Lincoln Truck Accident Lawyers

Truck accidents are far too common on our roads. Collisions involving heavy trucks killed 4,764 people in the U.S. in 2022, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Commercial vehicles weigh up to 80,000 pounds compared to just over 4,000 pounds for the average passenger car. That’s why around 82% of truck accident deaths are occupants of passenger vehicles, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists—not the occupants of large trucks.

Every victim of a serious truck accident faces many challenges. They have medical bills, missed time at work, and chronic pain that dramatically affects their daily life. Unfortunately, they also face the challenge of dealing with trucking and insurance companies that are skilled at paying victims far less than they deserve.

At Friedman Law Offices, we know how important it is for truck accident victims to have an advocate who won’t back down. Our truck accident lawyers are committed to fighting for the full compensation you deserve.

Contact us today for a free consultation.

How Friedman Law Offices Help Truck Accident Victims

Since 1962, the attorneys at Friedman Law Offices have dedicated themselves to injured Nebraska residents fearing an uncertain future.

Friedman Law Offices has a reputation for quality legal advocacy on cases too complex for our peers. Even if another lawyer has turned down your case, we will still give it a thorough review.

Insurance adjusters believe that time is of the essence when following up with a victim of a truck crash. They move quickly to speak to the injured person and take a recorded statement. These statements are given when you are at your most vulnerable and are used against you down the road when your case is in court.

Their goal is to minimize your damages and make an offer prior to you seeking legal counsel, preferably before you even know how much your case is worth. Our goal is to make sure you don’t get taken advantage of by trucking companies or their insurers.

We ensure you get proper medical treatment, and we take on the work of handling your case so you can focus on your health and your recovery.

Dedicated Attention to Every Detail of Your Claim

We thoroughly investigate all of our cases. We may enlist the help of an accident reconstructionist who will help tell your story based on the facts. We will identify the level of negligence that occurred and regularly speak with your doctor regarding the extent of your injuries.

Our attorneys will secure and thoroughly review the necessary documents, including driving and employment records from the vehicle’s owner. From there, we will file a claim. While many cases are resolved, we will not shy away from a courtroom fight if the insurance company fails to give you the compensation you deserve.

Understanding How Truck Crashes Happen

Most truck accidents aren’t really accidents. They are caused by negligent actions, such as driving too fast, using drugs to stay awake, overloading a truck, or skipping a required maintenance check.

In some cases, truck drivers are under tremendous pressure from shippers and their employers to meet unreasonable deadlines, and they are forced to cut corners or push their bodies to the limit to meet those demands. When a trucking company or driver takes a risk to save time or money, it is always the passengers in the other vehicle who pay the price.

Examples of Truck Driver Negligence

Common causes of car-truck accidents include:

  • Driver fatigue
  • Speeding
  • Aggressive driving by the truck driver, such as tailgating
  • Truck equipment failure, such as tire blowouts or defective brakes
  • Overloading or improper loading of the trailer
  • Unsecured items that fall off the trailer and hit cars
  • Use of drugs or alcohol by the truck driver
  • Unsafe passing
  • Truck jackknifing
  • Negligent driving by the truck operator, such as driving too fast or following too close in poor weather conditions
  • Driving in a truck’s blind spot
  • Being crushed by a tractor-trailer making a wide turn

Many crashes are caused by violations of trucking safety regulations, such as skipping legally required rest breaks. Prompt investigation is essential in truck accident cases, before evidence such as driver logbooks and GPS systems disappear.

Following a crash, our lawyers will investigate the truck driver’s background to find out if he or she has a history of unsafe driving. Trucking companies are responsible for the actions of the people they hire to carry their loads, even if the truck driver is hired as an independent contractor.

Examples Of Truck Equipment Failure

The weight of a fully loaded tractor-trailer places heavy demands on equipment such as tires and brakes. When truck equipment fails because an important safety check was not performed or a manufacturer was negligent, it isn’t just the truck driver’s life that is put at risk. It is also the lives of other drivers on the road.

Here are examples of how truck equipment failure can lead to collisions:

  • Brake failure. Heavy trucks need a greater stopping distance than other vehicles. If the truck’s brakes fail due to a lack of maintenance, a rear-end collision can result.
  • Tire failure. Disastrous blowouts and tire tread separations can occur when truck drivers use retreads or fail to inspect tires.
  • Missing lights. Flares and warning lights are an important part of the safety equipment of any large vehicle. If you can’t see a truck that is parked along the side of a road, a devastating collision can occur.
  • Missing mirrors. Trucks have blind spots on the sides and back. Without special mirrors to see into those places, trucks can turn into other vehicles.

The sooner you contact our lawyers following a truck crash, the sooner we can secure evidence that may play an important role in your legal case.

Securing The Truck Driver Log Is a Priority After Any Accident

Truck driver logbooks are grid-type charts that drivers use to keep track of the hours they spend working, driving, resting, and in the sleeper berth of their cabs. Truck drivers are required by the Department of Transportation to complete these logs and save them to show that they have complied with DOT hours-of-service rules.

However, logbooks can be destroyed after a short time, so it is important to act fast to make sure they are still available as evidence. Following an accident involving a truck and a car, the logbook — and its accuracy — can be an important element in your legal case.

Our lawyers will immediately take steps to secure the logbook and determine whether the driver took the required rest breaks and completed the log accurately.

DOT Hours-Of-Service Rules

Commercial truck drivers must comply with three hours-of-service rules:

  • The 60/70-hour rule: A trucker may not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days.
  • The 14-hour rule: A trucker can only work 14 hours in a day without a 10-hour break.
  • The 11-hour rule: Total driving hours cannot exceed 11 hours in a day without a 10-hour break.

Example: After a driver starts work, he or she can’t drive more than 11 hours without taking a 10-hour break. Drivers must stop working for the day after 14 hours unless they take a 10-hour break during the day.

Is The Driver Log Accurate?

Truck drivers, under economic pressure to drive as long as possible, may create false records to show that they have taken rest breaks when in fact they didn’t. It’s not uncommon for truckers to refer to the driver logbooks as “cheat sheets” or “funny pages.”

If the truck is equipped with a GPS (global positioning system), logbook entries can be compared with GPS records to determine if the truck was stationary while the driver claimed to be resting. By checking gas and meal receipts, our lawyers can also determine if a driver committed logbook violations.

Other Important Truck Safety Regulations

In addition to hours-of-safety rules, truck safety regulations also apply to everything from background checks on truck drivers to truck maintenance to how loads are secured. Here are examples of safety regulations that apply to commercial carriers:

  • Trucking companies are required to hire qualified drivers and to conduct periodic drug tests of drivers.
  • Truck drivers are required to keep a safe driving record to maintain their commercial driver’s license (CDL).
  • Weight restrictions vary according to the road. Trucks with overweight cargo can damage roads and require greater stopping distances.
  • Trucking companies are required to perform regular maintenance of safety equipment and maintain logs to document the checks.
  • Commercial trucking companies are required to maintain adequate liability insurance, usually in excess of $1 million.

Common Injuries in Truck Accidents

Collisions with large trucks can cause some of the most serious injuries imaginable. Injuries might include:

Understanding the full impact of your injuries is important when determining how much you are owed in damages. The amount of compensation you might be entitled to is based on medical bills, lost income, pain, suffering, and several other factors.

Friedman Law Offices is committed to ensuring our clients get maximum compensation for the harm they’ve suffered. We’ll work with you to establish how much you are owed, then we’ll fight to make sure you get compensation to cover your damages.

Don’t Say Anything Or Sign Anything Before You Talk To A Lawyer

Shortly after a crash, you may be contacted by an insurance company representative asking you to make a recorded statement or sign a release form. You shouldn’t do either until you talk to a lawyer.

You are under no obligation to say anything to the insurance company or the trucking company. In fact, doing so may cause irreparable harm to your case. An innocent statement can be twisted around and used to shift blame for the crash from the trucking company to you.

The insurance carrier may also offer you a check in exchange for signing a release form. Accepting any check before knowing the full extent of your injuries can be a serious mistake.

Once you sign a release, you have signed away your legal rights, ending your case. If your injuries turn out to be more serious than you first thought, you won’t be able to go back to the insurance company and ask for more money.

Contact the Lincoln Truck Accident Lawyers at Friedman Law Offices

As you can see, truck accident cases are unique. They require a deep understanding of federal and state regulations, along with knowledge of how the trucking industry works. Because of these complexities and the potentially catastrophic injuries victims suffer, choosing the right lawyer is essential in getting the justice you deserve.

The attorneys at Friedman Law Offices have built a reputation for handling complex cases that other lawyers won’t accept. More importantly, we’ve also established a reputation among trucking companies and insurers. When you hire our firm, the other side will know to take your case seriously.

Contact our team today for a free, no-obligation consultation.