Truck Accident Lawyers: Your Injury Experts
Your Truck Accident Lawyers – Get the Compensation You’re Entitled To
Truck Accidents
What are Commercial Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents involve semi-trucks, heavy rigid trucks and other commercial vehicles, and a truck accident lawyer can help you claim compensation if you have been involved in one.
These incidents can result in serious truck accident injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and even fatalities due to the size and weight of the trucks.
In 2021, 163 people died in crashes involving heavy vehicles in Australia. Knowing how serious these incidents are is why you need expert legal representation.
Our Melbourne truck accident lawyers take these cases seriously and help all injured accident victims complete their compensation claims.
Why You Need Legal Representation in Truck Accident Claims
Truck Accident Lawyers
Dealing with the aftermath of a truck accident is daunting. Our team of truck accident lawyers have the specialisation, knowledge and experience to help you get compensation after an accident. We operate across Australia and have a No Win, No Fee, No Catch policy, so you don’t have to worry about legal fees unless we win your case. So our clients can focus on recovery while we handle the paperwork.
The Truck Accident Claim Process
How to Make a Truck Accident Claim
Immediate Medical Attention: Seek medical help immediately after an accident. Your health is first, and prompt medical attention can also be substantial evidence in your claim. Whether you have traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries or other severe conditions, having detailed medical records is critical.
Gathering Evidence: Collect police reports, witness statements and medical records to support your claim. This evidence is critical to proving the extent of your injuries and what happened in the accident. Our team will help you gather and collate all the necessary documents to build your case.
Lodging Your Claim: To be eligible, submit your claim within the time limits. The sooner you submit your claim, the sooner we can start getting you your compensation. Our truck accident lawyers will guide you through the process and ensure all paperwork is completed and submitted on time.
We Can Help You With:
Our truck accident lawyers have experience in all types of truck accidents. Whatever the circumstances, we’re here to support you.
Types of Truck Accidents:
- Rear-end Collisions: When a truck hits the back of another vehicle, the impact can be huge due to the size of the truck and often results in major damage and serious injuries. The truck driver may also be at fault in these truck accidents.
- Jackknife Accidents occur when the truck trailer swings out to 90 degrees with the cab. These can be serious accidents, often caused by sudden braking or slippery roads.
- Underride Accidents: Smaller vehicles can get stuck under a truck's trailer, resulting in serious injuries or fatalities. These are particularly dangerous as the smaller vehicle can be crushed.
- Rollover Accidents: Trucks can roll over due to high speed or sharp turns, causing damage to surrounding vehicles and passengers. Rollover accidents are often catastrophic and require a full investigation.
- T-Bone Accidents: When a truck hits the side of another vehicle, often at intersections, resulting in serious injuries. These can result in significant medical bills and long-term rehabilitation costs.
Am I Eligible to Make a Truck Accident Claim in Melbourne?
If you’ve been involved in a Melbourne truck accident, you can make a claim with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). Here’s how to check if you’re eligible:
- Injuries: If you have been injured in a truck accident, you are likely to be eligible for compensation. This includes physical injuries and traumatic brain injuries.
- Time Limits: To be eligible for compensation, submit your claim within the time limit. The time frame is 12 months from the date of the accident, but the sooner, the better.
- Types of Compensation: Understand the different types of compensation available, such as medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. Our team will help you navigate these options to get the most out of your claim.
What’s Covered in Truck Accident Claims in Victoria?
In Victoria, the TAC covers:
Medical Expenses: All medical and hospital expenses related to your injuries. This includes ongoing treatment, rehabilitation costs and any modifications to your home or vehicle.
Lost Earnings: Compensation for lost income if your injury prevents you from working. This includes lost wages and future earning capacity if you can’t return to work.
Rehabilitation Costs: Support for rehabilitation and any modifications to your home or vehicle so you can continue your recovery without financial stress.
Lump Sum Compensation: A one-off payment for those permanently impaired due to the accident. This can help with additional costs and provide financial stability during your recovery.
Multiple Liabilities in Truck Accidents:
Get the Most Compensation
Regarding truck accidents, liability can be complicated, and multiple parties may be involved. Unlike car accidents, truck accidents require a multi-layered approach to get the most compensation. Here’s how our expert truck accident lawyers tackle these complexities to get you the most compensation.
Common Law Claim
If the truck driver or another party was at fault, we will pursue a common law claim for damages in addition to the TAC claim. To be eligible, you must have a permanent impairment of 30% or more as assessed by the TAC or obtain a ‘Serious Injury Certificate’. Common law damages can cover pain, suffering, and future economic loss if negligence is proven. This will usually get you more compensation than TAC benefits alone.
Multiple Liable Parties
Truck accidents are more complicated regarding liability than motor vehicle accidents. Our lawyers will investigate to identify all liable parties, which can include:
- The Truck Driver: The person driving the vehicle.
- The Trucking Company: Employing qualified drivers and maintaining the trucks.
- Freight Loading Companies: Loading the cargo safely and securely.
- Truck Manufacturers: Fixing any vehicle defects.
- Government Entities: Road conditions that contributed to the accident.
- Other Negligent Drivers: Caused or contributed to the accident.
By claiming against multiple parties, we increase the number of potential sources of compensation.
Other Insurance Policies
In addition to TAC and common law claims, we will also claim under other insurance policies you may be eligible for:
- Workers Compensation: If the accident occurred at work.
- Income Protection: To cover your lost wages while you recover.
- Total and Permanent Disability (TPD): For severe life-changing injuries.
- Private Health Insurance: To cover additional medical expenses.
How Much Will It Cost to Make a Truck Accident Claim?
Free Consultation: We offer a free consultation to discuss your case and what to do next. This way, you can understand your options without any obligation.
No Upfront Costs: No upfront costs so you can focus on your recovery without financial stress. We handle all the legal fees so you can concentrate on getting better.
Why Fittipaldi Injury Lawyers?
Expert Advice
Our team of personal injury lawyers will guide you through the whole process so you understand every step.
We have years of experience with truck accident claims, so we know how to navigate these types of cases.
Personal
We offer personal service, tailoring our service to your individual needs and circumstances.
We take the time to understand your situation and work closely with you to achieve the best result.
No Win, No Fee
Our no-win, no-fee lawyers policy means you don’t pay any legal fees if we don’t win your case. So you can claim without upfront costs.
Precise
We believe in clear communication. We’ll keep you updated on the progress of your case so you’ll always know where you’re at and what to expect.
Results
Our results speak for themselves. We aim to get the best outcome for our clients, and our results prove this.
Personal Service
We know how a truck accident can affect your life and are committed to providing individual and supportive service.
Our team of car accident lawyers are with you every step of the way.
Testimonials
Thank you to Gennaro and Madeline for resolving my injury claim quickly and professionally. It was my first time using a lawyer and they made the experience easy and communicated well with me throughout the entire process. I would certainly recommend them to anyone who needs an injury lawyer.
Fred F
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Gennaro and his wonderful team. Their professionalism, legal knowledge, advice and above all, empathy for client are second to none. I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for help in personal injury matters.
Eugene L
Gennaro and the team were a great help in settling my case, would recommend if someone needs an injury lawyer.