Were you injured in a truck accident in St. Joseph, MI? You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and other losses. A St. Joseph truck accident lawyer at Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers can help you hold the truck driver or trucking company accountable. Call (269) 529-9377 for a free consultation.
We have decades of combined experience helping injured clients recover the money they deserve. Our legal team is here to help you seek justice.
Why Choose Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers to Handle My Truck Accident Case in St. Joseph, MI?
Truck accident cases are some of the most complicated in personal injury law. They involve powerful trucking companies and insurers that use proven tactics for reducing claims. They feature technical federal trucking regulations, violations of which can form the basis of negligence.
You need a St. Joseph truck accident lawyer who can walk you through the legal process.
Clients in St. Joseph, Michigan, choose Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers because:
- We have 25 years of combined legal experience
- We have recovered tens of millions of dollars for injured clients
- Our attorneys are local and directly involved in the cases we handle
- Recognition from Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, and other top legal organizations
Reach out today to schedule a free case review with an experienced St. Joseph personal injury attorney.
What Is My St. Joseph Truck Accident Case Worth?
Factors that may affect the value of your case include:
- How the crash happened
- The severity of your injuries
- Whether your injuries are permanent
- The cost of past and future medical care
- Whether you missed work
- Whether you can return to your prior job
- Whether you need long-term care or assistance
- The pain, suffering, and emotional distress caused by the crash
- The amount of available insurance coverage
- Whether more than one party may be responsible
- Whether the insurance company tries to blame you
However, higher-value cases are often more contentious. That makes it essential to know what your claim is worth and develop a winning strategy for recovering all you’re owed. The best way to learn about the value of your claim is to consult with an experienced truck accident attorney in St. Joseph.
What Compensation Can I Recover After a Truck Accident in Michigan?
Michigan’s no-fault insurance system can also affect how compensation is pursued after a truck accident. In many cases, your own insurance may provide initial benefits for medical care and wage loss regardless of who caused the crash.
However, if your injuries meet Michigan’s legal definition of serious harm, you may also be able to bring a claim against the at-fault truck driver, trucking company, or other responsible parties for additional damages that exceed your PIP policy limits.
If your claim is successful, your compensation award may include money for:
- Emergency medical treatment
- Hospital bills
- Surgeries
- Follow-up care
- Physical therapy
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Reduced future earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Wrongful death damages
This is another reason truck accident claims require careful review. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to recover no-fault benefits and compensation through a separate injury claim against the parties responsible for the crash.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer in St. Joseph?
Most truck accident claims are handled on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not pay upfront attorney fees or retainers to begin your case. Instead, your lawyer’s fee is paid from the compensation they recover through a settlement or verdict.
If your lawyer does not recover compensation for you, you generally do not owe attorney’s fees. This arrangement allows injured people to bring claims against trucking companies and insurers without adding more financial pressure during an already difficult time.
Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers offers contingency fees and free consultations to all truck accident victims.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Truck Accident in Michigan?
It depends. Michigan follows comparative fault rules. If you are partly responsible for a truck accident, your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are more than 50% responsible, you will be unable to recover non-economic damages such as pain and suffering.
Insurance companies use this rule to their advantage, even in cases where their insured is clearly at fault. In a truck accident case, they may argue that you were distracted or failed to avoid the crash. These arguments are mainly designed to reduce the amount they owe and may not be grounded in what actually happened.
A personal injury lawyer in St. Joseph can review your case to see if you actually share blame and push back on attempts to unfairly blame you for the collision.
We Handle All Types of Serious Injury Claims After Truck Accidents
Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers represents people suffering from all types of serious truck accident injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Herniated discs
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Severe burns
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Chronic nerve damage
- Psychological trauma
These injuries can affect every part of a person’s life and may leave them unable to work or care for themselves the way they did before the injury. A personal injury claim is the law’s way of providing justice for such harm.
What Causes Most Truck Accidents in St. Joseph?
Common causes of truck accidents include:
- Driver fatigue
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
- Following too closely
- Failing to check blind spots
- Driving too fast for the weather or road conditions
- Improper truck maintenance
- Brake failure
- Tire failure
- Overloaded trailers
- Unsecured cargo
- Inadequate driver training
- Pressure to meet unrealistic delivery schedules
- Drug or alcohol use
- Violations of federal trucking safety rules
Commercial vehicles often pass through Southwest Michigan, including St. Joseph, on their way to and from Chicago, Grand Rapids, and other urban areas. Truck accidents are a consequence of all that cargo and truck traffic.
However, many truck accidents are preventable. They often happen because a driver, trucking company, or another party failed to follow basic safety rules — often to cut costs or out of plain negligence.
What Evidence Can Be Used to Prove My Truck Accident Claim?
Because truck accident cases often turn on whether a driver or company violated federal regulations, investigations typically require evidence that ordinary car accident cases do not. Driver logs, electronic logging device data, black box data, maintenance records, and other records may all play a part in proving your claim. An experienced truck accident attorney in St. Joseph can help you preserve that evidence.
Who Can Be Liable for a Truck Accident in Michigan?
Truck accident cases may involve more than one responsible party. The truck driver may have caused the crash, but the investigation should not stop there.
Additional liable parties may include:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The trailer owner
- A cargo loading company
- A maintenance contractor
- A parts manufacturer
- A broker or shipper
- Another negligent driver
- A government entity responsible for unsafe road conditions in limited cases
If any of these entities contributed to your crash, they can be held liable for their portion of responsibility. A complete investigation can identify every party that played a role in the crash and every available insurance policy.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Michigan?
Michigan generally gives injured people three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Missing the deadline will end your right to recover compensation in court. Other time limits may also apply to no-fault benefits, insurance notices, government claims, or specific types of defendants. That is why it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible after a serious truck crash.
Contact a St. Joseph Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
A serious truck accident can change everything: your health, your finances, your ability to work, and your quality of life. Those kinds of consequences can’t go unaddressed.
If you were injured in a truck crash, Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers can help you fight for compensation for the harm and losses you’ve experienced. With over 25 years of combined experience and tens of millions of dollars recovered, we have a proven reputation.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a St. Joseph truck accident lawyer.
