Indiana Truck Accident Lawyer

In the United States, commercial vehicles and trucks are the most common means of transporting goods within and between states. Unfortunately, with so many trucks on the road, truck-related accidents are common—and these accidents often cause serious or even catastrophic injuries. If you have been injured in an accident with a commercial vehicle, the Indiana truck accident lawyers at Keffer Hirschauer LLP offer free consultations to discuss your rights and options for compensation.

In 2018, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported almost 500,000 large truck crashes in the country with more than 20 percent of those accidents involving personal injury or death. In serious truck accidents, injury victims are usually other motorists, passengers, or pedestrians, not the truck driver. An Indianapolis truck accident lawyer is essential to the process of recovering medical expenses and other financial losses from a large trucking business, its insurance company, or other parties that may be at fault.

Count on Our Indiana Truck Accident Lawyers to Fight for You

Truck accidents are more complicated than basic automobile crashes. Trucking companies and drivers are bound by specific regulations. Several parties may be involved in these claims, including the driver, a large corporation, insurance companies, maintenance personnel, and parts manufacturers. Also, the injuries and financial damages suffered are usually more severe than those in an accident between smaller vehicles. After a truck accident, our team of experienced Indiana truck accident lawyers can gather relevant evidence, identify all responsible parties, file claims, and proceed with negotiation of a settlement or litigation as needed.

Count on an experienced Indianapolis truck accident attorney at Keffer Hirschauer LLP to complete an extensive investigation of your accident, determine the cause of the accident and who may be held responsible, and pursue full compensation, all with a solid understanding of the federal and state rules and regulations that apply to your case and your recovery.

Causes of Trucking Accidents

Certain unique factors make truck accidents more likely, and truck accidents are usually more serious because the immense size and weight of tractor-trailers cause a much greater force of impact than other non-commercial vehicles. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) reports there were 217,396 roadway crashes in 2019, which resulted in 739 fatalities and 31,194 nonfatal injuries. Although large trucks and other commercial vehicles were only in four percent of all collisions, they were involved in nearly ten percent of fatal crashes.

As truck accident attorneys in Indianapolis, we handle crashes that were caused by:

• Drowsy driving – Truckers struggle with driver fatigue because of extended, monotonous highway driving. They may take stimulants, which can reduce alertness, and some truckers work longer than federal regulations allow and falsify driving logs to hide violations.
• Distracted driving – Driving all day can be boring, so truckers may be more prone than other drivers to check in on social media, make phone calls, text, or read while driving. Truckers are also likely to be distracted by eating, shaving, or changing clothes while driving.
• Poor vehicle maintenance – Semi-trucks should be better maintained than other vehicles since they haul sizable and weighty cargo. Trucking companies often have in-house mechanics to maintain and repair them. Unfortunately, thousands of semi-trucks and commercial vehicles travel with dangerously worn tires, bad brakes, malfunctioning signal lights, and other serious safety issues.
• Speeding and aggressive driving – Large trucks have numerous and extensive blind spots, limited maneuverability, and require extra time to stop in an emergency. Other drivers should take special care when passing or merging near a truck on the highway, but it is just as dangerous for truck drivers to speed or drive aggressively.

Our Indiana Truck Accident Lawyers Know the Federal Rules and Regulations

The federal government has created specific regulations that govern truck drivers and the companies that employ them. The trucking industry must comply with regulations related to the following:

• Mandatory work breaks
• Truck weight limits
• Regular safety inspections
• Loading and unloading techniques
• Basic driver training

If a trucking company or one of its employees violates federal law, the offender can be held liable.

Other potentially responsible parties include transportation companies that hire or train employees negligently, a truck owner who doesn’t properly maintain the vehicle, or even a vehicle part manufacturer that sells a defective truck part. With so many complicating factors, you can appreciate why having an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer is so critical.

Successful Indiana Trucking Accident Attorneys Know How to Investigate Your Accident

Depending on your situation, an experienced Indianapolis truck accident attorney may perform an independent investigation to prove who was negligent or at fault in your crash. An Indiana trucking accident investigation could include:

• Working with an accident reconstruction expert to discover the cause or causes of the accident
• Verifying the driver’s logs to determine if the driver violated federal work rules
• Reviewing the driver’s cell phone records to find proof of distracted driving
• Analyzing maintenance records to see if the vehicle was in good condition and properly maintained
• Interviewing police and inspecting official records for proof of drunk driving
• Other tasks as needed to build your case and recover compensation from the responsible parties

Because of the complexity of these cases, it is crucial to obtain highly experienced and knowledgeable legal representation to help you with the process. The Indiana trucking accident attorneys at Keffer Hirschauer LLP include former crash team criminal prosecutors who litigated the most serious cases of injurious and fatal car accidents and proved them beyond a reasonable doubt.

Attorney Bradley Keffer has extensive training in accident investigation from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and on presenting cyber forensic evidence in court from the United States Secret Service. Attorney Tom Hirschauer received accident reconstruction training from Northwestern University and studied forensic toxicology at Indiana University. These Indiana trucking accident attorneys bring extensive knowledge and skill to the fight for proper compensation for their clients.

Get the Help You Need from Experienced Indiana Truck Accident Lawyers

Truck crashes can be severe and cause life-altering injuries. Insurance companies who protect transportation businesses have teams of lawyers who fight hard to avoid paying injury claims. Make sure your attorney has the skills and experience necessary to take on these challenging cases and succeed. Call the Indiana trucking accident attorneys at Keffer Hirschauer LLP for immediate assistance with your claim.

Contact us today at 317-455-4043 or complete our online contact form to schedule an appointment with one of our Indiana truck accident lawyers who will answer your questions and work to recover the money damages you deserve.