Zurich Insurance Group began as a marine reinsurer in the late 19th century. It eventually moved on to accident insurance and auto insurance at the turn of the 20th century. As the business grew, it began to provide coverage to various companies all over the world on all the continents. One such form of insurance it began to provide was commercial insurance, or coverage for businesses that hire drivers to transport goods. Commercial insurance is required because personal auto insurance policies are usually not in effect when a driver is operating a vehicle for money. Zurich insures hundreds of businesses and if you are involved in an accident, your claim will go to Zurich. For this reason, it is important that you hire a lawyer who is experienced with truck accident cases with Zurich. The best law firm to sue Zurich for a truck accident is Normandie Law Firm – we have the necessary experience required and the wealth of knowledge needed to win you the compensation you deserve. Our Los Angeles lawyers will gladly help you through the legal process.
Truck Accident Information
Trucks are very large vehicles that require a lot of training to drive. Other drivers on the road must be careful when maneuvering around them; the trucks usually have various blind spots and cannot see other cars if the cars are too close to the truck. It is usually wise to not try and pass trucks on the right, to not ride in blind spots, and to not tailgate so close that the truck driver cannot see you. You should always exercise caution to avoid accidents.
Sometimes, however, truck accidents happen because of the negligence of the driver. Many truck drivers are tasked with driving across states to deliver merchandise and goods to other locations; in order to do this in a set amount of time, they will drive for hours and hours, sometimes over 12 hours in a day. They may hit traffic and decide to drive through the night to make up for lost time – which is extremely dangerous. For one, it is dark and difficult to see obstacles, hazards, animals, and other drivers. Additionally, truck drivers may be exhausted and fatigued, leading to them falling asleep at the wheel or having reduced reaction times. The ensuing accidents can be devastating.
Furthermore, truck drivers need to ensure that their vehicles are properly maintained. Many truck accidents happen because of improperly filled tires, overloaded truck beds, faulty brake lines, inadequate or broken lighting, and more. Some trucks even have containers and trailers on them; these fixtures must be affixed to the hitches and have no risk of falling off. The contents must also be properly distributed so that there is not too much weight at the rear. If there is an improper weight distribution, the trailer can tip over at the slightest impact and violently sway during turns.
Truck drivers need to be aware of the roads they drive on and how the weather changes. Many accidents occur in mountainous areas with steep or curved roads in the middle of snowstorms, rainstorms, and dense fog. Some truck drivers do not engage in low gear while traveling down steep hills and others try to drive in icy conditions.
No matter what the reason is for your crash, you should reach out to a skilled attorney in Los Angeles who can sue Zurich for a truck accident. We will give you all the information you need to move forward with a lawsuit.
Injuries You May Sustain
A truck crash can result in severe injuries because of the size difference between trucks and automobiles. You could be seriously hurt even if a truck is not traveling that quickly. The type of crash can also result in more dangerous injuries – a head on collision, for example, is the leading cause of death in truck crashes, while rear end accidents result in the highest rate of back injuries. Some other damages include:
- Broken bones
- Neck and back damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Torn muscles
- Severed limbs
- Nerve damage
- Sprains, strains, and fractures
- Concussions
- Closed head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Crushing injuries
- Paralysis
- Coma
- Death
If you were injured in a truck crash, you should contact a lawyer that can sue Zurich for a truck accident injury. We will do all we can to bring you the necessary compensation for your damages.
Filing a Lawsuit: Steps and Evidence
In order to file a claim, you will need to prove that the truck driver acted with negligence. There are four points that must be shown to be true: that you were owed a duty of care that was breached, which then resulted in an accident that caused you physical injuries. If you were not physically injured in the crash, you will not be able to pursue a personal injury settlement and will instead only be able to collect property damage and lost wages.
Your evidence should consist of photographs of your injuries and the damage to your car, pictures or videos of the accident scene, eyewitness testimony and passenger statements, police reports, and more. You need to also seek medical assistance as quickly as possible. Paramedics can treat you at the scene or you can go to the doctor or emergency room. If you wait too long, Zurich Insurance can claim that you were clearly injured elsewhere and tried to pin the damages on the accident.
You must get the insurance information and personal details from the driver as soon as the accident happens, or the business name so you can file an incident report.
It is crucial that you seek the assistance of a law firm that can file a lawsuit against Zurich for a truck accident. Many times, victims of truck crashes will try to pursue a lawsuit with no legal help, which is a mistake. You can receive the best help available from one of our lawyers with experience in truck accident cases against Zurich.
Potential Compensation from a Lawsuit
With the help of our lawyers for Zurich injury claims, you could potentially receive a fair amount of compensation for your damages. A Zurich insurance agent will determine the value of your case by measuring your injuries. If you were severely injured and the damage prevented you from working or caused you to have a drastic change in your life, you could receive a large settlement. Small incidental damages, on the other hand, would likely result in a much smaller offer. Some of the types of compensation you can earn include:
- Medical expenses (medication, physical therapy, hospital bills, surgery fees, future medical treatments)
- Lost wages (from absent days of work due to injury, recovery, or future medical procedures)
- Property damage (to your vehicle or belongings)
- Pain and suffering (PTSD, anxiety, fear, mental scarring, emotional trauma, and more)
- Wrongful death expenses (if a loved one died in a truck crash, you could receive funeral and burial costs, pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of inheritance, and more)
You should not have to pay for your own damages if you were the victim of a truck crash. Talk to a Los Angeles truck accident attorney that can sue Zurich for more assistance.
Verdict and Settlement Examples
Our law firm knows that many victims are curious about the worth of their cases. The Zurich Insurance agent will determine the value of your case and will give you an offer. An attorney who can fight Zurich for a truck accident injury lawsuit will negotiate a better deal. When clients ask us how much their cases are worth, we tell them we cannot tell until an offer is made. However, you can always look at other verdicts and settlements to see what has been earned in the past to get an idea of the possible compensation available.
We have provided some examples below.
- $1,400,000 Verdict: A truck driver who was operating a tractor trailer changed lanes while a woman was occupying the lane next to him. He struck her vehicle and pushed her off the road into the guardrail. The truck driver tried to flee but was pursued and his information was given to the plaintiff. She suffered a disc injury in her back and old injuries also flared up. The truck driver claimed that the woman sped up to prevent him from merging. In the end, the jury found the truck driver and his company 90% negligent for the accident.
- $1,500,000 Verdict: A man was driving behind a dump truck when the truck driver made a wide right turn. He pulled to the opposite lane on his left and began to turn. The man began to pass the truck as it switched lanes but was hit midway through the turn. The truck, which was loaded with tons of dirt, almost caused her death, resulting in permanent disfigurement.
- $1,000,000 Settlement: A mother was struck by a truck that ran a stop sign. Her children were present in the vehicle as well. The truck hit the side of the woman’s car, resulting in various injuries to all the parties in the vehicle. She suffered numerous fractures and broken bones on her upper body while her children had brain injuries and lower body damages.
If you have further questions, call a Los Angeles lawyer for accident injury claim with Zurich. We’ll gladly help you understand the worth of your case.
Normandie Law Firm’s Promise
At Normandie Law Firm, we promise to work around the clock to bring you the fairest compensation for your lawsuit. We can provide you with the best attorney for Zurich truck accident claims and will not stop pursuing a worthwhile settlement until we are satisfied with the offer. If necessary, we’ll go to court to win your case. Our lawyers are aggressive and do not take no for an answer.
Call Normandie today to speak with an injury lawyer for truck accident claim against Zurich. You can receive a free consultation about your case wherein you can ask us anything you’d like and we’ll give you the information you need to make an informed decision about how to best proceed. We will also tell you more about our zero fee guarantee, which states that you won’t pay any fees for our services – we will only get paid if we win, and Zurich Insurance will cover your legal bills; the money will come from the settlement the insurance company doles out. If we lose, you owe us no money at all, and can walk away debt free to our firm.
Further, we know that some of our clients hesitate to take legal action because of a language barrier. Our lawyers speak Spanish and can help you through the legal process. If you are in need of a Spanish speaking truck accident attorney, you have come to the right place.
For help pursuing restitution from a crash, call Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles to speak with a lawyer for Zurich truck accident claims.
