$48.5
Million
We Won $48.5 Million in a Truck Accident Case
In this case, we took more than 60 depositions in five different states. Because of Stephenson’s tireless advocacy, shortly before the trial was to commence, the defendants settled the case for $48.5 million.
Plainfield, Indiana, home to about 34,000 people, is a nice place to live. Located near Indianapolis, it is no stranger to vehicle traffic on highways and local roads. This can be a problem when semi-trailers and delivery trucks, sometimes driven by fatigued or distracted drivers, swerve, tailgate, or fail to stop. When this happens, it is often innocent drivers in other passenger vehicles who are injured and killed. If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a truck accident in Plainfield, IN, you could be entitled to financial compensation. A skilled and experienced personal injury attorney can explain your legal options. Call Stephenson Rife for a free initial consultation about your case at (317) 680-2350.
We Treat Clients Like Family
Because a truck is much larger and heavier than other vehicles, a crash may result in catastrophic injuries that can include head, back, neck, brain and spinal cord damage, paralysis, amputations, and even death.
Survivors of accidents may face long, painful recoveries and need expensive rehabilitation and continuing care, at a time they are unable to work. The number of parties potentially liable for the accident is significant and may include large corporations and multiple insurance companies well-experienced in defending claims and lawsuits brought against them.
The truck accident attorneys at Stephenson Rife know how to deal with the complex laws and multiple parties and insurers involved with a truck accident. A truck accident lawyer in Plainfield, IN, understands the difficulties you and your family face. We are deeply committed and fully prepared to take the burden off you by handling all legal hurdles involved with proving liability, so you can concentrate on your health and wellbeing.
What Causes Truck Accidents?
Because they are built to handle huge loads such as heavy construction machinery, 18-wheelers are particularly difficult to drive and maneuver, and they can cause major damage in a crash. As a result, both trucks and drivers are heavily regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Federal law controls maximum gross vehicle weights and axle loads on interstates. Federal limits are 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight; 20,000 pounds on a single axle; and 34,000 pounds on a tandem axle group. There are also federal standards for the length and width allowable on interstate roadways. To drive up profits, trucking companies and delivery trucks sometimes violate state and federal requirements.
The FMCSA address issues that include driver licensing, insurance coverage, drug and alcohol use, vehicle maintenance, maximum load restrictions, hours drivers can work and rest requirements. When these regulations are not followed, or a driver drives while impaired, fatigued, or distracted, risk increases for an accident.
Following are common causes of large truck accidents and how we handle them:
Negligence by a cargo company: Improper load securement that shifted and caused the truck to go out of control could be the responsibility of the trucking company or the cargo company. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces strict cargo securement laws that trucking companies must adhere to, and our attorneys would investigate whether this was the case. Shifting cargo in a semi can be deadly.
Negligent Maintenance: It is the truck company’s legal responsibility to properly maintain and repair its trucks, which requires daily inspections and regular maintenance, and drivers must also conduct daily vehicle checks. If a company is negligent in inspecting and maintaining the truck, equipment failures such as faulty brakes or couplings can lead to accidents. We would look for causes such as . . .
- Tires that were retreaded or unevenly worn
- Parts such as brakes, axles, and hitches that were not checked and maintained
- Maintenance logs that were not complete, updated, and in accordance with both state and federal statutes
- Engines, ventilation systems, and lights that are not routinely maintained.
Semi Driver Fatigue: Truck drivers are governed by federal trucking laws, known as Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, that regulate the amount of time a driver can be on the road without stopping, hours they are allowed to drive in a week, and the time they must be off between shifts. However, some trucking companies make additional demands on their drivers or push them to falsify records.
Negligence by a broker: Brokers are middlemen who bring together truckers and the companies who want to ship goods. Brokers utilize computer tracking software and data to monitor the movement of goods and the trucks. They have a duty to inspect the motor carrier/truck, the safety history of the truck, and drivers they have contracted.
Negligent hiring, training, and retention: Trucking companies must check a potential hire’s safety history and criminal record and make sure all drivers are properly trained and have experience operating a semi-truck or commercial vehicle. We would examine all hiring and training records to make sure all federal and state provisions were adhered to.
Truck Accident Cases We Have Won
You want a winner on your side when choosing a Plainfield truck accident lawyer. Our law firm gets outstanding results. Here are some of the large truck accident settlements we’ve achieved on behalf of clients:
- $48.5 million in a case that involved 60 depositions in 5 different states
- $6.5 million for a victim with brain injury in a garbage truck accident
- $2 million in a case where a passenger in a vehicle was injured when struck by a delivery truck
- $3.97 million for a family of a man killed in a semi-trailer crash
- $250,000 in a case where a young woman sustained severe injuries when a semi-truck pulled out in front of her vehicle.
Proving negligence is imperative to winning any lawsuit. The trucking industry is governed by state regulations, and trucks that engage in interstate commerce must stick to federal regulations as well. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has rules (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Title 49, Parts 350-399) for driver’s license standards, safety, and fitness procedures.
Who Can You Sue?
Depending on the circumstances of the crash, your truck accident lawyer in Plainfield, IN might sue one or several liable parties. Crashes can be caused by the driver’s human error alone, but they can also be caused by poor truck maintenance or inadequate driver training. Liable parties may include:
- The truck driver
- Owner of the truck
- The manufacturer of the truck or its parts
- The trucking company the driver works for
- A municipality or road repair company responsible for road repairs
- The shipper and/or loader of cargo.
Our attorneys will file a claim against one or several guilty parties when pursuing legal action on your behalf. We know the law, and we can make it work for you.
A Truck Accident Lawyer in Plainfield, IN, Who Knows How to Win Cases
Why do clients choose Stephenson Rife to represent them after being injured in truck accidents in Plainfield? Here are several important reasons:
- Our truck accident lawyers have won major settlements over the years.
- We have decades of experience and know how to win.
- We’ll use sophisticated technology and 3-D crash modeling to prove your version of what happened.
- Our law firm has significant financial resources that other law firms don’t, and we can use this to hire specialists to build a strong case.
- We do our homework – interviewing witnesses, investigating the accident scene, researching police reports and medical information, and even hire expert witnesses if needed.
- Our legal team is compassionate and caring. We think of clients as family.
- Our attorneys – including Mike Stephenson and Brady Rife – are well-known and respected by other attorneys and judges.
A Big Firm Without the Baggage
High hourly rates are common at large law firms, but not at ours. We can provide cost-effective legal representation. We don’t have to pay rent in a downtown office building, and we don’t have a bureaucracy made up of layers of partners and associates.
We keep things simple. We take your truck accident case, put a team of experienced lawyers on it and take care of it. No excess. No fluff. Just results.
Call a Stephenson Rife truck accident lawyer in Plainfield, IN, now at 317-680-2350 .
Attorney Mike Stephenson
Attorney Mike Stephenson has 40 years of experience and is a trusted advisor to many individuals and companies. His current practice is dominated by civil litigation in state and federal courts. He focuses much of his time on handling catastrophic injuries caused by all types of accidents, including motor vehicle, trucking, workplace injuries, product liability, just to name a few. Mike is a proven advocate and trial attorney. He has served as lead trial counsel in more than 100 civil jury trials, and has handled litigation in 18 states. [ Attorney Bio ]
