If you were involved in a truck accident in Salt Lake City, UT, you may feel overwhelmed by your injuries and other losses. If the truck driver caused the accident by acting negligently, they may be liable for your medical bills, property damage, and other damages. Hiring a skilled Salt Lake City truck accident lawyer is an important first step to seeking compensation.
They can stand up to the trucking or insurance company on your behalf and explain your legal options throughout the process. The Salt Lake City truck accident attorneys at Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers are here to help. Contact our Salt Lake City, Utah, office today to schedule your free consultation. You can reach us at (801) 851-1202.
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We have over 100 years of combined experience in personal injury law and have recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for our personal injury clients. We’ll dedicate our time and resources to seeking maximum compensation in your case.
When you hire one of our Salt Lake City personal injury lawyers, we’ll handle every aspect of your case to get you the results you deserve, including:
Contact our office today to learn more about how one of our Salt Lake City personal injury attorneys can help you. Your initial consultation with a Salt Lake City truck accident attorney is free.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates an average of 500,000 truck accidents annually in the United States. Other sources estimate a lower number, between 140,000 to 160,000. From 2019 to 2021, there were 323 serious truck accidents in Utah. Of those, 232 were severe injury crashes, and 91 were fatal truck accidents.
The value of your truck accident case depends on many different factors. To accurately estimate the value of your claim, your attorney will consider the following:
Our Salt Lake City truck accident lawyers will assess the value of your damages in light of these factors.
Truck accident victims can recover compensation in the form of compensatory damages, which are intended to compensate victims for the tangible and intangible losses they suffer from an accident. These damages are commonly called economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages relate to the monetary impacts of an accident. Medical bills, property damage, lost wages, decreased earning potential, and transportation costs are all economic damages. Calculating economic damages is usually straightforward. Your attorney will review your medical bills, repair invoices, and other documentation to calculate your economic damages. Anticipated costs, such as decreased earning potential or long-term medical costs, are less straightforward and could be more susceptible to challenges by the opposing party.
Non-economic damages relate to the intangible impacts of an accident. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of companionship, loss of consortium, diminished quality of life, and scarring or disfigurement are all non-economic damages. Calculating non-economic damages is not as straightforward, as they aren’t related to specific transactions. Attorneys may use certain formulas to calculate non-economic damages, such as multiplying your economic damages by a factor of one to three or assigning a value to each day you suffered because of your injuries. Our Salt Lake City truck accident attorneys will seek compensation for all your economic and non-economic damages.
Truck accident lawyers take cases on a contingency fee basis, like most personal injury lawyers. Contingency fees are only paid if the attorney succeeds in recovering compensation for their client. You never have to pay legal fees upfront under this fee structure. The attorney collects the fee from the settlement or verdict award and any other outstanding costs before distributing the remainder to the client. Contingency fees are usually between 30% and 40%. The rate may depend on location, the attorney’s experience level, the case’s complexity, and whether the case goes to trial. Your attorney should explain their contingency fee rates at the beginning of the representation. Remember, there may be other costs associated with your truck accident case, such as court filing fees and expert witness fees. Your attorney may advance these costs on your behalf and reimburse them later from the ultimate compensation award.
If the defendant claims that you were partly responsible for the accident, it could reduce your compensation or prohibit you from any financial recovery. Utah has a modified comparative negligence law that prohibits an individual from recovering compensation if they were 50% or more at fault for an accident. If you are found to be 49% or less at fault, you can still recover compensation, but your compensation will be reduced accordingly. For example, if you suffered $100,000 in damages in a truck accident, but you are found to be 30% at fault in the accident, then you can only recover up to $70,000—or 70% of your damages. Our attorneys will fight to defend you from undue claims of shared fault.
Truck accidents can cause moderate to severe injuries, including:
At Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ll help you pursue compensation for all of your truck accident injuries.
According to the Utah Department of Transportation, about 75% of those accidents were caused by the passenger vehicle driver, but 25% were caused by truck driver error. Common driver errors that lead to a truck accident include:
Other common causes that don’t relate to driver error include extreme weather conditions, road conditions, and mechanical issues. Our Salt Lake City truck accident lawyers will review the causes of your accident to determine liability.
To recover compensation for your truck accident injuries, you must prove that the at-fault driver was negligent. In a legal context, negligence has four elements. You must prove each of the following by a” preponderance of the evidence”:
In addition, you may have to defend from claims that you were responsible for the accident.
You must file your lawsuit within four years of the accident in Utah. If your case is not filed on time, you will not be able to recover compensation through the courts. Utah has one of the longer deadlines for filing a personal injury lawsuit. However, this does not mean you should delay contacting an experienced truck accident lawyer. Contact an attorney early in the process to ensure that they can gather the necessary evidence and help you build your most robust case.
If you were injured in a truck accident in Salt Lake City, Utah, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries, property damage, and lost wages from the at-fault party. An experienced Salt Lake City truck accident attorney can help prove the at-fault party was negligent and fight for you to recover full compensation. At Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers, our Salt Lake City truck accident lawyers are ready to help you navigate the legal process. Contact our office online or at (801) 851-1202. to discuss your case with a member of our team. Your initial consultation is free.
Call 801-845-0440 to get in touch with a member of our firm after your accident. We can review your case for free!