Porter County Truck Accident Lawyer

Living in Indiana, you may find yourself frequenting areas like I-90 or I-94, which can be a perilous journey, particularly when you share the road with large trucks. The size and weight differences alone can turn otherwise minor accidents debilitating or fatal. If you have suffered because of a truck accident, you need the support of an experienced Northwest Indiana Truck Accident Lawyer. 

For those who reside in or were seriously injured by a truck accident in Porter County, the Porter County truck accident lawyer with Theodoros and Rooth P.C. has the experience necessary to build a strong and nuanced case to recover the compensation you deserve. We are committed to protecting your rights and fighting for justice on your behalf. 

Why Choose Theodoros and Rooth as Your Truck Accident Lawyer

Many major truck accident cases recover significant settlements, so heavy competition among firms makes sense. However, while many firms may have excellent legal minds or experience, the truck accident attorneys at Theodoros and Rooth engage in first-hand experience with trucking. This gives us a unique understanding of the common challenges truckers face and where mistakes most often happen. In addition to this unique experience and our decades in practice, some of the benefits we offer include:

  • Point of contact: We will handle anything involving settlement negotiations or a lawsuit and involve you only when you are needed. This allows you to focus on recovery. 
  • Investigation: We can investigate the circumstances of your accident to identify all possible contributors to your accident and build a case for negotiations or trial, if necessary.
  • Negotiations: Our award-winning truck accident attorneys in Porter, IN, are skilled negotiators. We will work with the insurance company to negotiate the highest compensation possible. 
  • Valuing your claim: The insurance company often attempts to undervalue your case, and without an attorney to fight for what we know is fair, you may end up accepting something less than what you deserve.

The truck accident lawyers at Theodoros and Rooth P.C. is committed to our community and passionate about fighting for those who need support. Our firm is local to Porter County and surrounding areas, meaning we understand nuances of local accidents, including more dangerous routes and highways like Highway 6, 30, or 31. We have a reputation for success in protecting our clients’ rights, and we will not hesitate to face the large corporations that are sometimes on the other side of a truck accident case. 

Cause of Truck Accidents in Porter County

Many of the causes of truck accidents are causes we see in any other motor vehicle accident. However, truck drivers face different challenges, and their vehicles require different considerations. Some of the more common causes of truck accidents include:

    • Failure check blind spots: semi-trucks or 18-wheelers have large blind spots that leave other drivers vulnerable. However, their training prepares them to drive and check accordingly.
  • Driver Fatigue: Truck drivers often drive for long periods of time, leaving them physically and emotionally exhausted and more likely to make mistakes while driving. While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provides Hours of Service guidelines to prevent this, drivers may not always follow them.
  • Poorly loaded cargo: Properly loaded cargo is safely loaded cargo. When dock workers fail to load cargo appropriately, it can shift during the drive, causing the truck to lose control and collide with other vehicles.
  • Negligent maintenance routine: Commercial vehicles drive long distances with a weight of up to 80,000 lbs. This makes timely and high-quality maintenance a critical part of safe operation, including braking systems, trailer hitches, or tires.
  • Speeding: When truck drivers exceed the speed limit or fail to consider factors that affect road conditions like weather or steep grades, they may be unable to stop appropriately should they need to.
  • Distracted driving: During long stretches on the road, many drivers become less focused and let their minds wander or turn to their phones for music, navigation, or to check messages. 

Accidents can be caused by any one or a combination of these, and a thorough investigation is important to determine the causes so we can identify the responsible parties. 

Porter County Truck Accident Liability

For a truck to make it safely from point A to point b, many people must do their jobs well. When they make a mistake, it can cause serious and sometimes fatal accidents. With so many parties in the process, it can be challenging to determine who is ultimately responsible for your injuries. Discovering the cause of the accident will often direct us to who is responsible. 

For example, if a truck loses control going down a steep grade because the cargo shifted and caused the trailer to begin fishtailing, the dockworkers may be responsible for the accident. If the truck driver failed to respond appropriately, as nearly 90% do, they may also be responsible. Further, if the inadequate response was due to the employer’s ineffective oversight and negligent training practices, the fault may shift to the employer. 

Countless factors can contribute to how your case is built and who is involved in a settlement or lawsuit. Gaining all of the facts often comes down to an attorney who understands the unique laws around trucking accidents and knows what information they should consider in an investigation.  

Decrease Your Liability

A critical thing to remember is that the insurance company’s only goal is to reduce the amount they pay out. Therefore, every conversation they have with you is an attempt to invalidate your claims. If you have an attorney, insurance adjusters and representatives should only contact them. If you do not have an attorney prior to talking to insurance, general advice is to say as little as possible. Answer their questions truthfully and concisely without offering anything they did not explicitly request. 

Steps to Take After a Truck Accident in Porter County

Any car accident can be a terrifying experience, and this is often compounded when you have a collision with a semi. The first step after any accident is to ensure everyone is safe. Following that, you may consider a few courses of action to protect yourself and support a strong case. 

Call 911

When you call 911, it can prompt police and EMS response. Both of which can benefit your case. In the case of many accidents or emergency situations, you may be required to report the accident. Police will come out and document the scene. They will often take statements from people involved, as well as any witnesses. This will be documented, and you can obtain the report later. 

Take Photos

If you are able, take photos of the scene. Photos of the scene may provide important information about how the accident happened. Some of the pictures that may help include those of the vehicles and surrounding areas. For example, the presence, or lack thereof, of skid marks can provide our truck accident lawyer in Porter, IN, with valuable information.  Photos of your injuries may also provide evidence of the severity of your injuries at the scene. 

Seek Medical Attention 

If the Porter County Emergency Medical Services arrive, it is important for your well-being and your case to allow them to examine you. You should seek medical attention shortly after if they do not arrive on the scene. Many soft tissue injuries may not present until days or weeks after the accident, but a physical evaluation may help you identify and treat those sooner. 

Documentation

Documentation is a critical piece of any personal injury case. Therefore, keeping anything related to your accident in a folder you can easily reach is often helpful. This includes medical records, estimates, or receipts. This can include documentation of every interaction you have had with the insurance company.

Speak with an Attorney

Many things about a truck accident can be time-sensitive. Mainly recovering evidence. When you call an attorney immediately after your accident, they may be able to step in and request critical data and documentation that may not be otherwise preserved. They can also help you reduce the risk of accidentally damaging your case when dealing with insurance on your own. 

What to Expect from Your Truck Accident Claim 

Most personal injury cases follow a general process. Some cases may spend more time in different stages, but there are some parts that you can expect to experience on your own. These include:

  • Investigation: Your attorney will begin to request documentation and examine evidence in your case.
  • Negotiations: The insurance company will work with you to determine a settlement amount that is agreeable to both parties. This stage can often take time, especially when you have severe injuries or your compensation request is high.
  • Trial: If you are unable to obtain an acceptable offer from the insurance company, you may choose to take the case to trial. This will include a discovery process and court dates to present your case to the judge for a verdict. 

The majority of truck accident cases will reach a settlement agreement out of court. This is usually in an attempt to save the time and money required to build and try a case, as well as the unpredictability of a judge. Instead of a settlement that you have some control over, the full decision is in the hands of the judge, who may determine you receive nothing or a sum more than you requested. This is not to say that your case will undoubtedly settle, as many do go to trial, and our team will do what is necessary to give you the best chance at recovering maximum compensation. 

Porter County Truck Accident Injuries

Truck accidents can cause any number of injuries. Some may be more minor, recovering in days or weeks, but some can have long-term consequences that change your life forever. Some of the more commonly seen injuries include:

  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Broken bones
  • Crush injuries
  • Lacerations
  • Internal bleeding
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Anxiety and Depression

Some of these injuries can mean you endure multiple surgeries, long hospital stays, and ongoing physical or occupational therapy to relearn certain skills or retrain your body after the injuries. These cut into the way you live your life, how you engage with friends and family, and sometimes your ability to perform your job duties. 

Compensation in a Porter County Truck Accident

Compensation in a truck accident lawsuit settlement will vary heavily based on the circumstances. While the specific damages and their amounts are dependent upon your injuries and situation, some of the damages you claim in your truck accident case may include:

  • Medical bills
  • Transportation costs for doctor and therapy appts
  • Medication costs
  • Lost wages
  • Loss of earning potential 
  • Pain and Suffering

If you have questions about the damages you claim or if you want to determine what you may be eligible to claim, a local truck accident attorney with Theodoros Rooth P.C. may be able to help. 

Wrongful Death

If you are facing the unimaginable and have lost a loved one in a truck accident, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim. Recovering compensation for your loss can offer you the chance to grieve in the way most fitting to you while covering costs related to their passing. It may also provide a financial cushion that reduces that strain while you find your new normal. 

Call our Porter County Truck Accident Attorney Today 

Sharing the road with large trucks is a necessity. They provide crucial services to our community but pose a risk to other drivers. If you have been injured in a truck accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you deserve someone to help you speak up and get justice. 

Theodoros and Rooth P.C. offers free case consultations that allow you to discuss your situation with someone from Porter County Truck Accident Lawyer Team.  Let our century of combined experience and personal experience with the trucking industry work for your benefit while you focus on your recovery. You can reach us by phone at 219-400-3973 or complete our contact form online. Call us today for the support you deserve.