Every day, thousands of large commercial trucks travel in and through Alabama. Although the 18-wheelers provide an important role in our economy, they also pose serious risks to unsuspecting drivers and passengers who share the road with them. Car accidents often have minor injuries that heal in a short period of time. Truck accidents rarely have minor injuries, and often cause death or serious brain, spinal cord, or bone injuries.
Causes of Alabama Truck Accidents
Many trucking companies do a good job maintaining their trucks and training their drivers. Unfortunately, many truck drivers and their companies still are negligent and cause accidents by:
- Driving Drunk
- Driver Error
- Poor truck maintenance
- Driver fatigue
- Other Causes
Contributory Negligence and Fault in Alabama Truck Accidents
Alabama is one of only five contributory negligence states. The other four states include, the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia.
In contributory negligence states, the injured party who is found to have contributed to the accident cannot recover for any of their injuries. This means that if you are partially at fault for the accident, you will not recover anything in your case. Passengers in your car can recover against the negligent truck driver if they are injured, but cannot normally recover against you for negligence because of the Alabama guest passenger statute.
Talk with a Huntsville Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a family member have been seriously injured or killed in a truck accident in Alabama, you might be owed compensation. The attorneys at Ferguson & Ferguson can investigate your case, and determine what compensation you might be entitled to recover in your case. If you need help with an Alabama truck accident case, call (256)534-3435 now. Alternatively, if you need a lawyer, who is specialized in truck accidents, but you live in the state of Texas then maybe you could try Thomas J. Henry, to support you through this case. Wherever you live it’s best to find the best and the most specialized lawyer in your area to help get you the most support throughout this difficult time.