Get the help of an experienced truck accident lawyer after a crash in Warren, MI
If you were injured or lost a loved one in a semi crash in Warren, MI you need an experienced truck accident lawyer to help you recover full compensation for your injuries and economic damages to pay for your medical bills and lost wages and future lost earnings.
The very best truck accident lawyer you need for your Warren, MI crash case is at Michigan Auto Law.
Here are just a few of the reasons why:
- Our attorneys specialize exclusively in handling semi crash and car crash cases.
- We have more million-dollar crash results, including recovering the top-reported semi crash settlement and verdict of the year more times, than any other law firm in the state.
- We have won the largest semi crash settlement of any attorney or law firm in Michigan history.
- We are the only law firm in Michigan that has a board certification in truck crash law.
- The head of our law firm, Steven M. Gursten, is one of only 3 attorneys in the entire country to recieve the Hall of Fame Award for trucking litigation.
- Steve and the other attorneys at Michigan Auto Law have spoken at over 300 legal seminars in 26 states, teaching attorneys throughout the country how to handle semi crash cases.
Check out our settlement calculator to find out how much your case may be worth or call now to schedule a free consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer for your Warren, MI crash case.
Our truck accident lawyers will fight to ensure that you get full compensation for your injuries and economic damage from your Warren, MI crash. We pride ourselves on winning bigger settlements in less time for our clients, giving them more peace of mind and more time to focus on getting well.
What should I do after a semi crash?
If you’re injured in a semi crash in Warren, MI, our truck accident lawyers recommend you should do the following:
- Seek medical attention immediately for yourself
- Seek medical attention immediately for others
- Report and document all of your injuries
- Contact police
- Move to a safe area if possible
- Refrain from making any statements or signing any releases
- File an application for No-
- Fault benefits
- Comply with notification requirements in your auto insurance policy
- Retain an experienced truck accident lawyer for your Warren, MI crash case as soon as you are able
- Obtain a copy of your police report
- Attend all medical appointments
- Keep good records
Why do I need a lawyer for a truck accident in Warren, MI?
You need an experienced Warren truck accident lawyer who specializes exclusively in this area of the law because semi crash cases are very different from all other types of injury claims, including car crash cases. Unfortunately, many personal injury attorneys from all across the state run ads misleadingly calling themselves “semi crash attorneys,” even though they do not actually have the requisite knowledge and legal sophistication to properly handle this type of litigation.
Instead of waging a successful fight built on a strategy designed specifically for your Warren, MI truck accident case, under-experienced personal injury lawyers treat them like car crash cases but with bigger insurance policy limits.
The result for the crash victim and his or her family who have suffered a catastrophic injury or lost a loved one is that millions of dollars in noneconomic and economic damages can be left out of a settlement in the case.
What is so different about truck accident cases that an experienced, specialized lawyer is necessary for your Warren, MI crash case?
- Trucking companies are required to follow strict federal and state laws related to hours of service, weight limits, maintenance, and hiring drivers.
- There are often also multiple parties who can be accountable for your crash – each with multiple layers of insurance coverage and financial assets available to pay for your settlement in the case of a catastrophic personal injury or wrongful death.
- Trucking companies can legally destroy evidence of their negligence if they are not told to preserve the evidence within the time frame required by federal safety rules.
An experienced Warren truck accident lawyer will preserve the evidence you will need to prove your case against the semi driver, the motor carrier company and other negligent parties is one of the most important reasons why you need to have an experienced attorney fighting for you.
The evidence your lawyer you need to preserve for you Warren, MI truck accident case includes:
- Event Data Recorder (an EDR is also commonly known as a “black box”) downloads – If liability is being contested or if the semi driver or the attorneys are trying to blame you in part for the crash, this evidence can often reveal critical information on the semi driver’s actions in the moments before the crash.
- The driver’s cell phone records
- Electronic recordings
- All video and audio of the onboard cameras (Video
- Event Data Recorders)
- The driver’s “electronic logging device” (ELD) records showing hours-of-service (i.e., driving hours and resting hours)
- All inspection records
- The driver’s qualification file
- Photos of the crash scene
- Video surveillance of the crash scene
- Witness names, contact information and statements
- All law enforcement reports
- All reports from EMS, fire and other first responders
How can an experienced truck accident lawyer help after a crash in Warren, MI?
An experienced Warren truck accident lawyer who specializes in this type of litigation can help you after being injured in a crash by: (1) winning bigger settlements, faster, (2) stopping the motor carrier company from destroying key evidence, (3) identifying how important safety violations led to your crash, (4) involving the top experts to prove your case; (5) holding all responsible parties fully accountable, (6) uncover all of the insurance coverage and assets that can be used to pay for your settlement, and (7) stop the motor carrier company and its attorneys from manipulating the litigation process to hide evidence of negligence.
Here is more information about each of the ways your truck accident lawyer can help you with your Warren, MI crash case:
Bigger settlements in less time – An inexperienced personal injury attorney who doesn’t specialize in this area of the law can and will make costly mistakes that will cause the dollar amount of your settlement to be much, much lower than it should have been. But a truck accident lawyer who understands these cases and is specialized in this type of crash litigation can maximize settlement results – and get them for you faster for your Warren, MI crash case. The insurance industry’s own research shows that settlement amounts can be up to 4x greater when crash victims are represented by skilled, experienced attorneys who have a track record and a reputation for obtaining favorable settlements and trial verdicts.
Stop the trucking company from destroying key evidence that proves the company’s negligence – Motor carriers can and will legally destroy evidence that you will need to prove your case if they are not specifically asked to preserve the evidence before the retention period has expired, which may be as soon as 90 to 120 after the crash. Once that time has passed, the semi company can lawfully put your evidence into the shredder. Losing this evidence could kill your case or – at a minimum – reduce the dollar amount of your settlement to much, much less than it should have been. However, an experienced truck accident lawyer can help you preserve that evidence in your Warren, MI crash case by serving the necessary “preservation of evidence/spoliation” letters on the motor carrier company or going to court to file temporary restraining orders to preserve the evidence you will need to prove your case.
Highlight the federal and state safety regulations that the at-fault semi driver and trucking company violated – Only an attorney who has litigated hundreds of these types of cases will have the “know how” and detailed knowledge of the federal and state safety regulations to be able to pinpoint each and every violation that led to the crash that injured you or took the life of your loved one.
Bring in the nation’s top experts to help prove your case – Our attorneys know that the most commonly used experts in semi crash cases include: (1) crash reconstruction experts; (2) federal and state safety regulation experts; (3) driver training experts; (4) mechanics; (5) toxicologists who can speak to whether a driver was under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and/or prescription medication; and (6) life care planners who can explain to judges and juries what a crash victim’s life will be like going forward and what his or her medical needs will be.
Hold all of the responsible, negligent parties accountable and legally liable – Frequently, this is easier said than done. Because there is always the risk that semi will be involved in a crash that results in catastrophic injuries or death, trucking companies and corporations involved in the trucking industry create complex corporate entities to conceal their involvement and, thus, avoid being forced to use their vast layers of insurance coverage and assets to pay into the victim’s settlement. An inexperienced attorney lacks the “know how” to do the detective work to bring these issues into the light, but an experienced and specialized truck accident lawyer will follow every clue in your Warren, MI crash case and, ultimately, “crack the case.” Failure to identify and name a proper party as a defendant can mean the loss of millions of additional dollars in applicable insurance coverage that can be used to protect you and your family when tragedy strikes.
Increase your settlement based on the responsible parties’ liability insurance coverage and assets – After identifying the responsible parties who must be held accountable for your crash injuries, it is crucial that you identify all of the financial resources that those parties have available to contribute to a settlement amount that reflects the true value of your case. In your Warren, MI crash case, only an experienced truck accident lawyer will have the skills to discover not only the insurance policies that the defendants readily admit, but also the corporate and umbrella policies that they try to hide. Additionally, your attorney will also do asset checks on the responsible parties – many of whom are deep-pocketed corporations – to determine their ability to pay into a settlement or trial verdict that exceeds what is covered by their insurance.
Make sure the jury hears all of the evidence about the responsible parties’ negligence – One of the many games that trucking companies and their attorneys play to deceive the jury and the court is to admit their negligence in the hopes that it will prevent a crash victim from offering evidence of their negligence – evidence which paints a damning picture of the semi company, the semi driver, and their disregard for the safety regulations and the safety of other drivers with whom they share the road. An experienced truck accident lawyer who specializes in litigating these cases will not allow your Warren, MI crash case to be undermined in this way. Through depositions and discovery, your attorney will get the trucking company to commit to its initial position that it did nothing wrong to cause the crash – this sets up a situation where the motor carrier company will be contradicting itself if it later admits it was negligent. At trial, your truck accident lawyer will argue that despite the motor carrier company’s admission of negligence he or she is still entitled to prove the essential facts of how the company’s acts or omissions caused your crash in Warren, MI. Additionally, depending on the facts of the case, evidence of negligence may be relevant to a claim for exemplary damages where the semi company’s actions are particularly malicious or wilful and wanton.
The best truck accident lawyers near you for your Warren, MI crash case are at Michigan Auto Law
The best truck accident lawyers for your Warren, MI crash case are at Michigan Auto Law. There is arguably no attorney or law firm in the state specializing in semi crash litigation that is more capable of winning a full and fair settlement for you and your family.
Our attorneys, who have handled hundreds of cases throughout the state, have won the largest overall truck settlement ever of any attorney or law firm in the state, as well as the highest reported semi crash settlement and jury verdict in the state over more years than any other law firm in Michigan.
Michigan Auto Law is the only law firm in the state to have been awarded a board certification in Truck Crash Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a distinction of skill and experience that has been bestowed on only a rare few of the trucking litigation attorneys in America today.
One of our attorneys, Steven Gursten, has recieved the Hall of Fame Award for trucking litigation. Steve is one of only three – out of the 110,000 attorneys in the entire country who advertise or claim they handle semi crash cases – to receive this elite honor.
Steve is also the past-President of the American Association for Justice’s Trucking Litigation Group.
Types of compensation that can be awarded
After being injured in a truck accident in Warren, MI, a lawyer you may be able to get you compensation that covers the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Fright and shock
- Denial of social pleasure and enjoyments
- Embarrassment, humiliation or mortification)
- Permanent and disabling injuries
- Reduced quality of life
- Medical expenses (past, present and future)
- Loss of your current income
- Loss of your potential future earnings
- Wrongful death damages that includes loss of a loved one’s financial support and loss of his or her society and companionship
Who can be held liable after a semi crash?
Semi crash cases are more complex and difficult than car crash cases (which is why you need an experienced, specialized truck accident lawyer handling your Warren, MI crash case) and one of the reasons why is because there are so many potentially negligent parties to hold accountable.
In your case, your attorney may be able to hold the following parties legally liable:
The Semi Driver
It is frequently the case that his or her negligent behavior was the cause – or at least one of several contributing causes – of your crash and your resulting injuries.
The Vehicle Owner
The owner of the vehicle may be liable under the “owner liability” law of the state in which your crash occurred. These laws hold owners liable when injuries or death are caused by the negligent operation of a vehicle they own. The owner may also be liable based on his or her failure to inspect, repair and maintain the vehicle.
The Trailer Owner
An experienced truck accident lawyer can hold the the owner of the trailer which is being hauled by the semi and may not also be the owner of the semi, in which case his or her liability for a crash in Warren, MI may arise for the same reasons that a semi owner may be held liable.
The Trucking Company
Trucking companies’ liability may arise from their status as the owner of a semi and trailer or from their status as the employer of the semi driver who caused the crash. Additionally, the could also be held legally liable for a crash and the resulting injuries, deaths, damages based on negligent supervision, training and hiring, such as when they employ a driver with driving infractions or when they pressure drivers into violating the hours-of-service requirements or neglecting inspection and vehicle maintenance requirements.
The Shipping Company
An experienced truck accident lawyer can hold the shipping company or “shipper” liable for your crash in Warren, MI – which is the company that is hiring the semi driver and motor carrier company to haul its products or cargo from one place to another – may also be found to be legally liable for a crash.
The Load Broker
This is the middleman or intermediary who is hired by a shipper or company who wants to ship their products and goods to find and hire semi drivers and trucking companies who will transport a shipper’s cargo and goods to the destination specified by the shipper. It is possible that a load broker may have legal liability for causing or contributing to a crash.
The Leasing Agent
An experienced and specialized truck accident lawyer can hold the person or company that leases their semi and trailer to a driver, motor carrier company, or shipping company to be used to transport cargo, products and goods may be held legally accountable for your Warren, MI crash.
The Loading Company
This company, which is hired and paid to load cargo, goods and products onto a semi for transportation, may be deemed legally liable if it negligently loaded the semi and the shifting of the load or the overloading of the semi contributed to the crash.
The Maintenance Company
When the failure to properly maintain a semi in a safe condition contributes to a crash, your truck accident lawyer may be able to hold the maintenance company may be held legally liable for your crash in Warren, MI.
Manufacturer of The Truck, Trailer and Equipment
Depending on the laws of the state where crash occurs, a part manufacturer can be held liable if its defective vehicle, trailer, product, part or equipment causes or contributes to a crash. Defective products and equipment can cause brake failures, tire blowouts, and steering malfunctions.