Cincinnati Garbage Truck Accident Lawyers
Did you suffer injuries in an accident with a garbage truck? Was it caused by the truck driver’s negligent or careless actions? If so, contact Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, and we’ll help you file an insurance claim or lawsuit for compensation.
You’re likely familiar with the sound garbage trucks make when they stop by your house every week. These vehicles carry garbage, recyclables, and other items from residential and commercial properties to a landfill or recycling plant. Although a necessary part of everyday life, they’re massive in size and could cause serious injuries and fatalities when they crash into smaller vehicles.
At Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, we will keep your interests in mind when pursuing financial compensation from the at-fault driver or the trucking company. They should be the ones to pay for the harm you suffered. We know accidents can upend your entire life, causing financial strain, emotional trauma, and physical pain. You can depend on us to hold the negligent parties liable, so they are forced to pay you for the injuries they caused.
Call us at (513) 351-5997 for a free consultation with one of our Cincinnati garbage truck accident lawyers to find out more about how we can help.
Common Causes of Garbage Truck Accidents
Many factors could contribute to a collision between a garbage truck and another vehicle. Truck drivers have the responsibility of maneuvering large and heavy trucks carrying massive amounts of waste. One wrong move could lead to an accident, causing severe injuries to the driver and passenger in a small car.
Garbage truck drivers face many challenges when they’re behind the wheel. A large compartment on the back of the vehicle blocks a lot of their rear and side views. It’s difficult to notice if there’s a car nearby, requiring them to thoroughly check their blind spots before changing lanes or merging into traffic.
Trucks that are high off the ground and top-heavy also have a high center of gravity. This type of vehicle can roll over much easier than a car lower to the ground. Sudden braking, sharp turns, and erratic maneuvers could create momentum that lifts the tires off the ground, causing the truck to tip onto its side.
Driver error is also common in garbage truck accidents. Some of the mistakes the truck driver could make that lead to a crash include:
- Fatigued driving
- Tailgating
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Speeding
- Improperly secured materials
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Tailgating
- Failure to check blind spots
- Taking turns too fast
- Distracted driving
If these reasons or any other causes resulted in an accident and your injuries, you should contact Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, so we can begin our investigation. We will review the facts of the case to determine who was at fault and file a claim or lawsuit to recover the compensation you need to heal and move forward with your life.
Trucking Companies Must Comply With Federal Regulations to Prevent Accidents
Companies that use garbage trucks and other commercial vehicles must follow federal regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The truck driver isn’t necessarily to blame for the crash, especially if their employer used negligent hiring practices or failed to repair damage to the garbage truck.
Violating any of the regulations below could pose a risk to the occupants of other vehicles and determine liability for the crash:
- Confirm drivers have a valid commercial driver’s license
- Perform routine inspections and maintenance on all trucks
- Repair damage or defects promptly
- Perform a thorough background check on prospective employees, including employment, driving, and criminal history
- Provide ongoing training
- Monitor drivers for possible drug or alcohol use and perform random testing
- Adequately investigate any accident involving an employee
Trucking companies could be at fault for an accident if their actions were negligent in any way. “Negligence” comes from the legal theory that one party owes another a reasonable degree of care to avoid causing injury. If their mistakes led to your injuries, they were negligent, and you could seek compensation from them in an insurance claim or lawsuit.
Compensation Available In An Insurance Claim
When it comes to financial responsibility for an injured party’s losses, Ohio uses the fault system. That means the person who causes an accident becomes liable for the victim’s injuries and associated expenses. Typically, you can get compensation for your various losses by filing a claim with the driver’s liability insurance company.
All drivers, including garbage truck drivers, must carry liability insurance with minimum coverage limits. When you file your claim, you could pursue the following:
- Medical bills
- Loss of companionship
- Out of pocket expenses
- Property damage
- Mental anguish
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
You could also file a claim with your auto insurance company if the liability coverage doesn’t adequately compensate for your losses. State law does not require that you include uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage on your policy, but all insurance companies must offer it. It is available when:
- The at-fault driver doesn’t have liability insurance;
- The at-fault driver’s liability coverage isn’t high enough; or
- A hit and run driver caused the accident.
When you file a UM claim, the losses you can recover are more limited than in a liability claim, but you could pursue the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Out of pocket expenses
Our Cincinnati garbage truck accident lawyers can obtain evidence that proves the truck driver caused the crash and should be financially responsible for your injuries. We use our experience and resources to maximize your case’s value, so you win the maximum available settlement you need and deserve. If the insurance company won’t settle your case for a fair amount or denies the claim, we could file a lawsuit.
Pursuing Compensation from A Lawsuit Against the Truck Driver or Trucking Company
You have a right to sue the garbage truck driver or their employer after getting hurt in an accident they caused. There’s a strict deadline known as a statute of limitations you must follow. In Ohio, there is a two-year statute of limitations. That means you have two years from the accident date to file your lawsuit, or you could lose your right to seek compensation in this legal matter.
Our Cincinnati garbage truck accident lawyers know what kind of evidence we need to obtain that proves someone else is liable for the injuries you sustained. When you hire us, we can investigate the crash and obtain the following crucial evidence:
- Crash report
- Truck driver’s employment history
- Trucking company’s hiring procedures and maintenance and repair reports
- Copies of your medical bills
- All available insurance policies
- Statements from eyewitnesses
- Video surveillance of the accident
- Truck driver’s licensing and qualifications to operate a garbage truck
It’s critical that you don’t admit any amount of fault for the accident. Ohio follows the modified comparative negligence rule. That means your compensation could diminish by the percentage of fault you share for an accident. For instance, if your losses total $100,000 but a jury determines you share 20% of the blame, you would only be entitled to $80,000 in compensation. Additionally, if the jury decides that you were more than 50% responsible for the crash, you would not be allowed to recover any amount of compensation.
Steps To Take After An Accident Involving A Garbage Truck
Whether your injuries are minor or severe, you should immediately seek medical treatment and hire an experienced Cincinnati garbage truck accident lawyer from Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC. We provide legal representation for accident victims in Cincinnati and throughout Ohio. We’re familiar with state laws and the legal procedures we need to follow to win the compensation you need to get your life back on track.
At the accident scene, you or someone else should call 911 to report the crash. Make sure you get transported to a nearby hospital by an ambulance or by someone else immediately. It’s crucial that you don’t wait before your initial treatment. Insurance companies will look for any reason to deny your claim, and if you waited too long before seeing a doctor, they could use that as evidence that you didn’t sustain injuries in the accident.
While you’re attending your doctor’s appointments, we can handle every legal aspect of your case. We can perform an investigation, gather evidence, file an insurance claim, and negotiate a settlement. We have the resources and experience to file a lawsuit and take your case to court if necessary. We never back down from a fight and will hold the garbage truck driver or their employer accountable for their actions.
Contact Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC for A Free Consultation
At Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, our Cincinnati garbage truck accident lawyers provide one on one attention to each client who hires us. We know how important customer service is and want you to always feel like a priority. You suffered enough after the accident and should receive some sort of financial compensation to pay for your treatment and other expenses.
If you were injured due to a garbage truck driver’s negligent actions, contact Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC at (513) 351-5997 immediately. Our legal team is ready to advocate for your rights and fight for justice.
