Driving in busy Spokane traffic teaches you defensive driving skills in a hurry. That experience is especially helpful when your trip brings you alongside tanker trucks and double-tractor trailers on congested streets like North Division and the fast-moving lanes of Interstate 90.
Many drivers have gotten skilled at avoiding obstacles in front of them, but there’s little you can do when you’re stopped and a large truck is coming up behind you too fast. A devastating collision can result and put you and your passengers at incredible risk of injury.
Who Is Responsible After a Spokane Truck Accident?
After a serious injury in a rear-end truck accident, one of your immediate concerns will be the potentially enormous costs of recovery. If you weren’t to blame in a crash, should you really have to suffer the physical toll and also shoulder the financial hardships?
The good news is that there may be several insurance companies that can be held accountable when a truck driver causes an accident. A truck driver could rely on his own commercial insurance in a collision. However, that driver may be employed by a local or national company, or both, and each party may have its own coverage.
These insurance companies may have to each provide support to pay for a full recovery as you heal. Now the bad news. Insurance companies don’t usually provide compensation for everything you need without a fight. They can question a police accident report and the validity of your injury.
If you are hurt in an accident caused by the mistake of a truck driver, talk to a local truck accident lawyer serving Spokane and the surrounding area. Reach out to CCD Law for a free consultation on your case to find out what insurance companies won’t tell you.
Common Injuries In Spokane Truck Rear-End Crashes
This question of medical coverage is so important because of the often extreme nature of injuries received in truck accidents. An 80,000lb fully loaded tractor-trailer can do devastating damage to a smaller car or SUV. The occupants inside can also suffer serious harm with recoveries that can extend into months and years.
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries stemming from a rear-end impact. The quick back-and-forth motion of the head can do damage to the neck, shoulders, and upper back. An upper back injury can do cervical spine damage which is comprised of the top seven vertebrae of the spine.
Rear-end impacts often place extreme pressure on a driver’s hands, arms, legs, and feet. The bones affected are required to complete many at-home tasks and on-the-job tasks. These fractures can make normal life impossible for many weeks.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are another serious consequence of rear-end collisions. A blow to the head from a steering wheel, the car dash, or a headrest can have devastating effects. Passengers in the backseat are also at risk of hitting the window or the front seat with their heads.
Permanent Disability Resulting From Spokane Truck Accidents
Victims suffering these sorts of traumatic injuries after a truck collision can be in the dark about how far away they are from a full recovery and how much extended care could cost. This is when insurance companies can quickly send over “lowball” settlement offers. They hope victims are desperate enough to sign off on any amount. But what they’ve really done is given up their rights to return to the insurance company later when they have flare-ups or when injuries are discovered to be much more serious than first thought.
An experienced personal injury lawyer won’t let you sign off on any offer that doesn’t provide everything you need.
The amount of compensation provided is especially important when a permanent disability is involved. These are just a few of the extra factors that should be accounted for in any settlement:
- Hospital Treatment – Ambulance transport, ER care, and a days-long stay in a hospital will be enormous expenses. In extreme cases, intensive care could be necessary. Victims can face amputation as a result of their injuries. Patients could lose the use of their arms and legs. They could also suddenly be without their senses of sight and/or hearing.
- Rehabilitation– Victims will need expensive physical therapy as they learn to live with their new disability. They could be staying full-time in a clinic as they practice their new way of life. Memory care due to a brain injury could also keep them in a care facility in the long term.
- Home Renovation and Home Equipment – Expensive medical devices and home upgrades will be part of the transition. Bedroom and bathroom redesigns could be required to give victims a sense of freedom. Families will also need training on how to care for their loved one.
- Career Training – Victims can be unable to perform their previous jobs after a debilitating injury. New careers can be found, but an insurance company should be called upon to provide for the costs of job training.
Contact a Spokane Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one are the victims of a serious accident involving a truck you should speak with an experienced Spokane Truck Accident Attorney at CCD Law before taking a phone call from any insurance representative. Insurance agents will be looking to get a recorded statement from you and anything you say to them can be used as an excuse to deny coverage to you and your family.
Contact us after any accident resulting in a serious injury or the tragic loss of life for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. We will only offer you advice that is in your family’s best interest.
