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Truck Accidents in New Jersey

There are many terrible things that can happen on the roads of America. Truck accidents, however, are among the worst. People in passenger vehicles – even large ones like SUVs – are left largely unprotected when they get hit by tractor trailers, which can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, or nearly 30 times that of a normal car. This leaves innocent victims in dire need of medical attention after a truck accident, and the financial compensation they need to pay for it.

The personal injury and trial attorneys at the law office of Lavery, Selvaggi & Cohen strive to legally represent truck accident victims both in and out of court to ensure they get the compensation they need to make a full recovery, and they deserve to overcome the injuries they have suffered at the hands of someone else.

Truck Accidents: By the Numbers

Truck accidents are far from uncommon. In fact, numbers by two agencies show just how common they are in the U.S.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were an estimated 415,000 truck crashes that were reported in 2015, alone. Out of these, 83,000 resulted in injuries, and 3,598 ended with a fatality.

Numbers by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) painted an even bleaker picture. According to their numbers, 2015 saw 3,852 people lose their lives in truck accidents. Nearly all of those who died were in passenger cars or motorcycles at the time of the accident – only 21% of the fatalities in a truck accident were in the truck that was involved. Nearly all of those trucker fatalities, though, came in crashes that only involved the tractor-trailer – only 3% of the fatalities in truck crashes that involved multiple vehicles were in the truck.

Based on these numbers, between 9.86 and 10.55 people died in truck accidents every day during 2015. Thousands more suffered serious injuries that drastically altered their lives.

Insurance Companies Are Not Your Friends

If you or someone you love has been involved in a trucking accident, you might think that you can count on your insurance company coming forward and paying for the costs of the accident and any medical expenses needed to make a full recovery.

Unfortunately, in America, insurance companies are private, for-profit corporations whose only function is to turn a profit. This means collecting as much as they can in the form of premiums and paying out as little as possible in claim settlements. After a serious truck accident that leaves you with thousands of dollars in property losses and medical bills, and the likelihood of paying thousands more in the future, you can count on your insurance company focusing on minimizing its own losses, rather than covering yours. Even if your insurance company processes your claim quickly and rapidly responds with a proposed settlement offer, it is often only a fraction of what you need to fully cover the costs of your recovery.

How Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help

Getting legal representation after being hurt in a truck accident can make a huge difference in the eventual outcome, even if the case does not go all the way to trial.

Once insurance companies are aware that you have hired a lawyer to represent you, they know that you mean business and that they can no longer push you around. Many accident victims see their insurance company's settlement offer rise sharply as soon as they make it known that they are no represented by an attorney.

As the case progresses, your attorney will be able to uncover swaths of evidence for the case that would have otherwise been inaccessible, simply because your lawyer has had years of experience looking for clues and has developed a working knowledge of where to look, who to talk to, and what kind of evidence is useful for your case. This evidence can drastically alter the outcome of a case, especially if it turns out that the original understanding of what happened in the crash was incorrect.

Additionally, experienced personal injury attorneys know to look ahead in the case and prepare evidence that can maximize how much you stand to recover, or at least avoid common pitfalls that leave you with nothing. For example, many trucking companies now try keeping their truckers as independent contractors so they are not liable for injuries that occur while those truckers are on the job. Finding evidence that the trucking company and the trucker that hit you are actually in an employer/employee relationship can make a huge difference in your ability to recover for all of your losses.

Truck accident attorneys also know all of the ways that you have suffered in a truck crash, including some that you may not have thought of. This knowledge lets lawyers fight for your right to compensation for things that you might not have considered, like the wages that you lost while you were recovering from the crash, or your family's loss of consortium while you were hurt. Experienced attorneys also know to fight for your right to compensation not only for the injuries you have suffered but also for the losses you are likely to incur in the future because of the crash.

Truck Accident Attorneys at Lavery, Selvaggi & Cohen

The personal injury attorneys at Lavery, Selvaggi & Cohen represent innocent people who have been hurt in truck accidents in New Jersey. By fighting for your rights and interests both in and outside of the courtroom, we ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve from the people who hurt you. In this way, we do all we can to make sure justice is served.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a truck accident in New Jersey, contact us online or call the law office of Lavery, Selvaggi & Cohen at (908) 852-2600 for the legal representation you need to get the compensation you deserve.

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