Fight Negligence with Our Trusted Connecticut Attorneys

If you were injured or a loved one died in a catastrophic truck accident in Connecticut, the law may entitle you to financial compensation for your past and future losses. A practiced Waterbury truck accident lawyer can help you work through the legal process.  Don’t leave yourself without defense against the large trucking companies and insurance companies who will become involved in your case. Unfortunately, these companies are notorious for trying to get you to take the least amount of compensation possible.

At the Law Offices of James A. Welcome, our lawyers have experience obtaining numerous settlements and jury verdicts for past clients. We care about your recovery. Our lawyers offer free and confidential consultations, where we will review the details of your case and advise you on how to proceed. Contact us today to request a meeting with one of our truck accident attorneys.

Why Choose Our Waterbury Truck Accident Attorneys

• The experience your truck attorney has matters. Our lawyers have been successfully representing clients throughout Connecticut for more than 17 years.
• We communicate openly and often. You will never be left in the dark about your case. We have a multilingual staff that speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
• We know how to get real results. Our  Waterbury truck accident lawyers can go up against any insurance company or trucking company in pursuit of the compensation you deserve.

Set up an appointment with our team by calling (203) 753-7300 today.  We have three conveniently located offices in Waterbury, Danbury, and Norwalk and can make evening or weekend appointments for you if necessary. Se habla español!

Do You Need to Hire a Lawyer in Waterbury?

Handling your truck accident lawsuit alone can expose you to mistakes such as settling for less than your case is worth or trusting an insurance claims adjuster to act in your best interest. These mistakes can compromise your family’s future by getting in the way of the financial recovery you need to pay for your ongoing medical expenses and other costs. Although the law in Connecticut does not make hiring a lawyer mandatory, doing so can help you recover.

An experienced personal injury lawyer will know exactly how to manage your case for the best possible outcome. Your lawyer can interview witnesses, review your medical records and accident reports, gather evidence, investigate the crash, submit your insurance claim, and prepare for trial if necessary. A Waterbury lawyer can handle the legal legwork of your case while you focus on healing.

Common Causes of Commercial Trucking Accidents

Large truck accidents are almost always preventable. They stem from issues such as poor truck driver judgment and improperly maintained trucks. Driving a big rig is a physically and mentally taxing job. Truck drivers must make safe decisions and operate their vehicles with care to avoid crashing. Trucking companies also have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their trucks, equipment and drivers.

Truck accidents in Connecticut are often related to avoidable human errors. Common causes of truck accidents include:

• Distracted truck driver
• Texting while driving
• Drowsy driver
• Broken hours-of-service regulations
• Other violated federal laws
• Speeding
• Incorrect braking techniques
• Unsafe lane changes
• Illegal turns
• Following too closely
• Equipment breakdowns
• Lost cargo loads

Truck drivers and trucking companies have a responsibility to take great care in preventing dangerous truck accidents. Failing to do so can result in a truck accident and can lead to liability (financial responsibility) for injuries, losses and deaths. These issues can increase the risk of accidents involving many different trucks, including flatbed trucks, tractor-trailer trucks, tanker trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks, delivery trucks, box trucks and tow trucks.

Who Is Responsible for a Truck Accident in Connecticut?

If a trucking company, a truck driver or another party had the power to prevent a collision but failed to do so, that party could be legally responsible for the crash. Connecticut uses a conventional fault system for financial responsibility for injuries, property damage and other losses that result from a truck accident. This means the party most responsible for causing the truck accident will have to pay for injuries and losses.

Most truck accident lawsuits name the trucking company as the defendant. The trucking company is responsible for ensuring the reasonable safety of its trucks and drivers through practices such as proper driver training, background checks and fleet maintenance. The trucking company is also vicariously responsible for the actions of its on-duty employees, including truck drivers. If a truck driver caused a crash as an employee of the trucking company, therefore, the company will bear vicarious liability.

Other possibilities for the defendant in your truck accident case in Waterbury are a truck owner/operator, a truck driver who is an independent contractor, a cargo company, a third-party driver, a product manufacturer and the government. You may be able to hold more than one party liable for your accident, depending on the circumstances. Naming multiple defendants can increase the odds of recovering maximum compensation for your injuries.

Can I Obtain Compensation If I Was Partially at Fault?

Connecticut has a comparative fault rule. This means that if the jury determines that the accident is partially your fault, you may get a percentage deducted from your compensation. For example, if it was determined that your compensation was $100,000, but that you were 20% at fault, you would receive $80,000.  These numbers are purely hypothetical and may not reflect actual case results.

What Makes Truck Accident Lawsuits Unique?

Commercial truck accident lawsuits are not like typical car accident cases. They have many features that make them unique, including the size of the adversary, the evidence available, the severity of the injuries and federal regulations. An attorney can navigate these factors for you.

For example, a lawyer can take steps to preserve key evidence for your case and protect it from the trucking company’s rapid response team, which will immediately go to the scene of the accident to gather evidence. A lawyer can counter the rapid response team’s efforts by collecting evidence without delay, such as:

• Driver logs
• Event data recorder
• The truck’s black box
• The driver’s medical history and driving record
• The truck company’s history of federal law compliance
• Fleet inspection and repair reports
• Cell phone records
• Camera footage from an in-cab device

A lawyer can also help you with other difficult aspects of your case. A Waterbury truck accident attorney from the Law Offices of James A. Welcome can improve your ability to negotiate with a powerful insurance corporation, navigate the laws that apply to the trucking industry, and fight for the compensation you require for your catastrophic injuries or a loved one’s death.

Contact Attorney James A. Welcome Today

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident and wish to hold someone financially responsible, the first step is to consult with a Waterbury truck accident attorney. If another party is responsible for the collision, you have the right to seek financial compensation for your injuries and related expenses.

An attorney from the Law Offices of James A. Welcome can help you optimize your recovery while protecting your peace of mind. Discuss how our experienced attorneys and comprehensive legal strategies can help you today. Contact our Waterbury truck accident lawyers online or at (203) 753-7300 now for a free initial consultation.