Martinson & Beason, P.C.
Martinson & Beason, P.C.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a big rig crash, it’s important that you consult with an experienced truck accident lawyer immediately. A semi-truck attorney can help you get on your feet again with money in your pocket.
The Huntsville truck accident attorneys at Martinson & Beason Injury Lawyers, have years of experience handling truck accident cases. We work tirelessly for our clients who have been injured in a tractor-trailer wreck, helping them get the compensation they need to support themselves and their family while they recover. To request a free case review with a truck accident attorney near you, contact our law office in Huntsville, AL.
According to 2022 numbers from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), there were 10,452 large trucks involved in statewide crashes that year. These large truck accidents caused 2,417 injuries and 162 fatalities.
In addition, a report by TRIP (a national transportation research nonprofit) found that Alabama had an average of 130 semi-truck fatalities from 2017-2021.
In Alabama, you have two years from the date of your tractor-trailer accident to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim. Once the two-year statute of limitations has passed, you will no longer be able to file a collision lawsuit.
Even though you have a two-year deadline, it’s best to speak with our Huntsville truck accident lawyers as soon as possible. Our Alabama attorneys can determine if you have a claim, start gathering evidence to strengthen your case, and begin preparing your case to achieve the best result possible whether that be a settlement or a jury verdict.
There are many compelling reasons to contact our law firm after an 18-wheeler accident. Here are some of the ways Martinson & Beason, P.C. has ensured its staying power in Huntsville.
Martinson & Beason, P.C. has proudly served the people of northern Alabama for almost 90 years. The strong reputation our law firm has built since its founding has allowed us to assist generations of families over the years.
We encourage potential clients to browse our law firm’s past verdicts and settlements. Our lawyers have secured millions for clients, including a $15 million verdict in a wrongful death case, the largest jury verdict in Marshall County.
Your consultation with our semi-truck accident lawyers is free of charge. Our attorneys know you have medical bills, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses. Free consultations remove financial hurdles and allow you to get advice on what to do next from qualified legal professionals.
The attorneys at Martinson & Beason, P.C. work on a contingency fee basis. That means our semi-truck collision lawyers only get paid if we secure a settlement with the insurance company or a jury verdict. If we don’t win, you don’t have to pay us a dime.
Accidents can happen at any time on Alabama’s roadways, which is why the attorneys of Martinson & Beason, P.C. are always here for you. Reach out to us with your questions or concerns. Our legal team is available 24/7 because we know that truck accidents can happen any time.
After a big rig crash, you need attorneys who will listen and advocate for you no matter what. Martinson & Beason, P.C. is ready to fill that role. To get a free case review with an experienced truck accident lawyer near you, contact our Huntsville law office today.
Long hours can take a toll on even the best truck drivers. Truckers can sometimes go 11 hours on the road before taking a break. Anyone who has ever taken a long, cross-country trip knows just how difficult it is to remain alert after driving 11 hours straight, yet truck drivers do so on a daily basis. Slower reaction times and impaired decision making could mean the difference between a near-miss and a semi-truck collision.
It’s worth mentioning that driver fatigue can lead to truckers falling asleep behind the wheel. If trucking companies force their drivers to meet unreasonable demands, they need to be held accountable for prioritizing profits over the safety of their truck drivers and regular motorists in Alabama.
Visual distractions occur when the truck driver takes his eyes from the road, whether to look at a cell phone, look at the radio while changing stations, search for an item in the truck, or look at something happening on the side of the road.
Manual distraction occurs when the trucker takes his hands off the wheel. Truck drivers often eat while driving, meaning their hands are engaged in a task other than driving.
Cognitive distractions occur when the truck driver is thinking of something other than the road and the drivers ahead, behind, and on either side of the tractor-trailer. Daydreaming, listening to music with headphones on, talking on a cell phone, or concentrating on a conversation with a passenger are forms of cognitive distraction.
Semi-trucks have definite blind spots located to the sides of the cab, behind the trailer, and directly in front of the cab. Drivers of passenger vehicles must be aware of this and take particular precautions to avoid a serious accident.
In addition, wide swinging turns are responsible for many trucking accidents. Large 18-wheeler trucks require a much wider area to turn right or left. Drivers should never attempt to pass a truck making a turn, as they could end up sideswiped or crushed by the massive vehicle.
Poorly secured cargo is more common than you would think. Large commercial trucks may carry livestock, steel pipes, cardboard boxes, logs, bulk liquids, hazardous liquids, or any number of other items. Any top-heavy load has the potential to flip over when the driver rounds a moderate to sharp curve on the road, resulting in cargo spilled across the roadway and drivers attempting to avoid a serious accident.
As you can imagine, many collisions and multi-car pileups can happen when cargo winds up in multiple lanes of traffic on Huntsville’s streets and highways. Cargo-shifting can lead to a truck jackknife or rollover, similarly causing hazards across multiple lanes. The loading company and the driver are responsible for ensuring the load is secure and not a hazard to other drivers.
Bad brakes are another cause of many commercial trucking accidents. Because large commercial trucks are so much heavier than passenger vehicles, they require much more force to slow or come to a complete stop. Trucks also spend considerable time on the roadways, meaning the brakes wear more quickly, and are more prone to failure. Although regular brake maintenance is federally mandated, trucking accidents resulting from bad brakes continue to occur.
In addition, trucking companies may fail to perform regular maintenance on their fleet of trucks. For independently owned trucks, the driver is responsible for getting tune ups and repairs. There’s also a risk of shoddy repairs and lax standards while checking a big rig for safety. This could make the trucking company or the maintenance company responsible if the tractor-trailer gets into a crash.
Inexperienced drivers are responsible for many trucking accidents. Truck drivers must meet age requirements, be able to speak and understand the English language, have a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL), and be physically able to handle the long hours behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler. However some trucking companies cut corners when hiring drivers—both in training and in background checks that would reveal a past history of reckless driving or prior DUIs.
When companies exhibit negligent hiring practices, serious or fatal accidents can occur. Drivers must have the necessary commercial driving skills and must also consistently put the safety of those they share the roadways with above the demands to deliver their load quickly.
No matter the cause of your big rig crash, you can count on the lawyers at Martinson & Beason, P.C. for strong advocacy and solid counsel. If you were hit by an 18-wheeler and need to speak with an experienced semi-truck accident attorney near you, contact our Huntsville law office today.
Those who survive a collision with an 18-wheeler are likely to be left with extreme injuries which could take months or years to heal from, if they ever heal at all. These injuries include:
In addition, the trauma of colliding with a huge commercial semi-truck can also leave victims with serious emotional issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe depression, and chronic insomnia.
You may be entitled to the following compensation for the injuries which resulted from your truck collision:
If the actions of the truck driver were willful, malicious, or intentional, you may also be entitled to punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant as well as prevent the same type of behavior in the future.
Trucking companies are famous for “circling the wagons” immediately after a trucking accident in order to minimize their liability.
These companies employ a team of experts to gather all evidence pertaining to the crash with an eye toward disproving your version of the story. This includes the truck driver’s logbooks and cell phone records. Any witness statements that will help the trucking company will be taken.
All big rigs and semi-trucks have an Electronic Control Module (ECM), which records events immediately prior to the accident much like a plane’s black box. The trucking company’s team may even obtain crash data from your vehicle to determine if evasive actions were taken prior to the crash or if you were speeding before the collision. The truck driver will be debriefed of all this and a story will be developed.
All of this activity will take place within hours and days of the crash.
At Martinson & Beason, P.C., we are ready to take on a trucking company’s team of experts. Our semi-truck collision attorneys in Huntsville can do the following for you:
In addition, our truck accident attorneys will thoroughly review your medical records, interviewing medical personnel when necessary in order to build a solid case on your behalf. If necessary, we will bring in experts to recreate the collision or the scene of the accident.
There are potentially several defendants in a trucking accident. The driver may have been at fault, the trucking company may be held liable, or the manufacturer of the truck or maintenance staff may be deemed responsible for the collision.
Because trucking accidents are very complex, it is necessary that victims of the crash have a highly experienced truck accident attorney by their side from the earliest moment possible. The highly skilled Martinson & Beason attorneys will sift through the evidence, determining which parties were at fault for your accident.
If you’re taking on a trucking company, you need skilled attorneys who know their tactics and will not be intimidated by their experts. Martinson & Beason Injury Lawyers is on your side.
You don’t pay us a dime unless we win. To request a free consultation to discuss your truck accident, contact our injury attorneys in Huntsville, AL. You can also reach our law firm by phone at (256) 905-8196.
When life throws you a curveball, having a trusted legal team behind you can bring peace of mind to you and your family. The attorneys at Martinson & Beason Injury Lawyers have proudly served the Huntsville community—and all of Alabama—since 1937. Our deep community roots, passion for people, and desire to help those who need it most allow us to provide clients with dedicated legal help.
I have had a wonderful experience during my time if need. I was in a major car accident that changed my life. I had the honor of working with a great team of people who cared. Martinson & Beason is a professional and caring law firm that truly makes everything easy and informational. I would recommend them to anyone for their needs and making things simple.
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Reach out to a team whose foundation has been built right here in Alabama. Since 1937, we have served injured individuals across the state, fighting for the rights and needs of those who deserve compensation for their injuries.
Call our personal injury attorneys now for a free consultation to find out how we can help you during this difficult time.
