Collisions between a car and a commercial truck can be devastating, often resulting in life-altering injuries or even death. Because of the variety of factors involved in a commercial trucking accident, lawyers like Derek Wilson can be a critical resource in the road to recovering damages — and it’s in victims’ best interest to speak to a lawyer promptly to help you understand your rights.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents?

The most common cause of accidents between large trucks and other motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists is driver error. Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) accidents are on the rise in Ontario, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), with 2,956 CMV-involved crashes just in the first half of 2021. 

Unfortunately, the leading factors in these accidents show these at-fatal accidents were often preventable:

• Changing lanes improperly
• Following too closely
• Driving distracted
• Speeding 

According to data from 2020’s Ontario Road Safety Annual Report Selected Statistics, head-on collisions resulted in over 1000 injuries, with 87 fatalities. In the event of a fatal head-on truck accident, representation from a personal injury lawyer should be considered as soon as possible to meet the strict timelines of wrongful death cases. 

Even if you are unsure that your loved one’s death was the result of negligence on the part of a truck driver, speaking with a commercial trucking accident attorney near you can be valuable. Experienced personal injury lawyers can help point you in the direction of resources your family will need to heal and move toward recovery. 

Fatal Truck Accident Lawyer

Sometimes catastrophic injuries and fatal truck accidents occur. The at fault party will do everything possible to protect themself and make you or the victim seem liable. 

This will require time and effort, but we are prepared to take on the insurance companies for you to get the compensation owed.

What Are the Most Common Injuries Seen by Semi Truck Accident Attorneys Near Me?

Derek helps individuals and families whose lives have been changed as a result of their accident, from suing trucking companies and drivers for negligence, to supporting clients in their claims for disability benefits. 

Some of the more common injuries that impact those injured by truck drivers are:

• Soft tissue injuries, like whiplash
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Broken bones
• Spinal cord injuries
• Lacerations
• Internal injuries
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Some of these injuries are considered invisible injuries, or the onset of symptoms that may be delayed. Even if some time has passed since your accident, reaching out for a conversation with a commercial trucking accident lawyer is the first step in understanding your options, including available statutory Accident Benefits in Ontario. These benefits are meant to provide an immediate source of relief and recovery when someone has been hurt in an accident, and they will cover expenses like income loss, medical treatment, caregiver fees, rehabilitation costs, and even funeral and death benefits.

Is It Worth Getting a Truck Accident Lawyer?

In motor vehicle accidents involving injury or even those that are fatal, truck accident lawyers are uniquely positioned to help victims understand their rights, negotiate and resolve disputes, and ultimately work to maximize victims’ compensation so they can move toward recovering and healing. In many cases, car accidents—especially those involving CMVs—are especially difficult to resolve, with a number of factors to consider, including:

• The severity of injuries
• The number of parties involved
• The degree of liability of each party
• The amount of economic and non-economic losses
• The difficulty in securing compensation from insurance
• The potential timeline of each case

Many car accident lawyers in Hamilton work on a contingency fee. This is generally a good thing. For one, it means you can expect that any lawyer who takes your case is confident they can build a strong claim. It also means you are not out any money owing to your lawyer if your claim is less successful than you hoped. However, you do need to account for the legal fees when considering the final settlement amount you can expect to receive. Understanding the contingency fee process is important, and you should be prepared to ask any lawyer you speak to about their fee arrangements.

While working in insurance defense litigation, Derek Wilson learned firsthand what it takes to win a personal injury case or reverse an insurance denial. Now, he uses that experience to fight for people from Hamilton and the surrounding area. Derek is a personal injury lawyer focused on helping people heal, and he founded his own firm to provide honest and attentive legal representation to people at some of the most trying times of their lives.

At Derek Wilson Personal Injury Law, we work to see that personal injury law is applied the way it was intended—to help people when they need it most. To tell us your story and see whether we might be part of the next step in your recovery from your truck accident, call us at 855-769-0418 or get in touch online to schedule a free consultation.

Related Pages

• What Do I Do After a Trucking Accident?