Thornton Truck Accident Lawyer

Thornton Truck Accident Attorney

Large commercial trucks are common sights on Thornton area roads and throughout Colorado, shipping goods to communities across the country every day. The US distribution network relies heavily on commercial trucking, and most drivers encounter these large vehicles daily without issue. However, commercial truck accidents can and do happen, often with far more devastating effects than most other vehicle accidents.

Experienced Legal Representation for Thornton Truck Accident Cases

If you recently experienced a truck accident, you need to know your options for legal recourse and how to recover your damages. The right Thornton truck accident attorney is the ideal resource to consult in this situation. They can help you determine your best recovery options and guide you through all the legal proceedings ahead of you with ongoing support and reassurance. Do not make the mistake of thinking that it would cost you more in legal fees than you could obtain in compensation or that seeking full compensation for your losses would not be worth the stress and effort.

Cheney Galluzzi & Howard can provide the comprehensive and compassionate legal counsel you need in this difficult situation. Our firm has handled a wide range of personal injury claims in Thornton, including those arising from commercial truck accidents. We know the legal disputes these incidents often generate and the challenges you will face as you seek rightful accountability for your damages. Whatever your individual situation entails, you can expect responsive legal counsel from our team through every step of your proceedings.

Proving Liability for Your Recent Truck Accident in Thornton

The first step in recovering from any truck accident in the Thornton area is proving exactly how the accident happened. It is possible for one party to bear complete fault for the accident or for multiple defendants to share liability for the harm you suffered. A few common reasons for truck accidents include:

• Distracted driving. Your Thornton truck accident attorney can help you obtain cell phone records and other evidence to prove the defendant was inattentive behind the wheel when your accident happened.
• Driving under the influence (DUI). This can lead to criminal prosecution of the defendant, and if a truck driver was under the influence when they caused an accident they are likely to lose their commercial driver’s license (CDL), face criminal charges for DUI, and absorb liability for all the damages they inflicted on others with this behavior.
• Speeding, which is dangerous for all drivers but especially for large commercial truck drivers. These vehicles require more time and stopping distance to avoid collisions, and speeding significantly increases the risk of an accident happening.
• Improperly secured cargo, which can leave a truck off-balance or become dislodged during transit and cause an accident.
• Violation of trucking industry regulations, such as an hours of service violation from a fatigued driver or failure to enforce appropriate truck maintenance standards.

No matter how your truck accident occurred, your Thornton truck accident attorney will be invaluable for proving the exact cause and identifying the party or parties responsible. One issue that commonly arises and complicates truck accident cases is vicarious liability, which applies whenever one party bears fault for the actions of another party. This is most commonly applicable to an employer bearing fault for the actions of their employee.

When vicarious liability comes into play in your case, both the truck driver and their employer could face responsibility for your damages. Your attorney will help you determine how this could impact your recovery efforts. In the event you bear any partial liability for causing the accident, partial fault may fall on you as well, and the state’s modified comparative negligence statute will influence your final award.

If a plaintiff bears comparative fault, they will have a fault percentage assigned by the judge overseeing their case. As long as their fault is less than 50%, the fault percentage is deducted from their final award, and they keep the remainder. For example, 20% fault means losing 20% of the total compensation awarded to the plaintiff. If their fault is more than 50% they lose the right to seek recompense from the defendant.

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim for a Truck Accident

Every driver in the state must have auto insurance, and this rule applies to truck drivers and their employers. In fact, most trucking companies maintain more expansive insurance coverage than the average individual driver is required to carry. However, this does not mean that you can resolve your truck accident case through insurance alone. It’s also possible to encounter various problems with the insurance carrier, so you have the best chance of success when you have an experienced attorney representing you in the insurance claim process.

Your Thornton truck accident attorney will help you file your auto insurance claim, including any and all documentation you will need to provide to substantiate your claim. Unfortunately, most insurance company representatives will try to find any reasons they can to reduce their settlement offer or deny your claim. Some even choose to engage in unethical bad faith tactics in doing so. However, you are far less likely to encounter this type of mistreatment when the insurance company sees that you have experienced legal counsel on your side. \

Building Your Personal Injury Claim for a Truck Accident in Thornton

Once you have recovered as much compensation as possible through the insurance claim process, your Thornton truck accident attorney will help you determine whether further legal recourse is necessary for your recovery. For example, if you have outstanding losses that insurance can’t cover, you can proceed with a personal injury claim against the driver responsible for your accident.

Success with any personal injury claim first requires identification of the defendant or defendants and proving that their negligence or intentional misconduct directly caused your claimed damages. You must not only prove the full scope of the damages they caused but also that those damages solely arose from the defendant’s behavior and not some other cause. Under state law, you are entitled to claim compensation for the following:

• Property losses, such as the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle. Your insurance claim against the defendant may cover some of these costs, but any remainder can be included as economic damages in your personal injury case.
• Medical expenses. Truck accidents have a high chance of causing severe injuries, some of which may require ongoing care. Therefore, you can hold the defendant accountable for any and all medical treatment you require to reach maximum medical improvement from your injuries. This includes future medical care if you need ongoing rehabilitation and other restorative treatments after your initial recovery period.
• Lost income. Many victims of serious accidents are left unable to work. You can seek compensation for any income you cannot earn because of your accident, including the value of any vacation time you were compelled to use after the accident. Additionally, if you develop a permanent disability that prevents you from returning to work in the future, the defendant is liable for the lost future earning capacity they caused with the accident.

When Cheney Galluzzi & Howard represent you after a truck accident, our goal is maximum client recovery. You may be surprised to discover your case is worth much more than you initially expected, and we will help you hold the defendant accountable for the full range of damages claimable under the law. However, your recovery does not end with economic damages. You also have the right to compensation for pain and suffering.

Colorado is one of few states to limit pain and suffering compensation in personal injury claims. For most plaintiffs, the maximum amount of pain and suffering compensation they can claim in a personal injury case is $500,000. Your Thornton truck accident attorney will assist you in gathering evidence needed to prove the severity of your experience, maximizing your final award.

Other factors may also contribute to your recovery. If, for example, your truck accident happened because of illegal misconduct of any kind, the judge handling the criminal case against the defendant may include restitution to the victim as part of their sentence, or the judge overseeing your claim could award punitive damages at their discretion to punish the defendant’s behavior.

Ultimately, every truck accident claim filed is unique and every plaintiff will have an entirely different experience as they seek compensation for their damages. However, one constant for every personal injury claim is the value of reliable legal counsel. Investing in the services of an attorney you can trust is an invaluable asset no matter what your truck accident claim entails. When Cheney Galluzzi & Howard represent you in a truck accident claim in Thornton, you will have a responsive legal advocate ready to assist you with every aspect of your recovery process and we will seek maximum compensation for you.

FAQs About Thornton, CO Truck Accident Laws

Q: Is It Really Necessary to Hire a Thornton Truck Accidents Attorney?

A: There may not be a legal requirement for you to hire legal representation after a truck accident, but you have the best chance of maximizing your recovery with an experienced attorney’s assistance. Your legal team can help you maximize your recovery through an auto insurance claim and a subsequent personal injury suit, likely uncovering avenues of recovery you would have overlooked if you tried to handle your recovery alone.

Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?

A: The legal team at Cheney Galluzzi & Howard accepts most personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis. This means the client is not required to pay upfront or ongoing legal fees for our representation, instead only parting with a percentage of the compensation we secure on their behalf. In the event we cannot obtain a recovery for our client, there is no fee at all, so there is no financial risk to having our firm represent you in your truck accident claim.

Q: How Much Is My Trucking Accident Claim Worth in Thornton?

A: The total value of your impending truck accident case depends on the severity of all the injuries you suffered in the accident and the total scope of financial losses you sustained. Your Thornton truck accident attorney can help you calculate all your claimable economic damages and help you make the strongest possible case for maximum pain and suffering compensation. In the state, you may claim up to $500,000 in non-financial damages for most personal injuries.

Q: How Long Does It Take to Resolve a Truck Accident Claim?

A: The time your case could take to complete depends heavily on whether the defendant accepts liability for your damages and agrees to settlement negotiations. If they do, it may only take a few weeks for a skilled Thornton truck accident attorney to negotiate an acceptable settlement for your damages. On the other hand, if your case must be resolved through litigation, your civil court proceedings could take months to conclude. Again, an experienced attorney can provide an estimate of your case’s most likely timetable.

Q: Is It Worth Filing a Personal Injury Claim for a Truck Accident?

A: Your insurance settlement may only cover a portion of the total losses you suffered from your truck accident in Thornton. Ultimately, your best chance of recovering as much as possible is likely your personal injury suit against the at-fault driver. The right attorney can streamline your recovery process substantially and is likely able to secure far more compensation than you could have managed on your own. The faster you hire legal counsel, the sooner they can start building your case.

The team at Cheney Galluzzi & Howard has extensive professional experience handling a wide range of civil claims for clients in Thornton and throughout the state. We take time to learn each client’s unique individual story, providing client-focused legal counsel through all phases of their legal proceedings. Whatever your case entails, our team can guide you to a positive conclusion as swiftly as possible. Contact us now and schedule your free consult with a Thornton truck accident attorney to learn more about the legal services we provide.