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If you were involved in a rollover truck accident in Washington, DC, chances are you are dealing with catastrophic injuries and have many questions. Will you be able to provide for your family if you cannot work? How will you get to work if your vehicle was damaged? How will you pay for your medical bills? Will your injuries result in lifelong health problems? Fortunately, our DC rollover truck accident lawyer can help.
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The DC rollover truck accident lawyers of Regan Zambri Long can answer all your questions. If you or a loved one were injured in a truck rollover, or if a family member was killed, call us at (202) 960-4596 for your free consultation.
Truck accident cases are complex. Not only will you be dealing with an insurance company unwilling to pay on a million-dollar policy but there could be multiple parties responsible for your accident. And if were seriously injured in the accident, you may be tempted to take the first settlement check you are offered. But there is a good chance that the settlement will not cover any future expenses you may have. That’s why it’s important to speak with an attorney who has experience in dealing with rollover truck accidents.
Regan Zambri Long has the experience, the resources, and the knowledge needed to handle large truck accident cases. We will go after the trucking company, insurance carrier, and anyone else involved in the truck crash and make sure your rights are protected.
Many large truck rollover crashes are fatal to people in other cars involved in the crash. Smaller cars, and even trucks, are no match for the size and weight of a large semi-truck that rolls over. In fact, according to the federal motor carrier safety administration, called the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers and passengers in a passenger vehicle are four times more likely to be severely injured or killed than most drivers of semi-trucks in truck accidents.
Most truck rollovers are preventable. The most common causes of rollovers are:
The way truck drivers operate their tractor trailers and the things they do or don’t do while driving can cause serious crashes. For example, if truck drivers accelerate or brake too quickly, the truck’s cargo can shift and cause truck rollover accidents. When truck drivers drive faster than posted speed limits, especially in rain or other poor weather conditions, a truck can roll over, especially while turning or taking a curve.
There are other truck driver actions that can cause a rollover situation for big trucks, such as speeding, texting while driving, fatigue and falling asleep, engaging in a dangerous maneuver, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
When a load isn’t properly balanced or secured, it can cause items to shift in the truck. This creates a risk of a rollover, in particular when a tractor trailer is making a turn. The same is true if the truck is overloaded, causing the truck to be too top-heavy and affecting vehicle stability. For trucks transporting liquids, the center of gravity can shift dramatically as liquids move on vehicle quarter turns.
When there is a rollover, falling cargo can injure other drivers. For trucks carrying hazardous cargo, especially hazardous liquids and gases, a semi-truck rollover can cause injuries and medical problems caused by these hazards.
If a semi-truck is not maintained and serviced properly, it can lead to a rollover accident. Common maintenance issues that cause preventable accidents are low tire pressure, worn brakes, and defective suspension systems.
Poor road conditions, either caused by poor road design, lack of maintenance, or adverse weather conditions, can contribute to a rollover truck accident. A truck driver could be driving recklessly or at an improper speed for the type of weather conditions, which results in a truck crash.
If the truck rollover is caused by improper loading, it could be the responsibility of the trucking company or the shipper who loaded the truck. Ultimately, the driver and the trucking companies must ensure the cargo is properly loaded and secure. If improper loading caused the DC truck rollover accident, the shipper, trucking company, and driver could be the at-fault parties.
If the semi-truck rollover is the result of the truck driver’s recklessness, such as driving at high speeds or falling asleep, the at-fault party will be the driver himself. Trucking companies may also be held responsible if, for example, they required their driver to work longer hours than is allowed or did not properly train their drivers on how to safely operate the truck.
When improper maintenance is one of the contributing factors in a DC truck rollover accident, trucking companies and many drivers may be at fault. The company is responsible for routine maintenance of the tractor trailer. The driver is responsible for checking the truck before each road trip.
In most DC rollover semi truck accidents, there is more than one cause and more than one at-fault party. It could be that a driver is speeding and the truck is improperly loaded, while the tire pressure is too low, all of which causes the truck to rollover while taking a curve. In these circumstances, the shipping company, trucking companies, and the driver would all be at-fault parties that caused the accident.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), large trucks are involved in about 120,000-160,000 crashes each year in the U.S. These accidents injure thousands of people. Drivers and passengers in other motor vehicles are four times more likely to be severely injured or killed than drivers of large trucks when a truck and another vehicle collide. Seventy-one percent of those killed were in other, smaller vehicles involved in the crash.
Because semi-trucks and other trucks are so much bigger and heavier than other vehicles on the road, the injuries and damages they cause in a crash can be serious. The driving of a large truck in violation of traffic and safety rules combined with the size of the truck means that you will likely suffer serious injuries and significant damages to your vehicle if you are in a semi-truck rollover accident. If you are a pedestrian or a motorcyclist, your risk of suffering a fatal injury is very high.
Unfortunately, many people are killed in accidents with large trucks. In Virginia, over 9% of large trucks on the road were involved in a fatal crash in 2019. In Maryland, nearly 8% of large trucks caused a fatal accident. If your family member was killed in a truck rollover accident, the skilled truck accident lawyers of Regan Zambri Long can help you file a wrongful death claim against the driver or company. Call the DC truck accident attorneys today at (202) 960-4596 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.
When you are injured in a crash with a semi truck, you may be able to receive money for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost time at work, and other kinds of compensation. The person responsible for the truck accident may be required to compensate you for your injuries. That could be the driver of the truck, the trucking company, or the shipping company who loaded the truck. Sometimes more than one person is responsible.
Even when you are entitled to compensation, it can be difficult to get the money you deserve. DC truck accident cases are complex. You will need to show that the driver was at fault and you were not at fault. You must prove that your injuries and damages to your car were caused by the crash. Many trucking companies rely upon their insurance companies and lawyers to aggressively negotiate settlement and deny your claims. This could mean that the insurance company will make a settlement offer too low to cover your damages, injuries, lost time at work, and the like. If a settlement payment too low to cover your medical bills and related expenses is offered, the experienced attorneys at Regan Zambri Long can help you get the compensation you deserve.
When you are injured in a large truck rollover, you must file your claim against the trucking company, the driver of the 18-wheeler, and any other at-fault parties. You file a claim by starting a lawsuit in court. You as the injured party will be the plaintiff and the company, driver, and other at-fault parties will be defendants. You must file your claim within a specific period of time called the statute of limitations. Under D.C. law and Maryland law, you must file your claim within three years of truck accident. If you do not, you will not be able to pursue your claim. In Virginia, you have even less time: two years from the date of the truck rollover accident.
If you pursue a claim in court against the truck drivers or trucking companies, it will be considered a personal injury lawsuit. If you pursue a claim on behalf of your family member who was killed in a truck crash, it will be a wrongful death lawsuit. Both provide “full and fair compensation” for losses suffered as a result of the crash. This includes compensation for medical expenses, at-home care, physical therapy, lost wages, loss of future earning potential if your loved one died, physical pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
It depends on the cause of the truck accidents. If the truck rolled because of improper loading, the at-fault parties are likely trucking companies and the shipping companies. The driver may also be liable since it is also his responsibility to ensure the cargo is properly loaded and secured.
If the truck driver’s recklessness or negligence in driving the truck caused the rollover accident, you would file your claim against the driver. There is maybe an event involving driver action that can lead to a trucking industry accident. For example, if truck drivers fail to adjust speed appropriately in poor weather conditions, drive at an excess speed, fall asleep, run a stop sign, make a too-sharp turn, or the like, then rollover accidents can occur.
In most cases, there is more than one cause. For example, a poorly maintained truck may lead to tire blowouts that occurred because the driver was speeding. In cases like this, you can file a claim against multiple people and companies.
The lawyers of Regan Zambri Long have extensive negotiation and trial experience handling rollover accident cases. Each experienced attorney is able to advise our clients successfully based upon our years of experience in situations that may be similar to yours. Our law firm is made up of a dedicated group of trial lawyers. Our lawyers represent accident victims with empathy and consideration. We are passionate about helping victims and their families put their lives back together and move forward in the best way possible after an accident.
Our personal injury lawyers are among the top lawyers in DC, Virginia, and Maryland, with many awards. Some of the credits our lawyers have earned are:
If you were injured in a semi-truck accident, you may have lost wages and mounting medical bills while you try to recover but are unable to work. Or you may be unable to work in the same way as you did before the accident. Because we know how challenging it can be after a DC rollover truck collision, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means we do not charge attorney fees to you unless we recover money for you in court or a settlement.
At Regan Zambri Long, we help victims navigate the complexities of a legal claim following a large truck crash. We have decades of experience in large truck accident claims in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. For example, we recovered $3 million for a client who suffered a traumatic amputation of her leg when struck by a truck while crossing the street. In another case, we recovered $4 million in a wrongful death settlement for the family of a construction worker who was killed when he was struck by a tractor trailer truck that did not have an operable backup alarm.
If we take on your case and establish an attorney-client relationship, we will conduct a complete investigation of the accident, contact witnesses, review medical records, estimate compensation, and hire expert witnesses if necessary to testify about your injuries and the negligence or recklessness of the truck driver, the trucking company, and any other potentially at-fault parties. Our lawyers negotiate with insurance companies and the at-fault parties to reach a settlement that compensates you. And we fight for your rights in court at trial.
If you or a loved one were injured in a DC rollover truck accident, the experienced attorneys of Regan Zambri Long will advise you about whether you can receive compensation for your injuries. We will help you understand your legal rights during a free, no-obligation consultation.
Call Regan Zambri Long at (202) 960-4596 or contact us using our online form to receive a free consultation to discuss your situation and legal options.
