Chattanooga Truck Rollover Accident Attorneys

What Damages Can I Recover for Truck Rollover Accident Injuries?

You should not have to worry about how you and your family will cover the exorbitant medical bills that come with your injuries. Fortunately, taking legal action allows you to obtain compensation for these and other calculable, out-of-pocket expenses. You can also secure compensation for the intangible consequences linked to your injuries. Punitive damages are rare but can be awarded in situations where a defendant acted fraudulently, maliciously, intentionally, or especially recklessly.

Our Chattanooga truck rollover accident lawyers will make every effort to get you full compensation for all losses, including:

• Past, current, and future medical expenses
• Ongoing or permanent disability
• Lost wages and earning capacity
• Property damage
• Loss of consortium
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish

Our team at The Hamilton Firm wants to hear your story and help you recover the compensation you deserve. If your injuries are keeping you from coming to us, we will come to you, so call (423) 454-3288 or contact us online today.

Truck Rollover Accidents, Explained

When you picture a truck rollover, you may imagine a truck flipping one or more times at aggressively high speeds. While these types of accidents can and do happen, it is important to acknowledge that a rollover can also consist of a truck simply overturning. This alone can cause devastating injuries and damage, especially if nearby cars do not have enough time to stop or navigate away from the wreckage. 

The size and weight of large trucks afford them a less stable center of gravity, increasing the likelihood of a rollover compared to smaller vehicles. The wrong move at the wrong time can trigger a rollover, though in some cases, the factors contributing to a rollover may be outside the driver’s control. 

Common causes of truck rollover accidents include:

• Speeding excessively. Driving too fast on a curved road can cause a truck to lose its balance and start a rollover.
• Improper turning. Turns must always be navigated carefully. Attempting a turn too fast or misjudging the sharpness of a turn can cause the truck to roll over or jackknife. 
• Underinflated tires or a tire blowout. If a particular tire is underinflated, it will upset the balance of the truck, increasing the possibility of a rollover. A blowout will typically cause the driver to lose control, sending the vehicle careening and potentially into a rollover.
• Improper cargo loading. A truck’s cargo must be loaded and secured correctly to avoid balance issues that will make a truck difficult to reliably control. 
• Equipment failure. If the truck’s braking or suspension system fails at an inopportune moment, the truck driver will not be able to control the vehicle, which may consequently turn and roll over. 
• Driving while intoxicated. A truck driver operating their vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is far more likely to drive recklessly and make critical errors.
• Driving while fatigued. Similarly, driving without adequate rest can lead to a truck driver losing focus and becoming more prone to mistakes.
• Distracted driving. When a truck driver’s complete attention is not on the road, they are less able to recognize hazards and safely assess turns and their speed. 

Who Is Liable for a Truck Rollover Accident?

Our Chattanooga truck rollover accident attorneys can help you sort through the layers of ownership and insurance coverage that can frequently make determining who is liable for these wrecks challenging. More than one party may be at fault depending on the cause of the accident, and we will conduct an exhaustive, prompt investigation to determine who needs to be held accountable through legal action. That will include taking steps to preserve all evidence, data, and records as well as interviewing police officers, witnesses, and emergency response personnel as necessary. 

Depending on the circumstances, one or more of the following parties may be liable for a truck rollover accident:

• The truck driver
• The trucking company or broker
• The owner of the truck
• The shipper or warehouse involved in the cargo loading
• The truck or vehicle component manufacturer 
• Parties responsible for vehicle maintenance, repairs, and inspections
• Insurance companies for various parties

What Is the Deadline for Filing a Truck Rollover Accident Lawsuit?

The amount of time you have to take legal action against at-fault parties for a rollover accident is dependent on where the crash took place. Each state enforces a statute of limitations for bringing these claims. 

Tennessee’s statute of limitations for truck rollover accidents is only one year from the date of the collision. In Georgia and Alabama, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the rollover accident.

Truck rollover accidents are among the most consistently deadly types of crashes, and fatal injuries are distressingly common. If someone you love perished due to injuries sustained in one of these accidents, you will have one year from the date they passed away to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Tennessee (assuming you have the standing to bring a claim). Parties with standing in Georgia and Alabama have two years from the date of a victim’s death to bring claims.