Boston Truck Accident Lawyers

When a large box truck, 18-wheeler, big rig, or tractor-trailer collides with a much smaller passenger vehicle, it is usually the occupants of the smaller passenger vehicle who suffer the most serious injuries. In fact, victims of truck accidents often suffer permanent disabilities and impairments as a result of their injuries.

Many serious injuries result from highway trucking accidents. What many people do not know is that there are numerous statutory laws in place to strictly regulate the trucking industry and, often times, a violation of one or more of these laws is a contributing factor in these accidents.

The injured victims of trucking accidents often suffer not only from physical injury, but also from economic loss due to lost wages and medical bills. Many injured victims also suffer from associated mental anguish, including a decreased enjoyment of life.

Truck accidents that occur in and around Boston happen for a variety of reasons, but one of the most common causes of these accidents is truck driver error. If you or someone you love has suffered injuries in a truck accident, you might be eligible to file a personal injury claim for monetary compensation against the insurance company for the at-fault truck driver or trucking company.

Regardless of how you feel immediately following an accident, you should seek the counsel of an experienced lawyer right away.

Certain injuries may not manifest themselves until days after the accident and, by this time, important physical evidence can be lost and witnesses may become harder to find. Also, even minor aches and pains can often times be an indication of a more significant injury. Therefore, even if you think your injury may be minor in nature, it is important that you seek medical attention right away.

 

If you've been injured in a truck accident, take these important steps to protect your interests:

• Immediately contact an experienced Massachusetts truck accident attorney to help protect your rights.
• Do not make any statements to the insurance company or sign any insurance documentation without first consulting with an attorney.
• If you feel any pain or discomfort after the accident, go to the hospital immediately in order to get appropriate medical treatment.
• Follow any advice given by medical professionals, including follow-up visits and treatment.
• If you are going to miss any time from work, be sure to obtain a medical note explaining that you were advised by a doctor to take the time off.

Most important of all, be sure to consult with a Boston truck accident attorney in order to make sure that you are aware of your legal rights related to the accident and your injuries. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. will not charge you for an initial consultation and you have nothing to lose by talking to them about your accident and your injuries.

You can rest assured that the knowledgeable and compassionate Boston truck accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. have your back when it comes to safeguarding your legal rights and getting you compensated for your truck accident injuries. Their lawyers can meet with you to discuss the facts and circumstances surrounding your truck accident and properly advise you as to whether or not you may be eligible to assert a personal injury claim. If you are, they will assist you throughout the entire claims process and pursue a favorable settlement with the appropriate insurance company on your behalf. If the insurance company refuses to compensate you fairly, they will discuss all of your legal options and help you decide on the best way to proceed forward with your case.

For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a knowledgeable and experienced Boston truck accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C., please call (617) 357-8600 or contact us online to learn more about how they can assist you with your personal injury case today.

 

Common Locations for Truck Accidents in and Around Boston

Highways and other roadways that are located in and around Boston are extremely busy at all times of the year. These roadways are also frequented by large numbers of tractor-trailers, big rigs, and other large vehicles. Route 24 in particular is a roadway where truck accidents and other motor vehicle collisions tend to happen on a regular basis. As recently as June of 2021, a collision occurred between two pickup trucks on Route 24 in Fall River, leading to the death of two men. Also, in April of 2021, a gravel truck rolled over on Route 24, causing serious complications. A recent dump truck sander crash on Route 24 also led to accident victims suffering serious injuries.

 

 

However, Route 24 is obviously not the only place where serious truck accidents can occur. In fact, these accidents can happen just about anywhere that large trucks and other motor vehicles are present together, including on country roadways, in parking garages, and in parking lots.

If you or a person you care about has been injured in a truck accident, the experienced team of Boston truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. is ready to help. Their legal team will be able to investigate the accident and uncover any available insurance coverage to compensate you for your injuries. Let the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. help you pursue the monetary compensation and damages that you deserve today.

 

Why Do Truck Accidents Happen in the First Place?

Truck accidents in the Boston area can occur for a number of different reasons. However, one of the most common causes of these accidents is driver error and negligence. When truck drivers operate their vehicles carelessly, they significantly increase the chances that they will bring about a collision with another motor vehicle. Many truck accidents in the Boston area occur for the following reasons:

 

The truck driver violates the law

Truck drivers, like the operators of other motor vehicles on the roadway, are required to abide by the rules of the road. This includes following the posted speed limits for trucks, using turn signals, obeying road signs and traffic signals, and refraining from following other vehicles too closely. Truck drivers and the trucking companies that employ them are also required to follow all applicable state and federal motor carrier regulations – most especially with regard to load limits, proper cargo loading and unloading procedures, and over carriage and undercarriage lighting for the tractor and trailer. When truck drivers do not follow the rules of the road and violate motor carrier regulations, they exponentially increase the chances that they will cause a serious accident with another motor vehicle while they are out on the road.

 

Engaging in distracted and reckless driving while operating a large truck on the roadway

Distracted truck driving typically involves operating a truck while using a cell phone, tablet, radio, or other electronic device in the vehicle. Distracted driving diverts a truck driver’s attention away from the road and can cause a driver to bring about a collision with another motor vehicle. This is true even if the driver turns his or her head away from the roadway for a just a second or two. Reckless driving occurs when a truck operator drives the truck in an overly aggressive manner, such as by tailgating other vehicles, failing to use turn signals, and quickly weaving in and out of highway traffic. These types of maneuvers can lead to a sideswipe collision or a rear end accident with another vehicle.

 

Intoxicated truck operation

When a truck driver gets behind the wheel of a large truck or tractor-trailer while he or she is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the driver increases the chances that he or she will cause an accident. While an ordinary motor vehicle operator will be deemed intoxicated if his or her blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 percent or higher, commercial truck drivers are held to a higher standard of care. Typically, a professional truck driver is deemed intoxicated if his or her BAC is found to be 0.04 percent or higher. Although alcohol intoxication presents a problem, so does drug intoxication. Some truck drivers purposely take drugs in order to stay awake for long periods while they drive their trucks. However, these drugs often have serious side effects and can cause the driver to lose focus while operating the truck, leading to a serious collision with another vehicle.

 

If you have been injured in a truck accident that occurred because of a commercial truck driver’s carelessness and negligence, you should look no further than the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. for legal help with your case. Their knowledgeable Boston truck accident attorneys can get to the bottom of how your accident happened and will be able to take the necessary legal actions on your behalf to pursue the monetary compensation you deserve.

 

Types of Truck Accidents that Happen on Boston Highways and Roadways

There are several types of truck accidents that can occur on Boston highways and other roadways. In many instances, these accidents result from negligent truck drivers and trucking companies. For example, a truck rollover accident can occur when a large truck or tractor-trailer is traveling too fast or tries to slow down too fast. The same is true for truck jackknife accidents, when the tractor and trailer close in together, resembling the shape of a jackknife. When these accidents occur, they can lead to a multi-vehicle pileups, which in turn translates into numerous personal injuries and other damages.

Other common truck accidents include T-bone accidents, rear-end collisions, and head-on collisions. A T-bone accident occurs when the front of a truck collides with the side of a smaller motor vehicle. Rear-end collisions, on the other hand, occur when a truck or tractor-trailer’s front collides with the rear of another motor vehicle, often initiating a chain-reaction series of collisions. Finally, a head-on collision occurs when the front of a truck or tractor-trailer collides with a front of another vehicle. In some instances, these types of accidents can be fatal for one or more of the involved drivers.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Boston truck accident, it is important that you have experienced and knowledgeable legal assistance on your side from the beginning of your case to the very end. The experienced Boston truck accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. will be able to investigate the cause of your truck accident and help to determine your best legal options for pursuing monetary compensation.

 

Individuals and Entities Who Can be Held Responsible for Truck Accidents

There are several individuals and entities who can be held responsible for a truck accident that occurs on a Boston roadway. First and foremost, a negligent truck operator who violates a legal standard of care can be deemed responsible for the accident.

However, in some instances, the trucking company itself can be held fully or partially to blame for the accident – as well as the resulting personal injuries and damages. Trucking companies are responsible for ensuring that they hire and retain skilled, knowledgeable, safe, and experienced drivers to operate their trucks. When truck drivers are not given the proper training and do not have the necessary certifications, the chances that they will cause a serious accident go up. Consequently, when a negligent truck driver causes an accident, the employer trucking company could be deemed responsible for negligently hiring, retaining, or supervising a problem truck driver.

If you or a loved one have suffered an injury in a truck accident, the Boston truck accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. are here to assist with every step of the case. We will name all of the necessary parties and zealously pursue your right to recover maximum monetary compensation for your injuries.

 

Injuries Sustained by Accident Victims in Boston Truck Accidents

Victims of truck accidents in the Boston area can suffer serious – and sometimes fatal – injuries and damages. A forceful impact from a large truck or tractor-trailer can cause an accident victim’s body to move quickly backwards and forwards – or from side to side – while inside the vehicle. The accident victim could also strike a part of his or her body on the window, console, steering wheel, headrest, or some other part of the vehicle at the time of impact. Some of the most common injuries suffered by victims of truck accidents in Boston include the following:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Neck and back strains
• Foot and ankle injuries
• Traumatic head and brain injuries
• Internal injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Fractures
• Scarring and/or disfigurement
• Death

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in an accident that occurred because of another person’s negligence, the experienced team of Boston truck accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. is here to help. Our legal team can begin gathering necessary evidence, collect medical records and bills, and handle all other aspects of your personal injury case, while you concentrate on making a full recovery from your injuries.

 

What are First and Third-Party Claims in Boston Truck Accident Cases?

Victims of Boston truck accidents might be in a position to file both ‘first-party’ and ‘third-party’ claims for monetary compensation against insurance companies. In Massachusetts car and truck accident cases, no-fault insurance laws apply. In fact, Massachusetts is one of the few no-fault insurance states in the country. In a no-fault insurance state like Massachusetts, motor vehicle drivers and passengers who are injured in a car accident must first look to their own insurance companies for certain coverage, including the initial payment of medical bills and lost wages – up to a certain limit. This is true regardless of whether the accident was caused by another driver.

Specifically, unless a deductible is selected, your own Massachusetts insurance company (or the insurance company for the vehicle you were in at the time of the accident) will pay a maximum of $8,000.00 towards your medical bills and lost wages – without regard to how the car or truck collision occurred or who caused it. These are called ‘first-party’ insurance benefits.

In Massachusetts car and truck accident cases, injured accident victims also have the right to claim and recover additional third-party benefits against the at-fault motor vehicle operator who caused the subject accident. These third-party damages are meant to compensate accident victims for any out-of-pocket costs (including medical bills or lost wages not covered under their first-party claim), as well provide compensation for certain other types of noneconomic losses (including general pain and suffering damages).

However, in order for you to be eligible to recover third-party damages in a personal injury claim arising from a car accident, you have to show that you suffered what’s known as a ‘threshold injury.’ So-called threshold injuries are personal injuries to an accident victim that involve some type of serious disfigurement (such as scarring), fracture or serious impairment of some type of bodily function, death, or that the injured victim suffered in excess of $2,000 in reasonable and necessary medical costs related to the accident. Most injuries, even if relatively minor, will satisfy the threshold requirement so long as the accident related medical costs exceed $2,000.

The experienced team of Boston car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. can help you challenge an insurance company’s position that you do not have a threshold injury and, if necessary, litigate the case to a conclusion. When you put your confidence and trust in their legal team, you can rest assured that they will zealously advocate for your legal rights and pursue maximum compensation for your personal injury case.

 

Statute of Limitations in Massachusetts Truck Accident Personal Injury Cases

When the victim of a Massachusetts truck accident is in a position to file a third-party claim or lawsuit, the accident victim is subject to the three-year personal injury statute of limitations. This means that the accident victim has three years from the date of his/her accident in which to file a lawsuit seeking monetary compensation for injuries suffered in the collision. This statute of limitations, like most statutes of limitation throughout the country, is very unforgiving. If you fail to file a claim or lawsuit within this three-year time period, you will not be able to pursue a claim for monetary compensation at a later date.

In light of this relatively short statute of limitations in Massachusetts, it is important that you reach out to a knowledgeable Boston truck accident attorney as soon as possible following your collision. The experienced Boston truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. will be able to promptly investigate your truck accident case and can get the ball rolling on settlement negotiations. If the three-year statute of limitations is coming up, your attorney will be able to file a lawsuit in an efficient and timely manner, ensuring that you fully comply with the Massachusetts personal injury statute of limitations.

 

Seeking Monetary Recovery in Boston Truck Accident Cases

When Boston truck drivers operate their vehicles carelessly and recklessly, they can bring about a collision which often leads to serious and debilitating injuries. Victims of truck accidents often have to undergo long-term hospitalization, or at least visit a hospital emergency room or urgent care center that is located nearby. Injured accident victims might also need to follow up with a primary care doctor, undergo certain medical procedures (such as an operation or surgery), or attend physical therapy or chiropractic sessions as part of their recovery process. Medical treatment can be extremely expensive, and truck accident victims will usually find that their medical bills pile up very quickly.

When filing a truck accident injury claim, the accident victim has the legal burden of proof. Therefore, the accident victim is required to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the truck driver did something wrong or acted unreasonably under the circumstances. If the trucking company is a defendant in the lawsuit, then the accident victim must show that the trucking company is vicariously liable for the truck driver’s negligence – or that the trucking company negligently hired, retained, or failed to supervise the at-fault truck driver. In addition, the accident victim in these cases must demonstrate that he or she suffered one or more injuries as a direct and proximate result of the truck accident.

If the accident victim is able to satisfy his or her legal burden of proof, then they can pursue and recover monetary compensation and damages for everything that he or she went through as a result of the accident. The accident victim can claim economic damages for out-of-pocket costs incurred as a result of the accident. These expenses include the cost of all related medical treatment, as well as earnings which the accident victim lost from not being able to work after the accident. In some cases, accident victims are injured to such an extent that they are unable to return to work in the same job or occupation. When that is the case, the accident victim could make a claim for loss of earning capacity.

In addition to making a claim for economic damages, the victim of a truck accident could also pursue noneconomic recovery. These damages cannot be measured in exact dollars and cents and are more subjective. They are meant to compensate accident victims for emotional distress, mental anguish, pain and suffering, and the general inconvenience that typically results from truck accident injuries. In addition, if the truck accident resulted in some type of disfigurement or disability, the accident victim could seek monetary compensation for the loss of use of a particular body part. Likewise, the accident victim can seek monetary compensation for loss of enjoyment of life as a result of injuries he or she suffered in the truck accident.

Satisfying the legal burden of proof in a Boston truck accident case and proving entitlement to monetary compensation and damages is oftentimes an uphill task. This is because insurance companies will usually fight accident victims every step of the way when it comes to paying out damages in the form of monetary compensation. The insurance company will try and keep as much of its money as possible. Consequently, it is important that you have knowledgeable, experienced, and result-oriented legal representation on your side from the very beginning.

The knowledgeable, experienced, and result-oriented Boston truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. can help you make the best legal decisions in your case and will aggressively pursue your right to recover monetary compensation. If the insurance company will not offer you fair compensation by way of an out-of-court settlement, then the legal team at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. can file a lawsuit and litigate the case in the Massachusetts court system to ensure that you are adequately compensated.

 

Call a Boston Truck Accident Attorney about Your Legal Matter Today

At the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C., our legal team understands the monetary expenses, suffering, pain, and inconvenience that often accompanies the injuries a person suffers in a serious truck accident. We also understand the nuances and complexities that are often associated with settling and litigating truck accident claims. Our experienced and compassionate team of attorneys will do everything possible to get you the compensation that you deserve for the injuries you sustained in your Massachusetts truck accident.

For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Boston truck accident lawyer, please call us at (617) 357-8600 or contact us online for more information about how we can assist you with the filing and litigating of your personal injury claim.