Norwood, MA Truck Accident Lawyer

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If a negligent truck driver injures you in Norwood, our lawyers can help you file a successful claim for compensation against them.

Auto accidents of all kinds, including truck accidents, often happen because of a driver’s negligence. Common acts of negligence that contribute to accidents in Norwood include speeding, reckless driving, drowsy driving, and distracted driving, among others. After an accident happens, regardless of its cause, you should call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. Be sure to get the driver’s information and that of their employer. To find success in your truck accident case in Massachusetts, you must file it on time, within three years of the accident. Furthermore, to get emotional damages of any kind, you must establish that you suffered a severe injury during the accident in question.

For help with your case, call our Norwood, MA, truck accident lawyers of the Law Office of John J. Sheehan today at (617) 925-6407.

Why Truck Accidents Happen in Norwood, MA

Truck accidents typically occur due to negligence, which might take many forms. For example, failing to perform regular maintenance on a large commercial truck could lead to an accident, as could driving recklessly to meet a delivery deadline in Norwood.

Drowsy driving is common among truck drivers, who might work overtime and through the night. This can increase the risk of an accident, as a tired driver might veer into another lane and sideswipe a passenger car. Sideswipe accidents involving commercial trucks might be catastrophic and lead to crushing injuries or other serious injuries for victims.

Truck drivers might act negligently or recklessly in the same way that passenger car drivers might. For example, speeding increases the risk of accidents, as does negligently merging or making improper turns. Turning accidents might happen when truck drivers fail to check their blind spots before maneuvering, which are considerably larger than the blind spots of passenger cars.

Determining fault might be harder when truck accidents happen because of a trucking company’s negligence. For example, suppose a truck company greenlit a vehicle for use when it had notable defects or other issues, and a malfunction occurred, causing an accident. In that case, the trucking company might be liable. In these types of situations, it matters if the truck driver owns the vehicle and operates as an independent contractor or works as a regular employee of the commercial truck company.

What to Do After a Truck Accident Happens in Norwood, MA

After a truck accident in Norwood, victims should take several steps. These include calling 911, documenting the scene, and getting medical care, among other things.

Under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 90, § 26, reportable auto accidents include those that cause bodily injury, death, or $1,000 in property damage. If you feel hurt, call 911 and ask for emergency medical services and law enforcement to come to the scene. By doing this, you can take steps toward documenting the accident, as police officers will note pertinent information in a crash report. Our truck accident lawyers can work to get this document from the Norwood Police Department soon after the accident. To ensure the report is accurate, tell police officers what you can remember about the incident and what the truck driver did wrong.

While you wait for law enforcement to arrive, ask the truck driver for their name, insurance information, and employer’s information. If they are a regular employee, their employer might share some liability for your damages, so getting their information is important.

What Must Happen During Your Truck Accident Case in Norwood, MA?

If you pursue a claim against a negligent driver or truck company in Norwood, there are several things you should learn about the process, such as when to file your lawsuit and how to demonstrate serious injury.

File on Time

Victims of personal injuries only have a set period to sue negligent parties. According to Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 260, § 2A, that is three years in Norwood. The accrual date for the statute of limitations is typically the date of an accident. Victims might get tolling for delayed discovery in certain instances, but this exception rarely applies in truck injury lawsuits.

Our team can pinpoint your filing deadline based on the accident’s date and help you proceed accordingly. The sooner you act and gather evidence, the more proof you might have to support your claim. Filing later than you intended could make you miss the statute of limitations. Should this happen, the court could dismiss your case if you try to file it late in Norwood.

Demonstrate Serious Injury

Under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 231, § 6D, auto injury victims can only recover non-economic losses under certain conditions. The first scenario where this is possible is if a victim incurs more than $2,000 in medical bills. The second scenario is if the victim sustains a serious injury, which includes injuries that cause death, permanent and serious disfigurement, and partial or whole loss of a body member, among others. This rule applies to those hurt in truck crashes as well.

Our lawyers will compile proof of your medical expenses to demonstrate serious injury in your case. Because many car accident injuries require some form of treatment, and because care might be expensive, even when short-term, many victims often reach the serious injury threshold based on their medical damages alone. If that is not enough to prove your eligibility for non-financial damages in your case, we can use your medical records as evidence of your injuries.

In gathering proof of your medical damages, our lawyers can work to calculate your total financial losses. We will also consider other damages, like lost wages. Regarding our calculation of your non-financial damages, our lawyers may use complex methods that take into account your economic damages, injuries, and likelihood of physical recovery, among other factors.