Jackknife truck accidents in Albuquerque bring specific challenges for victims that can affect their ability to find financial relief. Chances are, you are facing severe injuries purely based on the severity of a jackknife collision—a type of crash where the front cab of a truck and its attached trailer fold at an acute angle, resembling a folding pocket knife.
They often result in many victims and catastrophic injuries, which can make it that much harder for individuals to get the relief they need for medical bills, lost wages, and more. That is why it is critical to hire an experienced Albuquerque car crash attorney from the beginning. Rather than getting lost in the shuffle with insurance and trucking companies, a NMAF truck crash attorney can ensure that you receive the attention and financial compensation you deserve to help you heal.
Jackknife truck accidents are often caused by losing traction or control, leading to the trailer swinging outward while the cab continues forward or suddenly brakes. Jackknife truck accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, like sudden braking, slippery roads, driver error, equipment failure, or unevenly distributed or unsecured cargo in the trailer. Because of the wide impact of a swinging trailer, it often results in catastrophic injuries for thise involved. Spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries are some of the most common impairments and often require long-term medical treatment outside Albuquerque. This means an injured person must travel to neighboring metropolitan areas to get the care they need, adding to their financial impact.
On top of serious health issues, victims face a host of other challenges pursuing jackknife truck crash claims in Albuquerque. One of the trickiest aspects of pursuing compensation is interacting with company attorneys.
Jackknife truck accidents are common in Albuquerque because of unique roadway conditions, such as frequent construction and busy highways that see interstate commercial trucking coming into contact with local drivers. That is why jackknife truck crashes often involve many parties, such as insurance and trucking companies based in other states. Those companies employ teams of lawyers who are experienced in reducing victim payouts by shifting the blame to other parties or disputing the extent of injuries.
As such, victims often face delays, lowball settlements, or even outright denial of their claims. Our lawyers can identify the methods companies might use to take advantage of victims’ lack of legal knowledge and use that to build a strong case.
Company attorneys often try to use comparative negligence to their advantage, arguing that an injured person was more at fault than the trucker. An experienced car crash attorney often knows this and can act quickly to collect important evidence from trucking logs or black box records, revealing the actions truck drivers took leading up to the crash. They can also request surveillance footage from roadways or private businesses before the footage is overwritten or lost.
On top of working with company lawyers, an injured person must keep in mind legal parameters for filing claims. New Mexico has a three-year deadline to file claims for injuries and a four-year deadline to seek property damage. Additionally, New Mexico is a pure comparative negligence state, meaning courts reduce financial payouts based on someone’s percentage of fault.
Suppose that a victim is entitled to receive $100,000 from a company, but the court finds the victim 25 percent at fault. The court would then reduce the victim’s compensation to $75,000. When someone is trying to heal after a jackknife truck crash in Albuquerque, a long and difficult legal process is the last thing they should face. That’s how a seasoned, local attorney could help.
When you hire an attorney following a jackknife truck accident in Albuquerque, you are setting yourself up for the best possible outcome to offset your medical and financial injuries. NMAF attorneys can identify the right parties to file claims against, gather the best evidence, seek timely responses from insurance and trucking companies, hire the right expert witnesses, and keep track of all the legal deadlines.
Having a confident local lawyer in your corner can make all the difference in how you experience the aftermath of a jackknife truck accident. You have already suffered enough. It is time to let someone else help you. Give yourself peace of mind and schedule a free consultation with our attorneys today.