashes involving these large trucks in 2024, totaling 271 vehicles. A total of 417 people were affected by these crashes. Given that there were 122,129 people living in Hartford in 2024, that may not sound like many crashes. If you were involved in one of these accidents, you might think differently.

Types of Injuries Sustained in Truck Crashes

In most accidents involving large commercial trucks, it’s the people in the passenger vehicles who sustain many of the injuries. This unfortunate fact makes sense when you consider the size and weight disparities between these two types of vehicles.

The injuries sustained by truck accident victims also tend to be more severe than those associated with regular passenger car crashes. They can include:

• Back and neck injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Full or partial paralysis
• Internal bleeding
• Broken bones
• Severe burns
• Permanent disfigurement

No matter what type of injury you’ve sustained, you deserve to be compensated for what you’ve been through.

Damages Available in Truck Accident Cases

Most people know that they can be compensated for any injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. What you may not know is that the damages from these types of crashes often extend well beyond medical bills. They can be divided into three broad categories:

1. Economic Damages: Economic damages cover measurable losses, such as medical bills and lost wages.
2. Non-Economic Damages: Non-economic damages are more subjective. They include things like pain and suffering.
3. Punitive Damages: Punitive damages only apply in cases where the responsible party’s actions were malicious or exceptionally reckless. Connecticut has a high bar for punitive damages, and they’re unlikely to be awarded in a truck accident.

Your lawyer can identify all potential damages for your case, giving them leverage to negotiate a good settlement with the responsible party’s insurance company.

Truck Accidents and Wrongful Death Claims

Thankfully, deaths from truck accidents in Hartford are relatively rare. In 2024, two crashes involving four vehicles led to six fatalities. If you are one of the people affected by a wrongful death, that doesn’t matter. You should know that if your close family member died, you could be entitled to compensation for damages such as loss of consortium, loss of guidance and nurture, and funeral and burial costs.

Determining Liability in Truck Accidents

When you get into a car crash, it’s usually relatively easy to determine liability. The same can’t be said of commercial vehicle accidents. There are many different people or entities that could be held responsible depending on the circumstances of the crash. They include:

• The Driver: If the driver’s negligence contributed to your crash, they could be held liable. They can be covered under the trucking company’s insurance.
• The Trucking Company: A legal doctrine known as respondeat superior assigns responsibility for employees’ actions to employers, so the trucking company itself could be held liable for the driver’s actions.
• Cargo Loaders: If a third-party loading company improperly secured the cargo, it could shift in transit, causing the driver to lose control.
• Service Providers: The company responsible for truck maintenance and repairs can be held liable for mechanical failures.
• Parts Manufacturers: If a defective part played a role in causing the accident, the part’s manufacturer could hold some of the blame.

Essential Evidence in Truck Accident Cases

There are several forms of evidence that can play a role in supporting your truck accident claim. Some of them involve documentation that you’ll need to collect yourself, while others can be obtained from the trucking company. Here’s what you can collect for evidence:

• Photos and Videos: If you’re able to move around safely after your accident, you should make a point of gathering photographic or videographic evidence of the scene. Document the vehicles, any injuries you’ve sustained, and the surroundings. Things like tire marks on the road or specific types of damage to the vehicles can help to determine exactly how the accident occurred.
• Eyewitness Accounts: You should also gather contact information for anyone who witnessed the accident, whether they were involved or not. Your lawyer can return later to interview any observers and obtain official eyewitness accounts.
• Surveillance Footage: Your lawyer may be able to obtain video of the actual crash from nearby surveillance cameras.
• Medical Records: Keep all of your medical records and bills from any treatment you receive stemming from your accident-related injuries. Your lawyer can use them to show economic damages stemming from your accident.
• Pay Stubs: You’ll also need to prove that you lost wages as a result of your injuries. Providing pay stubs from before and after the accident should be sufficient.
• Electronic Logging Devices: Modern trucks are typically equipped with electronic logging devices. They record essential data, such as the truck’s speed, when the driver started braking, and whether any malfunctions occurred at the time. Your lawyer can analyze evidence taken from the ELD to determine whether erratic driving patterns due to distracted driving or fatigue played a role in your crash.

There may also be evidence available to the trucking company that you don’t have, including the ELD. Your lawyer can obtain copies of anything they have during discovery.

Why Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer in Hartford, CT?

It doesn’t matter whether the crash happened on I-91 or in downtown Hartford. Accident victims should always prioritize seeking medical care, but once they’re stable, they should hire a truck accident lawyer right away. A Hartford truck accident attorney can help you:

• Evaluate the strength of your claim.
• Gather evidence to support your case.
• Construct a coherent narrative of the event.
• Negotiate with insurance companies to get the maximum settlement.
• Litigate your case in court, should it need to go to trial.

Your truck accident lawyer can do all the legwork for your case, allowing you to focus on what’s important: healing from your injuries.

FAQs About Truck Accidents in Hartford, CT

Who Is Liable for a Truck Accident?

There are several parties who could be held liable for a truck accident. The truck driver could be liable if their negligence contributed to the crash. Trucking companies can also be held responsible for their drivers’ actions.

Other parties who could be liable depend on the circumstances of the crash and can include mechanics, truck parts manufacturers, maintenance technicians, cargo loaders, other drivers, or even the government agencies responsible for maintaining roads.

What Happens if a Truck Driver Gets in an Accident?

If a truck driver gets in an accident, they can face serious consequences. Those consequences could include the loss of their job or license, a potential criminal investigation, and civil liability for any injuries or damages caused to others. Drivers are only liable for accidents that they contributed to through negligence or reckless driving.

How Much Are Most Truck Driver Settlements?

There is no way to say how much most truck driver settlements are because every case is different. Your settlement amount will depend on factors such as the type and severity of your injuries, whether you’ll face any permanent disability, and how much insurance coverage the trucking company had. Your lawyer’s skill in negotiations can also impact your eventual settlement amount, so be sure to work with an experienced attorney.

What Is Truck Driver Negligence?

Truck driver negligence occurs when a commercial driver violates safety rules, fails to follow the rules of the road, or fails to use reasonable care in operating their vehicle, and it causes an accident. Examples of negligence can include distracted driving, speeding, driving under the influence, drowsy driving, and a failure to obey street signs.

Your Hartford Truck Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in a crash with a commercial vehicle, don’t waste any time. Contact a Hartford truck accident lawyer right away to discuss your options. The team here at Buckley Wynne & Parese can help. We have been in practice for decades, and in that time, we’ve helped countless truck accident victims get the compensation they need and deserve. We can help you, too. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.

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