If you’re recovering from an accident with a semi truck you might need a truck accident lawyer in Kentucky. Because of their size, an accident involving a semi-truck can lead to serious damages, severe injuries, or death. Let’s look at what you can do to protect your rights when you’re involved in a truck accident in Kentucky.
Roadway Dangers in Kentucky
According to TruckInfo, there were just over 3,000 semi-truck accidents in Kentucky in 2022. Nearly a third of those resulted in injuries for the people involved. This means that every day Kentucky drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians face the very real possibility that they will be involved in an accident with a semi truck.
Steps to Take After a Semi Truck Accident
If you are involved in a semi-truck accident in Kentucky you should take steps to protect your immediate, and long-term, health.
- Call 911 for medical and safety assistance.
- Medical professionals can evaluate and potentially treat injuries on-site.
- Law enforcement can create an accident report.
- Take photos of the accident scene. Get pictures of the vehicles, the damage, signage, obstructions, and the full scene.
- Make notes of everything you can. Capture as many details as you can remember because memories fade over time.
- Collect the names and phone numbers of any witnesses.
- Get insurance and company details from the truck driver.
- Call your insurance company.
- Keep bills and medical reports from every post-accident doctor’s visit.
- Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer in Kentucky.
It is important that you only take the steps that you can safely perform.
Why You Need a Kentucky Personal Injury Lawyer with a CDL License?
An experienced semi truck accident lawyer in Kentucky, like the team at Spivak + Sakellariou, knows how important it is to gather ALL of the information after an accident. Our team has CDL training and they know what to look for in the accident report. The Spivak + Sakellariou legal team also has experience accessing:
- Footage from any dash cameras
- The black box from the semi-truck
- Driving logs
Spivak + Sakellariou legal team can also help you work with a trucking company’s insurance provider. Because of the complexities involved in a semi-truck accident, you may want to delay responding to their insurance company until you speak to a personal injury lawyer in Kentucky with CDL experience.
Settlement vs. Trial
After an accident, an experienced Kentucky truck accident lawyer can help you navigate your post-accident recovery. This can include helping you decide whether you should take a case to trial or if a settlement will be better.
Going to trial
During a trial, you will be able to present your case in court. With a trial, you can often ask for a higher compensation amount, but there is no guarantee that you will receive that amount or even win your case.
Taking a settlement
Settlements may be a quicker way to a final resolution. While the financial amounts may not be as large as you might get at trial, in a settlement you often end up with something.
As part of settlement negotiations, your lawyer may ask that certain industry practices or regulations be changed. This could mean that your misfortune will help prevent future accidents as the trucking company would have to change a business process.
Experienced Truck Accident Lawyers in Kentucky
When you are recovering from an accident with a semi-truck you want help from someone with compassion, experience, and knowledge of the trucking system. The legal team at Spivak + Sakellariou not only has the experience, but they also have a CDL-licensed lawyer. This provides them with an insight that other law firms just don’t have. Let their experience aid in your recovery; contact your truck accident lawyers in Kentucky today.
