Fatal Truck Accidents

There are substantial risks associated with commercial trucks, and as a result the industry is heavily regulated by federal and state laws. If a big rig crashes into a passenger car, it is usually those in the smaller vehicle who suffer catastrophic injuries or a tragic death. If a loved one has died in a truck accident, you may feel overwhelmed by grief. Moreover, you may also be struggling with a heavy financial burden. At Neumann Law Group, our attorneys have experience litigating these kinds of cases. Our principal, Kelly Neumann, is a Detroit, Traverse City, and Grand Rapids fatal truck accident lawyer with a strong reputation. She has regularly secured more than $3 million in personal injury cases each year for several years.

As a surviving family member of someone who has passed away in a fatal truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Wrongful death damages, if recovered, can cover medical bills, funeral costs, burial costs, loss of companionship, and other noneconomic damages. Most truck accident cases are the result of negligence.

To prove truck driver negligence, you will need to show the duty of the truck driver, a breach of the duty, causation, and damages. The breach of duty may be distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving, or any violation of the FMCSA regulations that cover truck drivers, such as the hours of service rules. Under the hours of service rules, truck drivers are prohibited from driving for too many hours consecutively. The goal is to stop commercial drivers from driving while they are too fatigued to respond appropriately to situations that arise unexpectedly on the road.

In some cases, a trucking company can also be held liable for a wrongful death. A company may be held vicariously liable for its employees' negligence in the course and scope of their jobs. It also can be held directly liable in instances in which it fails to maintain its trucks or fails to use reasonable care in hiring, training, or supervising its drivers. For example, a trucking company likely can be held directly liable for knowing of a truck driver's alcohol abuse problem and not taking steps to address this issue if the driver then causes a serious accident as a result.

After a fatal truck crash, the estate of the decedent can file a wrongful death lawsuit with the purpose of obtaining damages for certain surviving family members. The family members have a certain amount of time to let the representative know what their damages are so that they can collect from the amount that is awarded.

It is important to retain an attorney as soon as possible after a motor vehicle collision so that an investigation into the causes of the accident can begin. If you experienced a loss in your family, the Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Traverse City fatal truck accident attorneys at Neumann Law Group may be able to help you recover compensation. Our firm represents people in Petoskey, Warren, Holland, Midland, Muskegon, Saginaw, Wyoming, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, and communities throughout the Upper Peninsula. Contact us at 800-525-NEUMANN or via our online form for a free consultation with a wrongful death attorney. We also represent families in California and Massachusetts.