Mississippi Truck Accident Lawyers

Helping Truck Accident Victims Secure Fair Compensation

Any car accident can be life-altering, but accidents involving semi-trucks tend to have the most potential to cause severe injuries or death for accident victims. This is typically due to the significantly larger size of commercial trucks compared to passenger vehicles, especially when a tractor-trailer is carrying a full load of cargo.

If you unfortunately know firsthand the devastation a truck accident can cause the victims, you should reach out to Tannehill Carmean, PLLC, for legal advice. Our team has years of experience handling semi-truck accident cases for clients whose lives have been heavily impacted by the negligence of truck drivers and other potentially liable parties. When you’re ready for skilled truck accident attorneys to begin investigating the cause of your truck accident, preserving evidence, and fighting for fair compensation, call our law firm for legal representation.

What Causes Most Truck Accidents in Mississippi?

In our years of investigating truck crashes for clients, we’ve noticed that most accidents involving large commercial vehicles are caused by negligent or reckless decisions made by the truck driver or the trucking company that hired them. In some cases, there’s more than one party to blame, while in others, the truck driver’s negligence alone led to severe injuries or death for those involved in the crash.

When you hire our law firm, we’ll work hard to uncover the cause of the truck accident during our investigation of what occurred. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:

Truck driver fatigue, especially when drivers feel pressured to spend long hours on the road to meet delivery deadlines, even when they violate hours-of-service rules
Speeding, since stopping a heavy commercial vehicle takes longer than usual at high speeds, making a car accident more likely to occur
Distracted driving, often due to looking at a cell phone, eating, or focusing more on a navigation system than the road while behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer or tanker truck
Poor vehicle maintenance, leading to bald tires, worn-out brakes, or truck suspension failure
Improperly loaded cargo, which can shift around and cause rollover or jackknife accidents that affect nearby commercial and passenger vehicles
Inadequate truck driver training or hiring, in which a trucking company fails to make sure every driver they hire has a commercial driver’s license (CDL), a good driving record, and the proper training to handle the large truck they’re driving
Impaired driving due to drugs or alcohol that can significantly reduce the driver’s ability to stay alert and make safe decisions while driving
Inclement weather, such as snow, ice, fog, or heavy rain
Vehicle defects, such as tires, brakes, steering wheels, and other truck parts that were defective when the truck was manufactured
Poorly maintained roads, which often have potholes, inadequate lighting, or traffic signs that are hard to see or completely missing

When you contact our firm to take on your truck accident claim, an experienced truck accident attorney will begin examining all the details to determine what led to the truck crash. This may involve requesting the police report, pictures, and video footage from the car accident scene, lab results from the truck driver, witness statements, and black box data showing information about vehicle speed and braking. Our team knows how to collect these details and use them to prove fault before requesting damages on behalf of our clients. If you’ve been involved in a devastating motor vehicle accident in Mississippi, call our law firm to pursue compensation.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Mississippi Commercial Truck Accidents?

Truck accidents involving large commercial vehicles are often caused by more than one party, which means you can seek compensation from two or more liable individuals or businesses in the trucking industry. In particular, the following are among the most common liable parties for truck accidents:

The truck driver who may be cited for reckless driving, such as speeding or making unsafe lane changes
The trucking company that hired the negligent truck driver and then failed to train them properly, or pressured them to work without sufficient sleep
The owner of the large truck, which could be a leasing company or other business aside from the trucking company
Truck mechanics or repair shops that failed to adequately inspect or fix faulty parts on the truck
The cargo loader who did not properly load and secure the cargo, causing it to shift and resulting in an accident

Manufacturers of defective trucks or truck parts that partly or fully led to the truck wreck
The government entity that failed to maintain or repair roads in poor condition

Rest assured that you’re not expected to know who or what caused your truck wreck and may be liable for the damages. This is what you can hire a skilled truck accident lawyer to determine. When you trust us with your personal injury claim after a large truck accident, we’ll promptly begin researching what happened and who could be responsible for your damages.

We want to ensure that you get the maximum compensation, so you can rely on us to thoroughly investigate the truck wreck to uncover anyone who might share the blame with the truck driver. If you’re ready to learn what kind of compensation to expect and whose insurance company will be responsible for paying your claim, contact our law firm for a consultation with a caring truck accident lawyer.

What Compensation Are Injured Victims Entitled to?

The main reason to initiate a truck accident claim is to get fair compensation from the liable party’s insurance company. Otherwise, you could be stuck paying for the many expenses that are often incurred by truck accident victims. Even if your bills related to the crash are affordable right now, that might not be the case in the near future.

For example, your health insurance policy might cover most of your treatment costs for any truck accident injuries you suffered, but you never know if a relatively minor injury could worsen and become a serious injury requiring surgery and physical therapy. This could also make it difficult or impossible to work while you heal, which is why it’s essential to speak with a truck accident lawyer to fully consider the damages you should pursue after a tractor-trailer accident.

The following are the most common damages for victims to request in a personal injury case involving a large commercial truck:

Medical bills for the emergency medical care you received immediately after the accident
Future medical expenses, if you need surgery, medication, physical therapy, and other treatment in the next few months or years
Property damage sufficient to cover any repairs you need for your car and other personal property, or to buy a new vehicle if necessary
Lost wages to make up for the days or weeks you had to take off work to heal from your serious injuries
Loss of future earning capacity if your injuries are permanent and will prevent you from earning the same amount you made before the truck accident
Loss of enjoyment of life if your injuries keep you from participating in the activities and social events you once enjoyed before the crash
Pain and suffering caused by the tractor-trailer accident
Emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, or PTSD, caused by the car crash
Mental anguish, including the humiliation or anger you might feel after a truck accident caused by someone else
Disfigurement, which can include scarring, physical pain, and embarrassment that may keep you from going out in public after the crash

Your truck accident lawyer will tell you which damages apply to your case and give you an estimate of the amount to expect. Depending on the facts of your case, you may be eligible for additional damages. For example, if the truck driver, trucking company, truck manufacturer, or other liable party displayed conduct that was grossly negligent or malicious in nature, you could be owed punitive damages.

In addition, if you lost a family member to a fatal truck accident, you may be able to bring a wrongful death claim against the responsible party’s insurance company. In Mississippi, wrongful death claims for fatal truck accidents can result in damages for medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, loss of income, loss of companionship, and more. If your loved one died of fatal injuries caused by the negligence of a truck driver, trucking company, or other liable party, call our law firm to discuss the damages you can get from your semi-truck accident claim.

What Should You Know Before You File a Truck Accident Claim in Mississippi?

Personal injury laws often vary by state, so it’s helpful to know the ones used in Mississippi personal injury claims before you take any legal actions following a vehicle accident.

First, the statute of limitations for initiating a car accident lawsuit is three years from the date of the car wreck. This statute of limitations applies to Mississippi wrongful death claims, as well, meaning you could lose the chance to file a claim if three years have passed since your loved one’s death due to a truck accident.

Some exceptions reduce the statute of limitations to less than three years. For instance, if you’re bringing a claim against a government entity, such as the state agency that failed to properly maintain the road where your truck accident took place, you only have one year to file a claim. This is why we encourage injured accident victims to seek representation from truck accident attorneys as soon as possible.

Another state-specific detail that may apply to your Mississippi truck accident case is that some damages have a maximum amount that can be paid out, known as a damage cap. The cap for non-economic damages in this state is $1 million. On the other hand, there are no caps on economic damages, meaning you should get the full amount you need to pay for your property damage, medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses associated with the large truck accident. If you’re eligible for punitive damages, you may be limited to a certain amount depending on your net worth, which your truck accident attorney can further explain based on the details of your case.

Finally, you should know that this state uses the pure comparative negligence system in personal injury cases, which allows the victim to collect compensation even if they’re partly at fault for their accident. Under this system, if you’re found to be 20 percent to blame for the truck accident, the financial compensation you get will be reduced by 20 percent, allowing you to collect 80 percent of the amount your lawyer requested from the insurance company. If you have questions about this or other aspects of your tractor-trailer accident case, call our law firm for answers from a Mississippi truck accident attorney.

How Can Our Mississippi Truck Accident Lawyers Help You?

Whether you suffered serious injuries or lost a loved one to a tractor-trailer crash in Mississippi, it’s time to call Tannehill Carmean, PLLC, for assistance pursuing fair compensation. Our team has the resources and skills to conduct a thorough investigation to determine fault, starting by gathering evidence like medical records, witness statements, police reports, truck driver driving records, and other details to prove liability.

Once we discover the cause of the commercial truck crash, we’ll add up your damages and begin negotiating with the insurance company representing the at-fault driver, trucking company, or other liable party. You can trust us to handle all communications with insurance adjusters and gather medical records and other evidence as needed on your behalf, allowing you to rest at home while we work to secure the maximum compensation for you.

If you’re ready to seek justice from the negligent truck driver, trucking company, or other liable parties, call our law firm at 662-200-8734 to schedule an initial consultation with our compassionate team.