Side impact crashes – also known as T-bone collisions can have severe consequences– especially when a commercial truck is involved, considering these vehicles can weigh up to 80,000 pounds.
When a car is hit at a perpendicular angle, it can flip or be crushed. Chain reaction wrecks are also common when the impact causes a car to hit another, and the dynamic continues between multiple vehicles. This can create a messy situation concerning liability.
A lawyer who works on cases of side-impact truck accidents in Auburn can help sort through the details to pursue a successful claim. Contact our team of dedicated tractor-trailer crash attorneys at Gideon Asen, LLC today.
Common Causes of T-Bone Truck Crashes
The most typical cause of side-impact truck collisions in Lewiston-Auburn is driver negligence. When this happens, it could be due to several reasons, including:
- Poor training
- Negligent hiring
- Bad weather conditions
- Driving under the influence
- Fatigue from being overworked
When a person is harmed, a lawyer can assist in the necessary steps post-wreck, such as collecting photos and other evidence and obtaining police and medical reports. This way, individuals can pursue all avenues of compensation they are entitled to.
Motorists in Side-Impact Truck Accident Are Entitled to Compensation
Those hurt in T-bone truck wrecks in Auburn can receive compensation for several losses, such as:
- Property damage
- Lost income and wages
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Punitive damages
A hardworking personal injury lawyer can help gather all the necessary documentation to pursue a claim with the best chance of success.
Modified Comparative Negligence
Even when a motorist was partially at fault in an accident, they may still be entitled to compensation. Under Maine’s modified comparative negligence rule, a plaintiff may recover if they were not equally or more responsible for a crash.
Unfortunately, this means opposing counsel and automobile insurers will try to blame the injured party. By hiring a talented truck wreck attorney, individuals can ensure they do not fall prey to this underhanded tactic.
Maine’s Statute of Limitations
Maine Revised Statutes Title 14, § 752 (2023) allows six years to pursue a claim after a T-bone tractor-trailer accident. However, if a collision involved a government entity, this may be reduced to one year, as per Me. Rev. Stat. 14, § 8107.1. An attorney can help determine the statute based on the details of a crash.
Vicarious Liability in Maine
Per Maine’s law of vicarious liability (§ 1109), the harmed party in a side-impact semi collision in Lewiston-Auburn can pursue a claim against the at-fault driver’s employer. This applies even if they were not directly at fault because vicarious liability holds an employer responsible for the negligent actions of its employees.
Like car insurance companies, trucking companies will try to get individuals to make statements against their interest or take a settlement lower than they are entitled to. A dedicated lawyer can help their clients fend off the insurers and commercial truck companies as they pursue fair damages.
Find Out More About Compensation for Auburn Side-Impact Truck Accidents Today
When you have been jackknifed or T-boned by a tractor-trailer, it can be frustrating to deal with the aftermath of the incident. Especially when you have been seriously injured in a wreck, you still have a demanding process involving police, medical professionals, and insurance companies ahead of you.
Let our team at Gideon Asen, LLC take some of the burden so you can focus on healing. Side-impact truck accidents in Auburn are a serious situation, but you do not have to face them alone. Call us today for legal assistance and get started on obtaining the compensation you deserve.
