Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyers
Commercial vehicle accidents are a lot more common than most drivers realize, just because so many vehicles are classified as commercial vehicles! Did you know that you can be involved in a commercial vehicle accident, and the other car can have absolutely no markings on it whatsoever? Well, it’s true. Some of these cases can be simply car versus car, and some of them can be large work trucks that run red lights and plow into innocent motorists. If you or someone you love has been injured because of someone else’s or an entity’s negligence, our Arlington, VA truck accident lawyer is here to help.
If you have been hurt in a commercial vehicle accident in Alexandria, Virginia, contact Blaszkow Legal for a free consultation with our experienced and aggressive commercial vehicle accident lawyers. Our team is dedicated to getting you the compensation that you deserve and to holding negligent drivers and companies accountable for their actions.
Contact A Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer Immediately
Myth: I don’t need to talk to a lawyer until I’m done treating.
Truth: NOT TRUE! You need to speak to a commercial vehicle lawyer as soon as possible after the crash. Some of these crashes involving commercial vehicles can be severe and can even result in catastrophic injuries. Treatment can last months and sometimes even years. By waiting to contact a lawyer, you can actually make it harder to win your case.
An experienced commercial vehicle accident attorney is going to get to work right away on investigating your case and proving not just the other person’s liability, but also your own damages. Our attorneys do this by investigating and documenting evidence. But evidence does not stay around forever. Camera footage, for example, can be overwritten if it is not preserved and maintained. So if you wait to contact a lawyer, some things that can help you win your case can be lost.
Common Types Of Commercial Vehicle Accidents
There are some vehicle accidents that involve commercial vehicles more often than regular personal vehicles. Some examples include:
Head-On Collisions – The other driver strikes you directly from the front. This can happen when the commercial vehicle crosses the center line of the road.
Rear-End Collisions – The commercial vehicle strikes you from behind.
Distracted Driving Crashes – These are any car accidents where the driver of a commercial vehicle causes a collision, usually because of being on a cell phone, onboard computer, radio, or other device.
Negligent Trailer Control Accidents – The commercial vehicle is towing a trailer, sometimes with equipment on it, that the driver does not maintain proper control of, perhaps by driving too fast or by turning improperly.
Rollover Accidents – Where the commercial vehicle rolls onto its side, or rolls completely over, sometimes smashing and even crushing other motorists.
This is, of course, only a few of the different kinds of commercial vehicle accidents that happen not just in Alexandria, but throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Investigating A Commercial Vehicle Accident
Not all commercial vehicle accidents are immediately apparent when crashes happen. There are a lot of commercial vehicles on the road that you don’t even know are commercial vehicles! There is no law that requires a company to put its logo on the side of a car, truck, or van. Many do, of course, for reasons of advertising and branding.
Investigating a commercial vehicle accident means investigating not just the cause and effect of the crash itself but also the company that is behind it. Many companies have different layers of control and have different corporate entities that own various parts of the business. They do this to try to insulate parts of the business for various reasons, from tax to income to liability shields. It is our job to identify all of these corporate entities and make certain that we are naming the right parties to get you the recovery that you deserve.
Our investigation goes through many layers in order to make certain of completeness and accuracy:
- Reviewing pictures taken at the scene, to determine if the negligent driver is wearing a shirt, jacket, or other identifying company emblem.
- Reviewing vehicle registration documents and tracing the corporate ownership.
- Verifying corporate structure and owners/officers of the company through the Virginia Corporation Commission and more.
- Investigating and documenting corporate control.
- Identifying and reviewing company policies, protocols, and procedures to see if direct corporate control was in some way responsible for the crash.
Common Injuries After A Commercial Vehicle Accident
A commercial vehicle accident can cause all manner of injuries to innocent motorists, as well as pedestrians, motorcycle riders, bicyclists, and more. Some of the more common injuries after commercial vehicle crashes include:
- Broken bones, including compound fractures, hairline fractures, compression fractures, and more.
- Sprains and strains, commonly called “soft tissue injuries.” These are aches, swelling, stiffness, and pains that many car accident victims will suffer with for months on end.
- Internal organ damage, sometimes caused by blunt force trauma. Some issues will resolve with treatment and monitoring, while some require corrective surgery.
- Limb damage, such as crush-type injuries, or even traumatic amputation.
- Spinal cord injuries can leave someone permanently injured through paralysis. Some injuries are far less obvious, such as spinal cord stenosis and disc injuries.
- TBI or traumatic brain injuries such as concussions can cause life-altering symptoms and may require years to heal.
What Can Be Claimed After A Commercial Vehicle Accident
After being hurt in a commercial vehicle accident, you have the right to file a claim for your damages. “Damages” is a legal term that attempts to encompass all of the ways that the crash has impacted you. The impacts of a crash go far beyond the physical and include emotional, financial, and more. Damages are generally divided into two separate categories, known as economic damages and non-economic damages.
Some of the most common elements of your damages, meaning the compensation that we can obtain for you, include some of the following:
- Medical expenses relating to treatment
- Future medical expenses
- Time lost from work, including vacation and sick leave utilized, as well as unpaid leave
- Loss of future earning capacity or potential
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent injury
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Diminished value
Time Limits For Commercial Vehicle Accident Claims
Generally, a commercial vehicle is going to be a private vehicle, meaning in private, non-governmental ownership and operation. If that is the case, then a person injured in one of these crashes has two years from the date of the accident to file the underlying lawsuit (See Virginia Code §8.01-243: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title8.01/chapter4/section8.01-243/))
This deadline only becomes shorter if the vehicle was operating on governmental business and a claim has to be asserted against a municipality, county, town, city, or state. If that happens, then there are much shorter notice deadlines that have to be met. To be safe and to preserve your claim, you need to contact an experienced accident attorney immediately!
Call A Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney Today
We have been fighting for people injured in car accidents of all kinds throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia for over 40 years. Our team includes investigators, paralegals, and attorneys who are all devoted to getting you the compensation that you are entitled to because of your injuries. We help clients who have been injured through no fault of their own all over the Commonwealth of Virginia, from Roanoke to Richmond and beyond.
If you have been hurt in a commercial vehicle accident, contact Blaszkow Legal, PLLC today for a free consultation. There is absolutely no risk to you, and it costs you nothing to talk to us. We will begin investigating your case and fighting for you. The insurance companies have a team of lawyers and adjusters on their side—don’t you deserve someone fighting just as hard for you? Get Justice With Joe and call us today!
