When a commercial truck driver causes a West Hartford, CT, collision, the occupants of the other vehicles affected often suffer significant injuries. State law allows them to file a claim or lawsuit and hold the driver, their employer, or other liable parties accountable.
At Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC our West Hartford personal injury lawyers have the experience, skills, resources, and reputation to handle the most complex and challenging cases. We know how to develop a solid claim and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Call us today for a free consultation with our team.
Let Our Attorneys Handle Your West Hartford Truck Accident Case
Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC has been fighting for the rights of crash victims since its establishment in 1938. We will not settle for less compensation than you deserve. We understand you need a fair payout to cover your medical care, lost wages, and recover from the accident as fully as possible. If necessary, we will take your case to court to hold the liable parties accountable and get justice for you.
Our attorneys represent Connecticut accident victims on a contingency fee basis. We charge no upfront attorney’s fees, so you pay nothing unless we win your case. This means we accept all financial risks.
We have secured millions of dollars for truck accident victims over the last 85 years. Some of our recent financial recoveries include:
- $840,000 settlement for a client who required surgery and physical therapy for neck, back, and foot injuries after a utility truck ran a stop sign and T-boned his car
- $834,000 secured after a crash victim suffered a concussion and other serious injuries when hit head-on by a speeding truck
- $500,000 recovered for a vehicle passenger who required surgery after the vehicle they were in was hit by a backing truck
- $450,000 settlement for a client whose vehicle was hit by a backing flatbed tractor-trailer truck
- $445,000 mediated settlement for a client who required surgery and therapy after being hit by a truck making an improper lane change
Our West Hartford Truck Accident Lawyers Recover Fair Payouts for Clients
We take the necessary steps to build the most robust case possible, including documenting your full range of damages.
We will gather documentation of your losses to date, estimate your future expenses, and value your intangible losses to determine a fair insurance settlement or present this information to the judge or jury at trial.
Some of the most common types of damages we recover for our clients include:
- Medical Care: Ambulance costs, hospital bills, prescription medications, rehabilitation, therapies, related expenses, and estimated future care costs
- Income Losses: Money for work missed to date, future lost income, and diminished earning ability if there are long-term impairments from the accident
- Property Damage: We have a property damage expert on staff to document the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle and other personal property.
- Non-Economic Damages: Physical pain and suffering, emotional struggles, mental anguish, and other psychological effects
Our West Hartford Truck Accident Lawyers Manage Wrongful Death Cases
The size and weight of commercial semi-trucks and their cargo make these collisions more devastating than typical passenger car crashes. This is especially true because they often occur on highways or interstates where speeds are increased. Fatal injuries are not uncommon. According to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository, there were 236 fatal collisions in Connecticut during 2023, including some involving large trucks.
When a crash victim dies from injuries or complications, Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 52-555 allows the executor of the estate to file a wrongful death action on behalf of the victim’s surviving family members. Our team handles these cases and can fight for justice for your family.
Our West Hartford Attorneys Understand What Causes Truck Crashes
Truck drivers must undergo extensive training and practice to receive their Commercial Driver License (CDL). Many professional truckers have thousands of miles of experience on their routes. Still, mistakes happen. Carelessness or recklessness are common behind the wheel. Speeding, drowsy driving, distracted driving, and alcohol and drug use significantly increase the risk of serious accidents.
Truck drivers must abide by traffic laws and numerous industry regulations, too. Failure to do so could lead to a collision. Some of the common ways this occurs include:
- Failure to yield when turning
- Ignoring traffic signs and signals
- Following too closely to stop when traffic slows
- Failing to clear lanes before merging, changing lanes, or passing
- Failure to maintain lane
- Taking turns too quickly
- Jackknife crashes
- Violating hours of service regulations leading to drowsy driving
- Poorly loaded or unsecured cargo
- Cargo loss accidents
- Maintenance issues such as brake failure or blown tires
When a truck driver causes a crash, the other vehicles involved experience extreme forces when they collide with the truck or trailer. The occupants of those vehicles often suffer severe or catastrophic injuries. Some of these cause lifelong disabilities and could require a lifetime of care and support. This could include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Other neck or back injuries
- Limb amputation or loss of use injuries
- Severe fractures and crush injuries
- Internal injuries and organ damage
- Burns and scarring
Our West Hartford Lawyers Build Strong Truck Accident Cases for Clients
In most traffic accidents, the at-fault driver is the liable party. We file our client’s insurance claim based on that driver’s auto insurance liability policy to recover money for them. This could work differently when the at-fault driver is on the job when they cause a crash.
In most truck accident cases, the liable party is not limited to the at-fault truck driver. Instead, their employer—often a trucking company—is either vicariously or directly liable. Vicarious liability is a factor in many accidents when the commercial driver makes an error behind the wheel and causes the crash. The legal doctrine of respondeat superior creates this type of liability.
When our West Hartford car accident lawyers handle a truck accident case, we identify all potentially liable parties. We look into the available insurance coverage and determine our legal strategy. Our options could include:
- The truck driver
- The driver’s employer
- A parts manufacturer, if there was a defective part
- A company or agency, if there was a problem with the roadway or design
- A combination of more than one of these parties
Most commonly, a driver’s carelessness caused the crash. We find that their employer carries a significant corporate liability policy that provides much more money than any individual driver’s policy ever would. This leads us to pursue compensation by holding the trucking company accountable and filing a claim based on their insurance policy.
We investigate the crash and gather the necessary evidence to illustrate what occurred and how the driver caused the crash. This could require us to undertake several steps and devote weeks or months to obtaining and analyzing evidence.
Only once we have the evidence can we decide how to approach the case and determine the best legal strategy for our client. To learn more, contact us for a free consultation.
How Will a West Hartford Truck Accident Lawyer Benefit My Case?
When you work with our attorneys to navigate your truck accident case, you gain many benefits and only lose the stress and frustration of trying to manage this process on your own. Since we do not ask for upfront payments and only charge fees if we win your case, you have nothing to lose.
Some of the things you will gain include:
- Legal Knowledge: Our attorneys have 85+ years of experience handling personal injury cases, including those involving commercial drivers.
- Resources: We have the time, money, and know-how to build a robust claim and fight for the maximum payout possible based on your case facts.
- Protect Your Rights: We know the pitfalls of these cases and how to ensure you do not make mistakes that could cause the insurance company to reduce or deny the money available for recovery.
- Negotiation Skills: Our attorneys have proven negotiation skills and often settle these cases without going to trial.
- Timeline: We understand the deadlines in these cases. Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 52-584 typically gives two years to prepare and file a civil suit, but we will identify any other deadlines and ensure you meet them.
- Trial Experience: We have extensive trial experience. If necessary, we will present your case to a judge and jury and ask them to award you fair compensation.
- Peace of Mind: Perhaps the greatest benefit of working with an attorney on your truck accident case is the peace of mind it offers. You do not need to worry about your claim or stress about making the correct decisions.
Discuss Your West Hartford Truck Accident Injuries With Our Team
Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC provides free consultations for victims hurt in Connecticut truck collision cases. We can hold the trucking company liable and help you recover maximum compensation based on your collision case.
Contact our team by completing the online contact form or by calling our number.