Truck Accident Attorneys in Tucson, Arizona

Injured by a negligent truck driver? You have the right to financial compensation.

Truck accidents often cause serious injury and death. The truck driver and trucking company may be liable for paying significant damages to accident survivors.

Thousands of trucks travel through the Tucson area, Southern Arizona, and surrounding areas every single day and at any given time. Sharing the road with these large vehicles can be daunting for the drivers and passengers of cars and smaller motor vehicles. Each of these trucks poses a significant risk to the other drivers on the road because of their size and weight. If you combine that with the risk caused by a negligent driver, the potential for serious injury or death to victims becomes extremely high.

If you have been seriously injured in a truck or commercial trucking accident, the truck accident experts at our firm can help you determine who needs to be held liable for your accident and injuries. We have experience with truck accident cases and will work diligently to help you recover the compensation you seek.

There are many different kinds of commercial trucks, and we have experience handling truck accident cases with these (and more) types of trucks and large commercial vehicles:

Tractor Trailers (also known as 18-Wheelers, Semis, Big Rigs, Mack Trucks, etc.)
Tanker Trucks
Garbage Trucks
Dump Trucks
Tow Trucks
Bobtail Trucks
Flatbed Trucks
Moving Vans & Trucks
Buses
Construction Vehicles

Truck accidents can happen due to any number of reasons. One of the most common causes of serious truck accidents stem from unreasonable schedules and delivery deadlines imposed by trucking companies which result in drivers violating hours of service (HOS) regulations. These regulations, when adhered to, can help prevent unnecessary accidents and injuries, but far too often safe trucking practices come at the expense of profit.

Unsafe trucking practices lead to accidents. When they do, victims deserve compensation for their injuries and trucking companies need to be brought to task. The AZ Injury Law team represents individuals who have been injured or killed in a truck accident caused by another driver or commercial trucker.

Some of the most common causes of severe or fatal truck accidents in and around the Tucson, Arizona area include:

Truck driver negligence
Truck driver error
Driver distraction
Driver fatigue or tiredness
Intoxication or impairment
Improperly loaded or secured trailers
Overloaded trucks
Lack of proper truck maintenance
Inadequate or improper training
Defective equipment or equipment failure
Unsafe road conditions
Unsafe trucking practices
- Rushing through truck inspections
- Ignoring required rest periods
- Speeding, sudden stops, lack of signaling, or lane splitting
- Deferred truck maintenance

The Truck Accident Lawsuit Process

After your truck accident, representation by experts is essential to financial recovery.

If you were seriously injured or someone you know was killed in an Arizona truck accident, you may be able to hold the truck driver or trucking company financially responsible.

Our personal injury lawyers have considerable experience with these unique cases and know that physical injuries sustained from a serious truck accident can severely change your life, and we've won numerous truck accident claims for our injured clients.

While the details of your truck accident, the specifics of your injuries, and the stages in the process - including how long each stage takes - varies with the facts of each particular case, we will work with you to build a compelling case for recovering damages from the responsible party or parties.

So much investigation, preparation, and documentation goes into every unique case, but here is a simplified overview of our process as we fight for you in a typical Arizona truck accident injury case:

Gathering evidence from the accident, such as police reports, photographs, and witness statements.
Investigating the driver's background, such as whether he or she had a prior history of drug or alcohol use, unsafe driving, or other accidents.
Determining whether the driver violated traffic laws and whether the driver, trucking company, cargo loaders, or others involved violated state or federal trucking regulations.
Investigating the condition of the vehicle to determine if mechanical problems contributed to the accident.
Reviewing truck driver and trucking company documentation, such as driver hours of service logs and vehicle inspection and maintenance records.
Insurance companies may point to pre-existing medical conditions as evidence that the accident did not cause all of your injuries. Therefore, we'll gather information about your injuries and related medical expenses in order to fight for maximum compensation before filing a claim with your insurance company.

Our personal injury lawyers really do care about you, your case, and your recovery - and we are relentless when it comes to holding the responsible party accountable and obtaining the maximum compensation possible for you.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident due to someone else's negligence, you deserve expert representation. We have the knowledge and experience to thoroughly investigate trucking accidents and to build a compelling case so that truck accident victims get the fair and just compensation they deserve.

Steps to Take If You've Been In a Truck Accident

Serious truck accidents may result in severe injuries or worse, and we understand they can be a terrifying and overwhelming experience.

If you are in a truck accident, taking care of your injuries is the first priority. If you are physically able to do so, there are additional steps you can take to increase the likelihood that you will be able to recover compensation from those who were responsible for your injuries.

Watch this short video from Dev Sethi - one of our award-winning attorneys - as he talks about some immediate steps to take following a truck accident:

The personal injury attorneys at our Tucson, Arizona law firm strongly encourage you to take the following steps after a truck accident, crash or collision:

1 - Seek medical attention immediately following your accident regardless of injury.

Without proper medical treatment for your injuries, insurance companies will assume these injuries don't exist. A medical professional may identify injuries that you are not even aware of due to the shock of the accident which will help justify your claim.

2 - If you are physically able to do so, contact the police immediately.

Immediately following a truck accident, it's crucial to call the police, especially if the crash resulted in injury, death or property damage. Having an official police accident report helps strengthen your injury case if there are long-term effects from injuries.

3 - Be very careful what you say and who you say it to. Stick to the facts only!

Often, the exact cause of a crash is unclear immediately after a truck accident and anything said may impact your claim. Do not make a statement, admit fault, or accept insurance company offers before speaking with a lawyer. Even saying something like "I'm sorry" can potentially be construed by insurance companies as admitting fault for the accident.

4 - If you're able, gather as much information as possible at the accident scene.

Any information you can gather will be helpful, although it is completely understandable that you may be injured or too overwhelmed to gather this information immediately after a truck accident. If you are able, gather as much information as possible at the scene of the truck accident including:

The truck's Department of Transportation (DOT) number
The truck's license plate number
The truck driver's name, license information, insurance and contact information
The truck driver's insurance and insurance carrier information
Name of the trucking company
Make and model of the truck
Photographs/video of the condition of the truck and your vehicle
Photos of any other relevant information at the scene (i.e. skid marks, oil spills)
Names and contact information of any witnesses

Also try to take notice of important information about the accident including the location of the accident, road conditions, speed limits, weather, lighting, the direction the vehicles involved were traveling, key points of interests, intersections, and mile markers.

5 - As soon as you can, speak with an experienced truck accident attorney like us.

The truck accident experts at Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian will investigate the accident, determine who was responsible for your injuries, and help you recover the fair and just compensation you are due for your injuries by standing up for you against insurance companies that try to minimize the amount of compensation you receive for your injuries.

Do I Need an Attorney for a Truck Accident If I Wasn't At Fault?

While you are not required by law to retain an attorney after an accident that wasn't your fault, truck accidents can be quite complicated. Our truck accident attorneys are extremely familiar with the state and federal regulations truck drivers must follow.

We are also well aware of the fact that trucking companies and their insurance companies are not always forthcoming when sharing documentation and other facts that could in turn prove their negligence and require them to make a substantial payout to settle a claim.

Each truck accident case is different and many factors will go into proving negligence so that justice can be served. Since determining liability in a truck accident is not always so simple and the stakes can be very high, we recommend calling the AZ Injury Law team at (520) 790-5600 to find out if one of our personal injury lawyers would be beneficial in your truck accident case and help identify the worth of your claim.

If you've been hurt in a truck accident due to someone else's negligence you deserve financial restitution for injuries, medical bills, trauma, disabilities, and damages, including future medical treatments, lost wages, and more. Contact our team today to ensure you collect what you're owed.

How Much is My Truck Accident Case Worth?

Every truck accident claim comes with its own unique value based on the severity of the injuries, the specific circumstances, and the seriousness of losses you experienced. Determining the value of your truck accident case can be a complex process, especially if you have lasting or life-changing effects from your injuries.

Unlike in a non-commercial vehicle collision, the insurance company of the at-fault driver can often be named as a party to the lawsuit. The motor carrier can also be responsible for failing to properly hire, train, or monitor its drivers to ensure that they are complying with hour-of-service limitations, as well as for failing to keep its vehicles in safe operating condition.

Most truck accident lawsuits involve a claim of negligence. To prove negligence, you need to demonstrate that the responsible party had a duty, they breached that duty, the breach of duty caused the accident, and the accident caused damages. Our firm has experience handling serious truck accident collisions, including those resulting in the catastrophic injury or wrongful death of innocent victims.

Because of the complex nature of these vehicles and the vast amounts of harm they can cause - and the comprehensive regulatory requirements - trucks, tractor trailers, and other commercial vehicle cases require specialized knowledge to effectively evaluate and litigate cases against commercial motor carriers and their insurers.

What Are the Damages I Might Be Able to Recover?

Depending on the complexity of your particular claim, the damages you can recover with our representation could include medical bills, lost wages, reduction in your earning capacity, disability treatments, rehabilitation and home health care, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and - unfortunately - wrongful death or loss of life itself.

As the victim of a truck accident you have a far greater chance of recovering the damages you seek if you are being represented by an experienced Tucson truck accident lawyer. Our firm has been defending the rights of personal injury accident victims in the Tucson area for more than 40 years.

We have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. In one settlement we were able to obtain $3.5 million dollars for an 18-year-old client who had suffered brain injuries after being broadsided by a retail delivery truck. The driver had been talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident.

We have handled numerous truck accident cases like this, recovered millions for our clients, and 98% of our cases end in a successful settlement. Call the AZ Injury Law team of accredited truck accident attorneys today at (520) 790-5600!

Truck Accident Blogs, Articles, and Helpful Info

CLICK HERE to read additional blogs on a variety of personal injury subjects.

Example(s) of Our Firm's Truck Accident Victories

Truck Accident: Lunt v. Sears Roebuck and Co. ($3.5 Million Settlement)

Our Tucson, Arizona injury lawyers offer assistance for a variety of personal injury, truck accident, and wrongful death cases for our valued clients.

CLICK HERE for your free consultation or call our award-winning attorneys at (520) 790-5600.