The above phrase, “I’ve been in a truck wreck. Do I need a lawyer?” Is one that personal injury accident attorneys are very common with. If you’ve been in an accident that involved a commercial vehicle of any sort, you should at least consult with an attorney about the matter. Consulting with an attorney does not mean that you automatically have to file a lawsuit. In fact, it doesn’t even mean that you have to hire the attorney.
Consultations
Attorneys offer free consultations because many of them work on contingency. Before they meet with you, they won’t even be certain whether or not you have a lawsuit that’s worth filing or if they would be able to help you if you do. The free consultation is a way for them to determine whether or not they are the right attorney for you and whether you are the right client for them.
There is more that goes on at these meetings than determining whether or not you should work together, however. Your attorney will also be able to give you information that might help you to understand why you do or do not need an attorney because of your particular accident.
Negligence
What vehicle accident attorneys specialize in is suing companies and individuals for negligence. If the driver who caused you to be in a wreck was negligent, then you’ll certainly want to speak with an attorney. Of course, this doesn’t answer the question of how you actually go about determining whether the driver was negligent.
One of the things that may lead you to suspect negligence is if the driver took an action or did not take an action that went against reasonable expectations. If the driver, for instance, failed to apply brakes in time to stop before rear ending you, that may be an instance of negligence.
In some cases, the attorney may also go after the trucking company for which the driver works because they were the ones who turned out to be negligent. For example, the driver may have applied brakes in plenty of time to avoid an accident under normal circumstances but the brakes may not have been maintained up to standards and, therefore, the trucking company may actually have been negligent.
An attorney is really the only one who can tell you whether or not you need an attorney. Because consultations are free and time is limited, it’s a good idea to set one up as soon as possible.
