My name is Terry Crouppen. I am a senior partner and co-founder of Brown and Crouppen. For a long time my law firm has been involved in truck accident litigation. These accidents, which involve large over the road tractor- trailers, are generally the most deadly we see at Brown and Crouppen. Truck accident statistics are frightening. Every year 500,000 large trucks are involved in accidents on our roads. Of these, 5000 will involve fatalities. In fact 1 out of every 8 people killed in a traffic accident in America will be killed in an accident involving a truck.

There are three reasons why truck accidents are so dangerous, size, speed and driver fatigue. A fully loaded over the road truck is a huge piece of machinery. When you couple this with speeds over 60 miles an hour you get a monster that can run over anything in its path. Driver fatigue is another factor that causes truck accidents to be unlike any others. Drivers are under constant pressure to move cargo, so much so, that 16 hour days are not uncommon. In a recent study it was reported that 20% of long haul truck drivers reported they had fallen asleep at the wheel during the last 30-day period. It’s no wonder that people are killed when one in five drivers admit to falling asleep, leaving these giants with no one at the wheel.

One image involving a truck accident will always haunt me. Recently we represented a woman who was severely injured in a accident involving a large tractor-trailer truck. She was waiting to make a left turn on a stretch of interstate highway just after a sharp curve. The truck ignored signs warning it to slow down after the curve and came upon this lady in her small foreign car stopped to make her turn. The images were taken by a relative of the driver who arrived at the scene during the rescue operation. The truck came to rest right on top of our client’s car. The pictures taken at night show this monsterous truck lying on top of this little car, completely smashing the car, its contents and our client. The truck looks almost like a living thing, a beast that has pounced on something, deliberately trying to kill it. Those pictures speak volumes about the damage a truck can do when it’s out of control.

When someone comes in to talk about a truck accident, we address three major topics, liability, injury and insurance. Liability means who caused the accident. The first issue in any accident case is liability because in our legal system, generally people who cause accidents can’t collect damages. The second issue to be discussed is injury. Was there physical harm done to the person seeking compensation? Lastly, does the party at fault have insurance or does the innocent party have uninsured motorist insurance coverage to pay for the damages done. It’s important to note that in every successful case there is good liability, injury caused by the negligent party, and insurance to compensate for damages done. In accident law 2 out of 3 isn’t enough.

At Brown and Crouppen we handle truck accidents cases. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have about one of these very serious accidents. If we can help please click here and an experienced lawyer from Brown and Crouppen will promptly contact you and give you the help you need.

Brown & Crouppen can help you make informed decisions about your legal rights, so please call Brown & Crouppen at 1-800-536-HELP for your free legal consultation or save time with our online Contact Form.
 

My name is Pam A. and I am thirty years old. On September 24, 1999, my life changed forever. Late that afternoon, my mom and I were headed to the mall to do some shopping. As we rounded a curve, a semi-truck going in the opposite direction hit us head on, basically burying our car in a ditch. I spent the next two and one-half months in the hospital, receiving treatment for fractures of both of my legs and both of my arms, as well as my hip. My mother was not as fortunate. After receiving numerous medical treatments, she passed away as a result of injuries she received in the accident.   CONTINUE

If you’ve been in a truck accident it’s important to understand the “real” agenda of the insurance company in your case. First, understand the insurance company is not your friend, they are not looking out for you, they are only looking out for their own interests. See, insurance companies exist for one purpose only, to make money. Insurance companies make money by selling insurance and receiving premium payments, they then invest this money and make even more money. Insurance companies lose money by paying out benefits (money) to people hurt in car accidents caused by the people they insure.  CONTINUE

Call Brown & Crouppen at 1-800-536-HELP for your free legal consultation or save time with our online Contact Form.

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