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Columbus Distracted Truck Driving Accident Lawyer

While traveling virtually anywhere in the United States, you’re likely going to drive alongside large commercial trucks. While there are plenty of competent truck drivers who do their job well and mitigate risk for the drivers around them, there’s a reason why many drivers refuse to pass trucks on the highway. The fact is there are plenty of negligent and overworked truck drivers, and they pose an enormous danger to other vehicles on the road.

Many truck drivers are asked to meet unreasonable quotas and drive well past the limits of the human body, encouraging the use of caffeine and drugs to stay awake. But there’s a limit to how much caffeine can shore up reaction times that are fading from a lack of sleep. Driving distance requirements also mean that many truck drivers eat while on the road – another dangerous form of distracted driving. Because truck drivers have to drive for up to 18 hours at a time, they also get bored behind the wheel, allowing their minds to wander and making accidents more likely.

All of these behaviors are dangerous and a cause for legal action when the perpetrator is operating a standard vehicle. When the bad actor is driving a long haul truck, these behaviors are all the more threatening. One slip-up from a driver behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound truck can total any other car and cause disastrous consequences for that vehicle’s driver or passengers. Thankfully, the state of Ohio provides legal recourse for those who are injured in accidents with truck drivers, especially if those drivers are driving distracted. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident when the trucker was driving while distracted, you may be eligible to recover compensation. Allow a Columbus distracted truck driving accident attorney at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys to review the details of your case by calling (419) 529-2020 for a free initial consultation.

Why Do I Need A Truck Driver Distraction Lawyer?

When an 18-wheeler collides with another vehicle, the passenger vehicle will usually absorb the brunt of the damage, often causing severe injuries and totaling the smaller vehicle. Trucking companies hire specific insurance companies whose job it is to know Ohio personal injury law inside and out so they can make your complaint as ineffective as possible, no matter how legitimate it may be. If you thought fighting your own insurance company was difficult, trying to get a resolution from the insurance company for a national trucking company is nearly impossible. Their goal is to pay you as little as possible and minimize fault by the company and driver as much as they can. Without serious legal help, there’s very little you can do to move your case forward. Whether you’re seeking damages to help pay medical bills or repair your car, or if you just want someone to be held accountable for the accident, you need a top-notch legal team that will have your back.

There are plenty of lawyers out there, but very few have the skills and knowledge necessary to handle this type of case successfully. Even fewer treat every case with as much care as our team at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys.

Why Choose Rinehardt Injury Attorneys?

The trucking company is going to have the best possible legal counsel. Any national company is going to have top-flight lawyers who specialize in Ohio-specific personal injury cases involving large trucks. Without the best possible legal representation, it will be difficult to defeat the trucking company’s high-priced attorneys. Luckily for you, our team at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys is ready and able to take on the major corporations. We have fought and won cases for people just like you against these same companies again and again, and we’ll keep doing it until they’re held accountable for their dangerous practices.

Our team has a well-deserved reputation for winning cases that make it to court, a fact that scares the big trucking companies and their insurance agents. Our knowledge of personal injury law in Ohio is unparalleled, and we’re prepared to put it to work in earning you the compensation you deserve. You want a lawyer who intimidates the people who want to pressure you into taking less money than you deserve, and Rinehardt Injury Attorneys will provide that.

We also offer a high standard of client care. We understand that a major trucking accident is an incredibly difficult experience, and our compassionate attorneys are here to support you through it while we handle all the complex legal matters. We’ll keep you updated regularly on the status of your case. At Rinehardt Injury Attorneys, you’re our priority.

Trucker Distracted Driving Accident Cases We Handle

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but we have significant experience handling the following types of trucking accidents:

  • Rollover accidents
  • Accidents involving severe injuries
  • Accidents in which a car is pushed into oncoming traffic
  • Accidents where the car is totaled
  • Accidents with fatalities

If you suffered an injury or your loved one died in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation from the responsible parties. Contact Rinehardt Injury Attorneys today at (419) 529-2020 so we can get to work at recovering the full and fair compensation you deserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most people aren’t well versed in personal injury law, especially with cases as specific as accidents involving large trucks. At Rinehardt Injury Attorneys, we often get questions from clients regarding their truck accidents. Here are answers to a few of our most asked questions:

What is distracted driving?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving is defined as “any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.” Many of us engage in distracted driving every time we get in the car, which is an indicator of how serious this problem is. Some distracted driving tasks – talking on the phone or eating a sandwich while driving – seem harmless, but the consequences can be deadly. More than 3,000 people were killed by distracted driving in 2017, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Almost 600 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed in distracted driving accidents in the same year.

How do these accidents happen?

Distracted driving is an incredibly harmful and all-too-common practice on our roads. For vehicles of any size, distracted driving makes accidents more common and increases the risk for other drivers on the road. When you factor in the sheer size and weight of an 18-wheeler, even the slightest misstep can cause catastrophic consequences. A distracted driver may be paying attention to something specific in their vehicle or may just have a hard time paying attention to the traffic around them. This can cause them to veer out of their lane and endanger or hit other cars or react too slowly to cars braking ahead of them, leading to a collision from behind. There isn’t a set formula for these types of accidents, but these are just a few of the ways they often occur.

What is negligence? And what does it mean for my case?

In legal terms, negligence is a term that means “a failure to behave with the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances.” Ohio follows “comparative negligence” laws, meaning that negligence is determined by assigning fault to each party in the accident as a percentage out of 100. The amount of negligence shown by the plaintiff (the person bringing the suit) is then deducted from whatever the overall award total is. If it is determined that the person bringing the suit had more than 51% of the fault, that person receives nothing in damages. This is one of the more complicated aspects of personal injury law and another reason why having a knowledgeable attorney is such a vital part of the process.

What compensation could I get?

It’s difficult to determine the exact size and nature of an individual’s potential compensation in a personal injury case without knowing the specific facts and circumstances involved. A number of factors can come into play that may affect the compensation amount, including any reckless choices made by the plaintiff, the specific nature of the distraction, the extent of the hospital bills and damage to personal property, and the insurance company policies for both the plaintiff and the trucking company. While there are no steadfast rules for estimating compensation, we may be able to give you a better idea if you call us so we can sort out the details of your case. That said, there are certain damages frequently awarded in these types of cases, including medical expenses, lost wages, mental anguish, and pain and suffering.

Contact Us

Any accident involving a large truck is a scary experience. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in an accident involving a distracted trucker, you don’t have to go through this alone. Rinehardt Injury Attorneys is here to help. If a trucker or trucking company acted with negligence, they deserve to pay, and you deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing the responsible party will be paying your medical bills.

Our qualified team has years of experience handling these types of cases in Ohio, and we’re passionate about getting justice for people just like you. We can’t help you until you get in touch with us. Call us today at (419) 529-2020 to speak with one of our experienced Columbus truck accident attorneys about the details of your case and what we can do to help you get the results you deserve.

Columbus Office

Rinehardt Injury Attorneys
8351 N. High St, Ste 251,
Columbus, OH 43235
Phone Number: (614) 686-2020
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We’re here to help you and your family get back on track after an accident. Reach out to us today for a free case evaluation.

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