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Drivers throughout Wisconsin encounter large trucks on the road every day, and it’s possible for accidents involving these vehicles to have devastating effects. If you were recently injured in any such accident, it is vital that you consult an experienced Wisconsin truck accident lawyer to discuss your recovery options right away. The right attorney can help you prepare for the difficult legal proceedings ahead of you.
Craig Steger joined Hale Skemp in 2005 and has an extensive record of successful legal representation for injured clients in La Crosse, Eau Claire, Menomonie, Tomah, and throughout western Wisconsin. If you believe another party is responsible for causing a recent truck accident and injuring you and/or a family member, it’s crucial to hire a truck accident lawyer you trust to guide you through your recovery process.
Your Wisconsin truck accident lawyer can help you determine your most viable path to recovering from the accident. All vehicle accidents throughout the state that involve more than one vehicle are resolved based on fault. This means that whichever driver caused the accident is responsible for the resulting damages, and you will need to establish fault before you can claim compensation for your losses.
Craig Steger can work closely with you through each phase of your case, from gathering the evidence you need to establish liability to helping you uncover the full scope of the damages you are eligible to seek from the defendant who caused the accident. You may be entitled to a larger recovery than you initially expected, but it’s crucial to hire a truck accident lawyer who can maximize your chances of success with your case.
According to the National Safety Council, most of the victims of truck accidents throughout the United States are occupants of other, smaller vehicles. In 2023, there were 5,375 large trucks involved in fatal crashes and another 114,552 involved in crashes resulting in nonfatal injuries. About 70% of all victims of truck crashes throughout the United States are occupants of other vehicles. Truck Accidents can also cause serious injury or death to truck drivers, especially in collisions with other trucks and large commercial vehicles.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation reported that in 2024, there were a total of 4,476 tractor-trailer accidents throughout the state. These accidents can happen for many of the same reasons that other passenger vehicle accidents occur, but large trucks are also subject to several unique risk factors.
Driver negligence is one of the most common causes of vehicle crashes throughout Western Wisconsin each year, including commercial truck accidents. Speeding or driving too fast for conditions can not only increase the chance of an accident happening but also the severity of any resulting damage. It’s also possible for distractions like texting and driving to cause a serious truck accident. Truck drivers are absolutely forbidden from texting or using their phones to make calls while driving a commercial vehicle. Only hands free devices are permitted.
When it comes to the risk factors unique to large trucks, these typically pertain to the safety regulations in place for the trucking industry. For example, trucking companies must follow hours-of-service rules to ensure their drivers get adequate rest between driving shifts. Failure to enforce these regulations could lead to fatigued driving accidents.
Improperly loaded cargo and poor truck maintenance are other regulatory failings that may also cause accidents. Commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers must be packed correctly to ensure they are not driven while off-balance, and most commercial trucks require careful maintenance due to the time they spend on the road. The party responsible for meeting these requirements could be liable for damages if their negligence results in a serious accident. Truck drivers are required by federal regulation to perform a diligent pre-trip and post-trip inspection of their vehicles and trailers before and after every trip, and make a written note of any mechanical issues requiring service or repair.
Your Wisconsin truck accident lawyer can gather the evidence you’ll need to establish liability for the accident. It’s possible for the truck driver to bear sole liability, but their employer could face vicarious liability for the accident if they failed to perform a background check on the driver or otherwise failed to meet their regulatory requirements that contributed to causing the accident. Trucking companies and employers are required to train and road test new drivers with the particular type of vehicle they are expected to drive. Many trucking companies skill this process or do an inadequate job of training their drivers.
It is also possible for the driver of another vehicle to have caused the accident or for multiple drivers to share liability. Wisconsin enforces a modified comparative negligence rule, so when multiple parties share liability for an accident, each party is assigned a fault percentage. Each liable party’s respective percentage dictates how much of the resulting damages they are required to repay.
It’s possible for a plaintiff to be found partially at fault, and they can still recover compensation as long as they are found less at fault than the defendant. However, their fault percentage will be the amount deducted from their case award to reflect their shared liability, and if they are found more at fault than the defendant, they will be barred from claiming compensation. Consult your attorney if you are concerned about bearing partial fault for a recent truck accident.
It is especially important in accidents involving trucks to consult with an attorney as soon as possible. Critical information and evidence can be lost if the damaged truck is repaired and put back in service. Do not wait to contact an experienced trucking attorney if you or someone you love has been involved in an accident involving a commercial motor vehicle.
Once your Wisconsin truck accident lawyer has helped you establish liability for the accident, you can direct your efforts toward claiming compensation for your damages. The party responsible for causing the crash is liable for all economic and non-economic damages they inflicted, and every driver in Wisconsin is required to have auto insurance to cover damages they cause if they are found at fault for an accident.
Truck drivers are usually covered by commercial policies that provide far more coverage than the average individual policy in Wisconsin. However, it does not mean you should expect filing your claim to be easy or for the insurance claim to fully cover your damages. Additionally, you can face different challenges depending on whether an owner-operator, small fleet operator, or large trucking company bears any liability for your accident and the type of insurance they have.
You should expect the at-fault driver’s insurance company to attempt everything it can to devalue or deny your claim. Do not wait for this to happen to you to hire a truck accident lawyer. When you secure legal representation before filing your auto insurance claim, you will be better prepared to address any unexpected complications that arise. Your attorney can ensure that you are treated fairly and that you receive an acceptable settlement offer from the insurance carrier.
You may need to file a personal injury case to recover your damages from a truck accident. In Wisconsin, success with any personal injury case requires identifying the party responsible for injuring you and proving exactly how they caused the injury. Next, you will need to prove the full extent of the damages the defendant inflicted.
Your Wisconsin truck accident lawyer can help you build your case, gathering the evidence and witness testimony you will need to establish fault for your damages. They will then help you accurately calculate those damages, which could include:
Ultimately, you may have grounds to claim substantial compensation from the defendant, but it is crucial to hire the right attorney as soon as possible after a commerical truck accident if you want to have the greatest chance of success with your case. In addition to your economic and non-economic damages, it is also possible to receive punitive damages at the court’s discretion if the defendant caused your accident by breaking the law, such as by drinking and driving.
Your attorney can help you understand all the variables likely to influence the final outcome of your personal injury case in western Wisconsin. Craig Steger can develop an individualized case strategy for you and help you maximize your compensation. Some personal injury cases can be resolved through settlement negotiations, but some must be resolved through litigation. In either case, your Wisconsin truck accident lawyer can be a valuable asset.
Ultimately, the aftermath of any commercial truck accident can be confusing, and you’re likely to have lots of difficult legal questions you cannot answer for yourself. It will be vital to speak with an experienced Wisconsin truck accident lawyer at your first opportunity if you want to have the greatest chance of success with your case. Reach out to Craig Steger quickly to learn how the right attorney can help you maximize your recovery and gather and preserve the evidence critical to winning your case.
To prove fault for a truck accident in Western Wisconsin, you will likely need various forms of evidence that your attorney can obtain for you. Trucking company records, vehicle computer data, cell phone data, dash cam footage, and testimony from eyewitnesses to the accident are often crucial pieces of evidence in these cases. You need to hire a truck accident lawyer as quickly as possible after your accident so they can start gathering the evidence you need to build your case. Any delay, even if only a few days, can be the difference between having a winning case and a losing case, if critical evidence is lost or destroyed.
The amount of compensation you can claim for a truck accident depends on several factors, such as the severity of your injuries and whether you bear any shared responsibility for causing the crash. Your Wisconsin truck accident lawyer can help you calculate the full scope of economic damages you can seek from the defendant, and they can also assist you with maximizing your pain and suffering compensation.
Penalties for causing a truck accident could apply to both the at-fault driver as well as the trucking company when a truck driver is responsible, depending on how the accident happened. If the facts show that the trucking company bears vicarious liability for the victim’s damages, they could face fines as well as various other penalties from oversight agencies like the Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
You should hire a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after a commercial truck accident because these cases are typically more difficult to resolve than standard motor vehicle accident cases, and critical evidence can be lost or destroyed if it is not preserved. You will need an attorney’s help to not only establish fault for the accident but also to maximize your recovery. Trust your attorney to negotiate with insurance companies for you and build a comprehensive personal injury case if necessary to ensure the fullest possible recovery.
The time it could take to settle a truck accident case will vary based on multiple factors, such as whether liability for the accident is disputed and whether you have hired an attorney to represent you. When liability is clear and one party is undoubtedly to blame, they may seek to settle a personal injury case as quickly and as quietly as possible. Your Wisconsin truck accident lawyer can explain what to expect when it comes to your case’s likely timetable. Craig Steger is ready to provide the responsive and results-driven legal representation you need on your side in the aftermath of a commercial truck accident. You have a short time to file your claim for damages, and the evidence you need to prove fault may not be available for very long. Contact Craig Steger today to schedule your consultation with an experienced Wisconsin truck accident lawyer.
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