While Alabamans and people across the nation might equate the dangers of a truck accident with people in smaller vehicles being injured and killed in a crash with a semi, truckers are also in frequent danger simply by doing the job. Some jobs are riskier than others and those in the transportation industry face potential problems whenever they head out on the road. After an accident, those who are injured or lose a loved one will seek compensation for what they have lost. This requires dealing with an insurance provider. However, what if the claims do not fit in with the accident?
Since Alabama is one of the seven states that pose the greatest potential danger to truckers, insurers should be prepared for inevitable claims and defend against them if they are inaccurate or outright wrong. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 2.4 percent of road deaths involve truckers. However, some states have a much higher percentage. Alabama is at 3.6 percent of road fatalities.
Truckers believe that Alabama’s central location might be a factor in the high number of accidents and fatalities. Drivers going on more extensive runs will likely have fatigue when they are at the near-midpoint. Since truckers are limited to 11 hours on the road, Alabama is in a spot where drivers will be nearing the end of those 11 hours if they started from most states that ship goods across the nation. Logging trucks are cited as a danger in Alabama. Since loggers will be working in areas that are on the sides of roads, the vehicles might seemingly appear from nowhere and turn in front of trucks. With the speeds trucks travel, the distances they go, and the chances of distraction or outright complacency, it can be hard to avoid these vehicles and there might be a crash.
After a transportation accident, people will want to receive compensation for medical costs, lost wages and more. However, simply because there was an accident does not mean that the person is entitled to compensation. A truck company that is blamed for driver error or other cause of a crash might not be responsible and its insurer should not be made to pay. Whether it is due to injuries, fatalities, property damage or for any other reason, having a law firm that can defend an insurer is critical. Calling for insurance defense is a wise step for a company after there has been an incident.
