Injured in an 18 Wheeler Accident in Deming? | New Mexico Attorney

When you’re driving along the highway in Deming, New Mexico, you probably notice massive, imposing 18 wheelers right alongside of you. Take one look and it's easy to imagine how a crash with one of these commercial trucks would leave your car utterly destroyed, while the truck itself may barely suffer a scratch. Unfortunately, truck accidents happen all too frequently in the United States, and very often lead to catastrophic damage.

If you’ve been injured in an 18 wheeler accident in Deming recently, you might be at a loss for what to do next amidst the injury and loss. You may already be looking for an 18 wheeler accident lawyer in Deming as well—especially if the accident was not your fault. New Mexico attorney James Shaw can help. Truck accident claims and potential lawsuits are complicated and overwhelming, but a knowledgeable Deming injury lawyer like Mr. Shaw will guide you through the process.

The first thing you need to do after an accident—before you even think of calling a lawyer—is to seek medical attention. Even if you feel your injuries aren’t very severe, having medical records will help you in your case later on. In addition, some injuries don’t present themselves at first, but may cause you stress and pain down the road.

Keep in mind that if you end up pursuing legal action against the truck driver or the trucking company, yet you didn’t receive medical attention right away, the opposing insurance company may claim that your injuries weren’t due to the accident, or weren’t as severe as you say they were.

Now it’s time to look into what caused your accident. At this point, your attorney will want to look at police records, any photographic evidence of the accident scene, and talk to witnesses. 18 wheeler accidents can happen for any number of reasons, but your lawyer will often look for two main signs of fault:

• Truck driver negligence. If the truck driver was not following the rules of the road—for example by speeding, not signalling when changing lanes, or failing to stop at a stop sign—and this caused your accident, the driver was driving negligently and can be held liable for your injuries.
  • In addition, because driving a truck is a demanding job with both strict deadlines and severe mental strain, we sometimes see drivers operating their vehicles while fatigued, and this can be very dangerous. Even worse, sometimes people drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or drive while distracted (for example, by texting or looking at their phone), and this can easily cause accidents.
• Negligence on behalf of the trucking company. The companies that own and operate the fleet of vehicles know they have to follow many regulations; for example, how long their employees can drive without taking a break, or how often their trucks need to be inspected. If the trucking company intentionally breaks these rules—by forcing their drivers to drive longer than allowed, say, or by cutting corners with inspections—this can have dire consequences on the road.

An 18 wheeler accident can cause tremendous injury to the people involved, as well as a huge amount of property and vehicle damage. After your Deming injury lawyer has established liability (who was at fault for the accident), they will discuss how much compensation you may be able to receive.

Although it is only an estimate, your 18 wheeler accident lawyer in Deming will attempt to put a value in two areas:

• Economic damages. These are things that have a specific monetary value, such as lost earnings and wages, past and future medical bills, or child care expenses.
• Non-economic damages. This is compensation for things such as psychological damages, pain and suffering, or other intangible losses.

There is a lot involved in an 18 wheeler accident case, and your best bet is to seek an experienced, knowledgeable attorney who can help you get your life back on track. New Mexico attorney James Shaw has been practicing law for over thirty years, and is the managing partner of Carabin Shaw, a Texas law firm that has won over $1 billion for their clients over the past few years. Call 1-800-555-0101 to set up a free consultation.