Millburn Underride Accident Lawyer
A New Jersey attorney who is ready to fight for you
There are different types of truck accidents, but underride accidents are among the most dangerous. In just seconds, you or a loved one can be left with serious and sometimes fatal injuries. You need an experienced New Jersey truck accident lawyer who knows how to hold negligent parties accountable and can help you recover financial compensation.
Attorney David Leigh of The Leigh Law Firm, P.C. understands the impact that serious injuries can have on victims and their families and fights for the compensation they deserve. If you were hurt in a truck accident in Millburn or anywhere in Essex or Union counties, contact us for a free consultation with attorney Leigh. He is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of his clients by getting the results they need.
Underride accidents are usually the driver or manufacturer’s responsibility
What is an underride accident? It’s when a smaller vehicle crashes into the side or back of a tractor-trailer and slides underneath it. The point of impact is often the cabin of the car, where the driver and a front seat passenger would sit.
Underride accidents are often caused by negligence. For example:
- The trucking company failed to replace brake lights that had stopped working.
- The brake lights were defective.
- An inexperienced driver slammed on the brakes.
- A truck was parked illegally, such as on a curve on a highway offramp.
- A truck driver was recklessly attempting to make a U-turn.
- A truck driver was recklessly attempting to make a turn on a street or highway.
- A truck driver irresponsibly backed out of a driveway or parking lot into a road with heavy traffic.
A truck was broken down on the side of the road and the driver failed to put out reflective triangles and put on hazard lights.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration required trucks to have a rear impact guard. But side impact guards are not required.
Negligent parties in an underride accident can include drivers, trucking companies, and brake light manufacturers. But negligent parties often won’t admit to doing anything wrong and don’t accept responsibility for what happened. This puts you in a position of having to prove negligence.
Insurance companies make it hard to get full compensation for an underride crash
Head injuries such as concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are common in these types of crashes, as are lost limbs. Victims can also suffer broken bones, and injuries to the neck, shoulder, or back. It can take months for survivors of the crash to recover from these injuries. Some are left with permanent disabilities.
Insurance companies often fight claims for compensation aggressively because they know there is a lot of money at stake. There are many different tactics that they use to try to limit their liability and minimize your compensation. One tactic is to try to minimize your injuries. Insurance companies may ask you to undergo an independent medical exam (IME) with a doctor of their choosing. Or they will seek access to your medical history to try to argue you had pre-existing injuries.
As your medical bills start to become overwhelming, they may offer you a settlement. It can be tempting to accept the offer and just focus on getting better. But their offer won’t even come close to covering all of the damages you suffered.
Insurance companies may also try to blame you for the accident. They know that under New Jersey’s modified comparative negligence system, if you are found partially responsible for that accident, that’s less that they will have to pay.
Put an experienced underride accident lawyer on your side
That’s why you need an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side. Attorney Leigh knows how to fight back against the insurance companies. He knows all their tactics because used to represent insurance companies. Now he fights for the injured.
Our firm investigates your underride accident. We take action to preserve and gain access to important evidence – including video from traffic cameras, maintenance records, employment records, hours of service (HOS) logs, and information from the truck’s event data recorder (EDR). We also carefully review accident reports, interview witnesses, and if needed, consult accident reconstruction experts.
Attorney Leigh builds strong cases and demands compensation for all current and future medical expenses related to your injury, lost wages if you couldn’t work, and other damages. He will work to negotiate a settlement that meets your needs. But if a settlement can’t be reached, he’ll be ready to fight for you in court.
Schedule your free consultation with an underride accident lawyer
If you were hurt in an underride accident in Northern New Jersey, it’s important to get legal advice from an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Contact us to schedule a free consultation. Attorney Leigh can meet with you at our Millburn office or a location more convenient for you. Learn about your legal options and get answers to your questions.