Ohio Delivery Truck Accident Attorney | Negligence

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Delivery Truck Accident Attorney in Columbus, OH

Everyone relies on delivery trucks of some kind. From Amazon trucks to local business trucks, you likely encounter at least one delivery truck every time you get on the road. Unfortunately, delivery truck accidents occur daily, leading to injuries, property damage, and other losses.

Being involved in a delivery truck accident can be devastating, but help is available. Turn to a truck accident lawyer in Ohio to file a personal injury claim for maximum compensation.

Who’s Liable in a Delivery Truck Accident?

Ohio is a fault state that follows modified comparative negligence doctrines. This means that the party who is at fault for the highest percentage of the accident must pay damages.

Often, it’s driver error that leads to a crash. To show that the truck driver was the one at fault and that they were negligent, you must demonstrate that they owed you a duty of care and breached it.

Anyone behind the wheel owes others on the road the duty to drive safely and to obey traffic laws. If the driver did anything to breach that, like driving under the influence, they can be considered negligent.

You will also have to demonstrate that the driver’s actions led to your injuries and that those injuries deserve compensation. For example, you can’t file a personal injury claim if the accident led to a scratch that didn’t require medical care.

However, that’s not where the complexities end. Even if the driver was at fault, you may not know whether you can file a claim against the company that employs them. Often, delivery truck drivers are independent contractors and don’t benefit from a corporation’s legal protections.
You could file a claim against the company if they are an employee. Contact a delivery truck accident lawyer in Ohio to ensure you know how to tackle the claim.

Common Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents in Ohio

Delivery truck accidents can occur for many reasons. If distracted, intoxicated, or fatigued driving caused the collision, you can get help by turning to an Ohio delivery truck accident attorney.

Distracted Driving

The most significant cause of traffic accidents around the country is distracted driving. In 2022, 3,308 people died due to distracted driving in the United States.

Distracted driving refers to actions that take a driver’s hands off the wheel, their eyes off the road, or their attention off of driving. It can include texting, eating or drinking, and fiddling with the GPS. Not paying attention to the road means that a driver cannot react appropriately to hazards.

Intoxicated Driving

Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while driving can be deadly. These substances make people more distracted while also affecting their reflexes and coordination. Some substances could lead people to fall asleep behind the wheel, while others could make them more aggressive and reckless.

Fatigued Driving

Trucking companies must adhere to state and federal laws regarding driver work hours, but not all do. Companies can encourage drivers to work longer hours or use loopholes to achieve the same results. If the delivery truck driver is a private contractor, it can be even easier for them to violate these laws.
This means that exhausted drivers could get behind the wheel. Being tired makes drivers more distracted and puts them at risk of falling asleep and losing control of the delivery truck.

Untrained Drivers

Delivery truck drivers must receive training that addresses the various challenges they may encounter as they work. Untrained drivers can easily cause accidents. In those instances, the drivers themselves are liable, but the trucking company could also be at fault. For help, turn to lawyers who focus on trucking company negligence in Ohio.

What to Do After a Delivery Truck Accident

Taking the necessary steps right after a collision can help victims of truck accidents get the help they need. It can also ensure that you have a chance of getting fair compensation.
The first thing you need to do is to take stock of your injuries. If you’re bleeding, in significant pain, or know you hit your head, don’t move unless staying in the car puts your life at risk. Trucking accident injuries tend to be severe, so it’s important to call emergency services immediately.
When medical help arrives, ensure that they examine you. Often, people don’t realize they’ve suffered injuries until the adrenaline and shock wear off, but a medical professional will be able to assist. Being examined also ensures that you start leaving a medical record of the injuries the accident caused.
You also want to exchange pertinent information with the other parties involved. But again, don’t speak about fault. Keep the conversation as civil as possible.
Start gathering evidence of the accident. If you’re well enough to do so, take photos of the vehicles, the street conditions, your injuries, and anything else you think could be relevant. Reach out to eyewitnesses and get their contact information, too.
The very next thing you need to do is to contact an Ohio truck crash attorney for help. They will be able to guide you through the entire claims process.

Why You Need an Ohio Truck Accident Attorney

In states that follow at-fault laws, the other party will try to pin the fault on you so they don’t have to pay damages. If they say that your fault percentage is over 50%, they don’t have to pay, and you don’t get any compensation to help with medical expenses and other losses.
When you have Ohio negligence attorneys like us, we will gather the necessary evidence to prove that you weren’t at fault. We have contacts, including medical and accident reconstruction experts, and the experience to know what can help your claim.
A personal injury lawyer in Ohio will also know how to negotiate with insurance companies. Despite what an insurance company may claim, it’s not out to help you.
Insurers will do anything to prevent you from receiving what’s rightfully yours, but we’ll be there to defend you. If negotiations aren’t progressing, we can file a lawsuit and go to court.

Trust a Delivery Truck Accident Law Firm in Ohio

Delivery truck accidents are complicated and can result in severe injuries, so you must have experienced attorneys ready to fight for your rights. At Oliver Law Office, our women-led firm is dedicated to offering compassionate representation that doesn’t shy away from a tough fight if that will make a difference.

We proudly serve the areas of Columbus and Dublin and offer house visits and virtual consultations. Schedule one today with our personal injury lawyers.

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JAMI S. OLIVER

When Jami Oliver launched her own firm in 2000, she did so with one simple idea in mind: to seek justice for those who have been hurt, injured, or wronged due to the negligence of others. While she’s won numerous awards and accolades in the years since, her philosophy hasn’t changed. If you need an attorney who can advocate for you after an accident, product recall, or other tragedy, the Oliver Law Office should be your first choice.