Rio Rancho Truck Accident Lawyer

truck speeding on New Mexico highway

Hurt in a truck accident in Rio Rancho? Call Bert! Attorney Bert Parnall is a former Albuquerque Bulldog who channels that pedigree into an aggressive approach to truck accident cases. We know how challenging it can be to pursue a case against a trucking company and its insurers. Holding them liable requires the help of an experienced legal team with the resources to win.

Call Parnall Law Firm today for a free consultation with a Rio Rancho truck accident lawyer. We look forward to meeting you, hearing your story, and telling you how we can help.

Common Causes of Truck Accident Collisions in Rio Rancho

Most truck accidents are caused by someone’s negligence – that is, their failure to take due care to avoid causing harm. Trucking companies and truck drivers must follow state laws and federal regulations to ensure the safety of others. When they behave carelessly, they endanger the lives of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

Some of the most common causes of truck accidents in Rio Rancho include:

  • Speeding – Speed limits serve an important purpose. Every motorist must follow them to prevent accidents. When a truck driver speeds, they increase the risk of catastrophic injuries. The sheer force of a fast-moving, fully-loaded tractor-trailer barreling into a passenger car can have devastating consequences for the occupants of the smaller vehicle.
  • Distracted driving – Drivers who don’t pay enough attention to the road are a danger to others. With technological advances, truckers may have access to cell phones, GPS, tablets, and other electronic devices while they are driving. Distractions also include eating, drinking, changing the radio, and anything else that takes attention away from driving. When truck drivers don’t focus on the road, they overlook dangerous situations that could lead to a crash.
  • Tailgating – Motorists should always leave enough space between their car and the one in front of them so that there is time to brake in an emergency. This is especially true for truckers, whose vehicles require more stopping distance than smaller cars. When they follow other vehicles too closely, they risk causing devastating rear-end collisions.
  • Fatigued driving – Driving while tired has many of the same effects as driving while intoxicated: slower reaction times, poor decision-making abilities, impaired motor skills, and irritability.
  • Federal hours-of-service laws exist to reduce fatigue-related collisions, but they only work when truck drivers follow them.
  • Inadequate truck maintenance – Commercial trucks need regular inspections and maintenance to ensure they run smoothly. Skipping a maintenance appointment or ignoring a part that needs repair can cause the truck to malfunction.
  • Overloaded or unsecured cargo – Federal regulations require that cargo be loaded into the trailer based on specific size and weight limits and secured with appropriate systems. Loose cargo can shift during transport, throwing the entire vehicle off balance. An overloaded trailer places too much weight on the tires, increasing the risk of a blowout.

Potential Injuries and Damages in Truck Accidents

While any traffic collision can potentially cause injuries, truck accidents are especially dangerous. That’s because these vehicles are bigger and heavier than anything else on the road, meaning they cause more force in the event of a collision.

This commonly results in serious injuries, such as:

  • Head and brain injuries
  • Back and neck injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Burns
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Death

If you suffered any of these injuries, reach out to an experienced truck crash lawyer who can demand the compensation you will need for your medical treatment and other losses. If a loved one passed from a tragic encounter with a negligent trucker, our Rio Rancho fatal truck accident lawyers will handle the legal issues while you grieve. It is our passion to fight for the injured while holding the trucking companies and all parties liable!

Benefits of Hiring a Professional Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accident cases are often complex. They may involve multiple liable parties, in-depth investigations, extensive property damage, and severe injuries. An experienced Rio Rancho truck accident attorney can build a case against the negligent truck driver or motor carrier, giving you the time and space to focus on healing.

More specifically, a good truck accident lawyer can:

  • Conduct a thorough investigation into the crash to identify all at-fault parties to hold financially responsible for your injuries
  • Gather relevant evidence to prove the defendant is liable, such as witness statements, the truck’s black box, video surveillance, and accident scene photos
  • Compile your medical records and bills to establish the severity of your injuries and the total cost of treatment
  • Negotiate a settlement with the insurance carrier
  • Take your case to trial if a settlement cannot be reached

What Damages Can I Recover in a Truck Accident Case?

By bringing a claim against a truck driver, motor carrier, or another party, you could demand compensation for your:

  • Rehab, surgeries, prescriptions, and other medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Loss of earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering
  • Scarring or disfigurement
  • Emotional distress
  • Permanent disability
  • Vehicle repair or replacement costs

How Are Truck Accident Cases Different from Car Accident Cases?

Truck accident cases are often more complicated than those involving ordinary passenger vehicles because they involve:

  • Heavier vehicles – Since commercial trucks are bigger and heavier than passenger vehicles, they can cause more serious injuries and property damage in a collision.
  • Federal regulations – Truckers and trucking carriers must adhere to federal regulations regarding vehicle maintenance, the hours they can drive, employee training, and more. Violating these regulations can make them liable for a crash, but proving that can be challenging.
  • More potentially liable parties – The truck driver isn’t the only person who could be at fault for an accident. Numerous parties, such as the trucking company, truck maintenance worker, cargo loader, or vehicle part manufacturer, can also be fully or partially to blame. Investigating a crash to determine liability is complicated because it requires looking into more than one party to determine the sources of compensation.

Why Choose Parnall Law Firm as Your Rio Rancho Truck Accident Lawyer

A truck accident collision in Rio Rancho can lead to a lifetime of consequences. But you should not be on the hook for these consequences if someone else is to blame.

Parnall Law Firm is ready to fight for you, just as we’ve done for more than 7,000 clients over our decades of experience. And with more than $250 million recovered through verdicts and settlements to date, you know that we have what it takes to take on the big trucking companies and win.

Hurt? Call Bert! Contact us online or by phone for a free consultation with our Rio Rancho truck driver error lawyers.

RIO RANCHO MAPS LOCATION

Our Parnall Law Firm, LLC – Hurt? Call Bert Rio Rancho Personal Injury Lawyers help victims inside New Mexico and our firm is conveniently located near you. We have an office in Rio Rancho at 2003 Southern Blvd SE #126, Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 35.24353866145758, -106.69352271163793