Reno Truck Accident Attorney
Reno plays an important role in our state and nation’s trucking industry, thanks to its convenient location along I-80 and its status as Nevada’s third most populous city. But while this might be a great boost to our local and state economy, it can also pose a danger to those who regularly travel in or near the Biggest Little City in the World. Truck accidents are a real and pressing threat to our community.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a serious accident with a truck driver, you already know just how high the stakes are. You’re injured, you need time off work, and your medical bills are piling up while your bank account is shrinking—we know you’re scared, and we have a Reno truck accident lawyer who is ready to help.
As a joint venture law firm made up of a Super Team of truck accident attorneys, we are committed to advocating for those who have been injured by the negligence of the trucking industry. When it feels like there is no one else to stand up to the big truck companies and their insurers for you, know that Trucking Injury Law Group has your back.
We are passionate about what we do, and our dedication to our clients starts from day one. We offer accident and injury victims in Reno, Washoe County, and the surrounding area the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with one of our trucking accident attorneys for a free consultation. Call or contact us online to learn more.
Top 5 Steps To Take After a Trucking Collision in Nevada
You’ve been in an accident with a tractor-trailer…so now what? The actions you take in the minutes, days, and weeks following the crash may have a profound impact on your health, emotional well-being, and right to pursue legal action.
Here are the top five steps to take if you’ve suffered injuries in a truck accident or lost a loved one to a preventable trucking crash like this:
- Call 911 and have police sent to the accident scene
- Seek medical attention
- Take pictures and videos of the scene
- Notify your insurer of the wreck
- Meet with a truck accident attorney
How To File a Truck Accident Claim
There is no denying that commercial vehicle accidents can be traumatizing, life-altering events. Truck accident victims often face months or years of medical expenses, lost wages from missed work, lasting pain and suffering, ongoing mental anguish, and so much more.
So how are you supposed to get your life back on track? Those at fault for your injuries and resulting damages should be held accountable for the harm they’ve caused.
In Reno, NV, truck accident claims afford crash victims the opportunity to hold all at-fault parties (including trucking companies and truck drivers) financially liable for all that they’ve suffered. These claims can be notoriously complex, though, with most trucking companies employing teams of attorneys who are ready to aggressively pick apart any accusation that their employer’s actions could have played any role in a trucking accident.
Handling a truck accident case without the backing of an experienced and knowledgeable attorney is not advisable.
When you partner with Trucking Injury Law Group, your Reno truck accident attorney will:
- Investigate the cause of the crash to determine all liable parties, including the commercial trucking company, the truck driver, shipping companies, mechanics, auto part manufacturers, and others.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret evidence that proves how the collision happened, including recording eyewitness statements.
- Correctly value the worth of your claim, noting all past, current, and future financial losses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, property damage, loss of enjoyment in life, and more.
- Call on the expertise of other professionals, such as accident reconstructionists and medical experts.
- File an injury claim demanding that the trucking company’s insurance provider pay full and fair compensation for your damages.
- Negotiate for maximum compensation on your behalf.
- Elevate matters to court if the insurance company refuses to agree to a settlement that fully addresses your losses.
How Long Do I Have To File My Injury or Death Claim?
Nevada state law affords only two years from the date of the accident to file your truck accident claim. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations.
Keep in mind that two years is a relatively short period of time to meet with a lawyer, collect and analyze evidence, build a strong case, and file your claim. Any legal action filed outside of this two-year window will not be allowed to move forward.
Wrongful death claims are also bound by this same statute of limitations. If you’ve lost a family member, you have only two years from the day of their passing (not the day of the accident) to file.
What Should I Expect When Filing a Claim?
We know that you’re probably feeling scared and uncertain at this time. Maybe you’ve heard stories about how other Reno truck accident cases have gone, but you’re not sure what’s typical of a case like yours or whether you can expect the same outcome.
There are no universal experiences when it comes to semi-truck accidents. However, when you work with the Reno truck accident attorneys of Trucking Injury Law Group, you can expect that we will:
- Listen to your concerns and worries.
- Explain your legal options as clearly and carefully as possible.
- Answer any and all questions you may have about filing a claim or working with a law firm.
How Long Will My Truck Accident Case Take?
The amount of time it takes to handle truck accident cases varies depending on a variety of factors. The extent and severity of your injuries, how long you’re out of work, the totality of your financial losses, the number of at-fault parties, and other factors unique to your claim will influence how long it takes to see it to conclusion.
The average length of time needed to successfully handle a Reno truck accident case can range from as little as a few months to as long as several years. The more complicated your claim is or the greater your losses are, the longer you can expect your case to take.
What Compensation Am I Entitled To?
Victims of large truck accidents are entitled to recover compensation for their injuries, financial losses, and other related damages. There are three distinct types of compensation to which you may be entitled include:
- Economic damages– This includes compensation for your financial losses, including lost wages, medical bills, property damage, and more.
- Non-economic damages – Included in this category is compensation for your non-monetary losses, such as loss of enjoyment in life, pain and suffering, and mental anguish.
- Punitive damages – This is not compensation for any particular loss, but rather punishment levied against the at-fault party for malicious, fraudulent, or grossly negligent behavior.
The Reno truck accident lawyers of Trucking Injury Law Group are familiar with all the tricks and tactics the trucking company and its insurance company may use to try and lower your overall award, and we won’t let that happen to you.
Will My Reno Truck Accident Case Go to Court?
Most truck accident cases are settled without victims ever having to take their cases to court. However, in the event that a truck company is unwilling to pay for damages caused by a negligent truck driver, we will not hesitate to elevate matters to trial.
Truck accident and wrongful death lawsuits that end up in court require additional time and preparation in order to be successful. This is hard work that we don’t shy away from. Each Reno truck accident lawyer on our team is passionate about helping those who have been injured by the negligence or recklessness of others. For this reason, hard work is what we’re made of.
Truck Crash Facts, Statistics, and Information
Understanding the current state of the trucking industry and traffic accidents in our state helps form the foundation of what we do here at Trucking Injury Law Group. In all that we do, we strive to be informed and aware of what is going on in Reno, Nevada, and nationwide.
Reno & Nevada Statistics
Residents of Reno are no strangers to auto accidents, as they occur with unfortunate regularity in our small city. Let’s take a closer look at statistics for truck crashes:
- In 2021, there were 5,149 fatal crashes and 110,000 injuries caused by commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers and semi-trucks.
- Between 2016 and 2020, 68 people in Nevada were killed in truck accidents, many of whom were occupants of passenger vehicles.
- Nationwide, there were 5,122 fatalities and 87,005 individual injuries in truck accidents in 2023 per the FMCSA.
Even one Reno truck accident is one too many. Our goal is to not only recover compensation for our injured clients but to also put our legal advocacy to good use by making our roads safer for everyone who lives in, visits, or travels through our beautiful city.
Local Lane Use Laws
Reno’s lane usage laws restrict large truck access to certain areas of the city. Sec. 6.14.160 states that “…no commercial motor vehicle and towed units in excess of 10,000 pounds shall be operated or moved upon any public street, highway or alley within the city, except upon truck routes.” Provision (c) further states that “streets, other than truck routes, shall not be used as through routes from one truck route to another unless pickup, delivery or essential use is required enroute.”
This effectively bans large commercial trucks from using city roads and streets for regular travel. If you were hit and injured by a commercial truck on a city road or street, the Reno truck accident lawyers from our firm can investigate whether the truck driver was adhering to local lane usage laws at the time of the crash.
The Different Types of Trucking Accidents
Reno truck accidents can come in many different shapes and forms. Some of the following accidents are more likely to occur on interstates while vehicles are traveling at higher rates of speed, while others tend to occur on narrower city streets.
Underride and Override Accidents
An underride or override is one of the most devastating configurations that a large truck accident can take. In an override accident, the front cab of a semi-truck drives over a smaller vehicle. This is often the result of a trucker driving too fast, failing to maintain a safe stopping distance, or simply not paying attention to the traffic ahead.
In an underride accident, a smaller vehicle slides under the trailer of a semi-truck. When this happens, it may mean that the trucking company failed to outfit the commercial vehicle with underride guards, or that the guards were not sufficiently maintained.
Jackknife Accidents
Tractor-trailers are made up of two main components: the tractor, where the driver sits, and the trailer, where the cargo is stored. These two components are connected by a fifth-wheel coupling.
A jackknife accident happens when these two components become out of alignment, and the trailer swings wide to either the right or left to form a shape similar to a partially open jackknife, an L, or a V.
Wide-Turn Accidents
Semi-trucks are built to haul cargo across significant distances, typically on wide, multi-laned interstates. Sharing the road with passenger vehicles on city streets is much more dangerous, as these large vehicles are simply not built to navigate narrow lanes and sharp turns.
To make a simple right turn at a standard intersection, truck drivers must first swing their vehicles to the left, creating an illusion that the right lane is free. When a truck goes to complete their right-hand turn, a driver who has mistakenly moved into the right lane can be struck and hurt.
What Other Types of Crashes Do Our Truck Accident Lawyers See?
Our experience handling truck accident claims has given us a unique insight into the different types of commercial vehicle crashes that can occur. These include:
- Rollover accidents
- Rear-end and head-on collisions
- Sideswipe accidents
- T-bone (broadside) accidents
- Blind spot accidents
- Tire blowout accidents
- Lost cargo accidents
We’re ready to talk about the accident you were in. Are you? Contact our law office today to schedule a free consultation.
Causes of Commercial Truck Crashes in Reno
Part of building the strongest possible trucking accident claim is correctly identifying the cause of the crash. Your truck accident lawyer from our law firm will conduct an in-depth investigation with a high degree of accuracy to determine whether any of the following played a role in your crash:
Truck Driver Misconduct
Truck drivers are professionals who are trained and licensed to transport cargo as safely as possible. Unfortunately, what we have seen time and time again is that many truckers fail to take this responsibility seriously.
Commercial truck drivers cause accidents when they:
- Speed above the posted limit.
- Travel too fast for poor driving conditions.
- Tailgate other drivers or don’t leave enough room for braking.
- Drive aggressively or recklessly.
- Use their phones or other handheld devices behind the wheel.
- Drink alcohol or use drugs.
- Exceed hours-of-service (HOS) regulations set by the FMCSA.
- Fail to perform pre- and post-trip inspections.
- Ignore problems identified during pre- and post-trip inspections.
Driver fatigue, in particular, is a widespread problem within the trucking industry—a problem that is known to be dangerous. Fatigued driving is not only associated with falling asleep behind the wheel but can also affect performance and cognition. A trucker who is sleepy may take longer to notice hazards and take evasive action.
Truck Company Negligence
Trucking companies are responsible for making sure that their vehicles are road-worthy and their drivers are properly-trained. However, many of these large companies are more interested in their bottom lines than they are in the safety of their employees and the general public.
When investigating tractor-trailer accidents, it is not uncommon to uncover significant acts of negligence committed by the trucking company. An accident lawyer from our Reno, NV law office can determine whether any of the following examples of truck company negligence played a role in your crash:
- The creation or enforcement of unreasonable delivery schedules
- Insufficient driver training or background checks
- Hiring of unqualified drivers
- Inadequate or insufficient maintenance
- Knowingly using damaged vehicles or auto components
More Causes of Truck Accidents
Trucking Injury Law Group has the experience, knowledge, and resources needed to identify all possible causes of a truck accident because this is the complicated reality of most crashes involving commercial vehicles: there is often more than one causal factor.
Other common causes of truck accidents include:
- Improperly loaded or secured cargo
- Defective auto parts
- Negligent maintenance (by an auto mechanic or another company)
The Different Types of Truck Accident Injuries
Serious injuries are the rule of big truck accidents, not the exception. When transporting a full load, the typical tractor-trailer can weigh as much as 20 times more than typical passenger vehicles.
Truck drivers and companies that engage in negligent, reckless, and wrongful actions are putting everyone on the road at risk for severe or even catastrophic injuries, including:
- Back and neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Head and traumatic brain injuries
- Torso and rib injuries
- Broken and fractured bones
- Amputations
- Internal organ damage
Whether you’re living with a lifetime of medical costs related to a traumatic brain injury or are expected to recover from a broken arm within the year, you deserve to be fully and fairly compensated for everything that you’ve been through.
What To Expect with Your Initial Consultation
You will want to maximize your consultation with Trucking Injury Law Group. Before we meet in person or talk on the phone, you may want to gather all the documents and information regarding the specifics of your case, such as:
- Police reports
- Medical records and bills
- Insurance information
- Photos or videos of the accident scene
- Witness contact information
- Any correspondence with insurance companies
During your consultation, we will allow you to get to know the legal team better and help you understand the details of your case. We will:
- Review the specifics of your accident
- Ask questions about how the accident occurred, the extent of your injuries, and the medical treatment received
- Learn more about the impact on your daily life and your ability to work.
Also, Trucking Injury Law Group will take the time to explain the legal process involved in filing a truck accident claim, including:
- Your rights and legal options
- Potential liable parties
- The types of compensation you may be entitled to
- The steps involved in pursuing your claim
We want to establish a trusting relationship from the start. We are committed to supporting you through every step of the legal process so that you receive the compensation and justice you deserve. At the end of the consultation, we want you to feel confident about your choice to partner with Trucking Injury Law Group.
Speak With a Truck Accident Attorney in Reno, NV Today
We are a law firm made up of a Super Team of truck accident lawyers. We have nationwide resources that allow us to provide unparalleled legal representation to those who have been injured by a truck driver in Reno or Washoe County.
It is our honor to stand up and fight for the justice that truck accident victims are rightfully owed. We don’t let the big trucking companies push our clients around.
Free consultations are a cornerstone of what we do here at Trucking Injury Law Group. We meet with accident victims and their families in no-cost, no-obligation settings to answer questions about filing injury claims and to determine if we might be a good fit for their legal needs.
Ready to speak with a Reno truck accident lawyer about what you’ve been through? We’re here to help; contact our law office online or by phone.
