Serious Truck Accidents in Alaska

Most fatalities in truck accidents are occupants of a passenger vehicle. Car accidents involving an 18-wheeler truck, a semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or another large truck are more severe due to the size of the truck. Large trucks may weigh twenty to thirty times what a car does, increasing the force of impact or collision. In Alaska, snowy weather and treacherous roads mean that truck drivers need to be especially careful.

Other factors that can contribute to the risk of a trucking accident include:

  • Drug or alcohol use
  • Driver fatigue
  • Defective or poorly-maintained brakes or other vehicle equipment
  • Inattentive or distracted driving
  • Traveling at a speed higher than appropriate for weather conditions
  • Following another vehicle too closely
  • Improper loading of the truck that causes the load to shift in transit

To learn more about Alaska accident law and your rights, contact truck accident lawyer Eric Derleth to schedule a free consultation.

What Makes Trucking Accidents Different?

Trucking companies are generally liable for injuries arising from their own negligence or that of a driver they employ. Trucking accident claims increase their insurance costs and hurt their bottom line. That’s why they, and their insurance companies, have an army of attorneys ready to fight your claim.

How can you possibly prevail in a trucking accident claim? By working with a personal injury lawyer who has successfully litigated truck accident cases. You need an attorney who knows what makes semi-truck accident cases different, who understands the tactics trucking and insurance companies use, and who has experience connecting with juries in these cases.

There’s a reason people call Eric Derleth the Trial Guy. He knows the law, he knows the courts, he knows the opposition, and he knows how to win. Eric has 30 years of experience practicing personal injury law throughout Alaska, including Anchorage, Wasilla/Palmer, Juneau, and the Kenai Peninsula, and he has an impressive track record of success.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident in Alaska, contact us. We offer the experience you need and the personal service you deserve.

Typical Injuries From Trucking Accidents

Because big rigs are so much larger than cars, the impact on a vehicle passenger in an accident with a truck can be severe. Common trucking accident injuries include:

  • Broken bones
  • Spinal and neck injury
  • Paralysis
  • Internal bleeding
  • Head trauma and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Severe burns
  • Loss of limb

Truck accident injuries often lead to temporary disability, permanent disability, and death. If you have been injured in a truck accident in Alaska, an experienced attorney can help you get the financial recovery you are entitled to.

Why Do I Need a Truck Accident Lawyer?

Technically, you don’t need a truck accident lawyer to fill out the paperwork to make a claim for an injury resulting from a tractor-trailer collision. But there are several reasons that having a good attorney is in your best interest.

First, Alaska’s statute of limitations gives you only two years to file your personal injury claim. If you are seriously injured, dealing with the red tape of an insurance claim may be too much for you to handle, a fact that insurance companies often exploit. A truck accident lawyer knows how to navigate the system and can take the legal issues off your plate so you can focus on healing.

Second, hiring an attorney signals to the trucking company and insurance company that you are serious about your claim. Hiring a respected attorney means that the insurer is less likely to try to pressure you into accepting a lowball offer. Once you accept a settlement, that’s it. You can’t go back and seek more compensation if your injury turns out to be worse than you first thought. An experienced injury attorney knows how to determine what you’re entitled to and how to fight for it.

Lastly, working with a truck accident lawyer involves no up-front fees. Your attorney is paid from your settlement or award. And while you might not want to share a portion of your settlement, consider the fact that on average, personal injury victims who have an attorney recover 3.5 times more than those who do not. That means that even after attorney fees, you are still likely to recover much more than you would on your own.

Truck accident injuries can be devastating. A financial recovery for your injuries can’t magically make life go back to the way it was before your accident. But it can pay your medical bills, provide for your family, and help you get the treatment you need to heal as fully as possible.

To learn more about Alaska trucking accidents and how a truck accident lawyer can help you, contact the Trial Guy for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation.