Truck Accidents in an Intersection

In intersection accident with an 18-wheeler often results in severe, and sometimes life-threatening, injuries. Trucks may barrel through an intersection and collide with someone, or they make a wide turn and hit another car head-on. No matter how the wreck happens, an intersection crash with a semi-truck is almost always serious.

If you have been injured in an intersection accident with a semi-truck, you have legal options. At Auger & Auger Accident and Injury Lawyers, we represent truck accident victims throughout the Southeast. We know what it takes to get the compensation you deserve. Trucking companies and their insurance providers will do everything they can to take the blame off themselves and payout as little as possible.

We’ll fight for your rights to compensation for your injuries, property damage, lost wages, and more. Give us a call at (855) 969-5624 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a truck accident lawyer today.

Who Is at Fault in an Intersection Accident with an 18-Wheeler?

Determining who is at fault in an intersection accident can be difficult. Signage isn’t always clear, and right-of-way may not be clearly established. For example, if you come to a four-way stop and a truck is waiting to proceed through the intersection, they may do so without taking the time to make sure it’s their turn. They might be under a tight deadline, or they may not see other drivers at the intersection.

Another common cause of intersection accidents with big trucks is wide turns. Semi-trucks need a lot of room to turn, especially if they’re turning right. If there’s another vehicle at the intersection, the truck driver may miscalculate how much room they have. This could lead to a head-on collision or a sideswipe.

In other cases, a truck driver may be approaching an intersection, and the light suddenly turns yellow. By the time the truck is crossing through the intersection, they are doing so under a red light, but they didn’t have enough time and space to stop. As such, they may collide with another vehicle that is lawfully crossing the intersection, causing a T-bone accident.

In many of these and other intersection crashes, the truck driver is at fault. They may drive negligently, might not be paying attention, or could be driving drowsy, which affects their response time. In some cases, however, another party may be at fault.

If the driver wasn’t qualified to drive a truck or didn’t receive proper training, the trucking company may be held at fault. If a mechanical failure caused the wreck, the party responsible for maintenance might be to blame; or, the manufacturer of the truck part may be to blame.

Negligence in an Intersection Accident

No matter the situation, in order to seek the compensation you must be able to show that the person who caused the wreck either did so intentionally or, much more likely, acted negligently. Legally speaking, negligence occurs when a person acts in a way that a reasonable person wouldn’t in the same situation, and therefore causes injury.

In order to show negligence, you must prove that:

The person responsible had a duty of care to you, whether that’s the duty to drive safely or to maintain a truck so it operates safely
That person breached their duty of care in some way that would have caused foreseeable issues, like driving drowsy or creating a faulty truck part
You were directly injured by the actions of the at-fault party, meaning your injuries were a direct result of the intersection crash
You suffered real damages, such as lost wages and medical bills

In some states, you can still recover compensation after a wreck, even if you are partially at fault. However, every state has different laws about this. As such, it’s important to speak with an experienced truck accident lawyer about your legal options after a wreck.

Getting Compensation After a Truck Accident in an Intersection

If the truck driver or another party was found at fault for the wreck, their insurance company may send you a settlement offer. In the letter accompanying this offer, they may explain why they sent you a certain amount, and make it sound like it’s the best offer you’ll get — even if it’s far less than what you deserve. They do this because they know you’ll likely be in need of the money and won’t want to take time to fight for more compensation.

Once you accept the settlement offer, you forfeit your right to seek more compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. So before you accept any offer, speak to an experienced truck accident lawyer. During your free consultation at Auger & Auger, we’ll review the details of your case to determine how much compensation you may actually be owed. In some cases, the insurance company actually sends a fair amount. If this is the case, we’ll let you know.

But in a lot of cases, we know you deserve greater compensation for your losses. We’ll review your case and help you seek compensation for all of the losses you may have suffered, such as:

Pain and suffering
Past and future medical and rehabilitation costs
Property damage
Lost wages
Disability and/or disfigurement
Loss of enjoyment in life
Out-of-pocket expenses
Wrongful death
And more

Auger & Auger Accident and Injury Lawyers represent injury victims in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. We are intimately familiar with the laws in each of these states that dictate how much compensation you can recover, and the process for doing so. We have over 26 years of experience representing victims of intersection accidents with big trucks.

Give us a call at (855) 969-5624 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a truck accident lawyer today.