Truck Accidents

Compensation for Truck Accident Injuries in Michigan

With more than 30 years of experience in litigating complex injury claims, Detroit accident compensation attorney Frank K. Rhodes III, Esq. provides thorough and knowledgeable client service in truck accident cases. Contact his office in Southfield for a free consultation about your legal options for recovering compensation for your losses.

Truck accident litigation is significantly different from the adversarial claims process for auto accidents, and not only because of the different size of the vehicles involved. While negligence in car accident cases is usually a matter of the behavior of the individual drivers involved, semi truck crash cases focus not only on driver mistakes but also on such matters as the following:

• Compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
• Inspection and maintenance of the cab, the van, the trailer and the safety equipment
• Hiring, training, background checks and drug screening of the truck operator
• Ownership, leasing or contractual relationships between all parties involved in the particular trucking run that resulted in an accident
• Insurance coverage and liability issues for all of the parties interested in the safe operation of the truck at the time of the accident
• Negligent highway design and maintenance claims against the state or a county

The investigation and proof of truck accident injury claims is significantly more complex than it is when only private passenger vehicles are involved. To the plaintiff's advantage, the resources for investigation are more extensive. Driver's logs, vehicle and equipment maintenance records, and the truck's own "black box" data are all valuable for determining the cause of the accident and establishing the liability of one or more defendants.

Because a fully loaded semi tractor trailer combination is likely to weigh about 40 tons, severe or fatal injuries very often result from a collision with a big rig. Personal injury lawyer Frank Rhodes devotes just as much care and skill in the formulation and proof of damages claims as he does to establishing the responsibility of the defendants for your losses. In cases involving traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, severe burns or other disabling injuries, our firm works with forensic medical and rehabilitation specialists to make sure that your current and future losses are fully documented.

Our truck accident practice covers 18-wheelers, construction equipment haulers, delivery trucks and vans and any other commercial vehicle. In cases involving injuries to truck drivers caused by the negligence of another motorist, we represent truckers as well. For additional information about our ability to effectively represent your interests in truck accident litigation, contact an experienced lawyer at the Southfield office of Frank K. Rhodes III, Esq.