Seasoned, Effective Nashville-Area Trucking Accident Lawyer
A significant number of the most serious roadway accidents in the Nashville metro and across Tennessee—on back roads and streets as well as I-65, I-24 and I-40—involve 18-wheeler semi trucks and other commercial trucks. New federal rules allow truckers to work 14 hours a day for 5 straight days and to drive 10 of those hours each day. This brutal schedule contributes to driver fatigue, dangerous daydreaming and "sleepy driving." Federal rules also state that truck drivers cannot be "distracted." Despite this, truck drivers often eat, drink, operate computers, talk on cell phones, and believe it or not, urinate in bottles while driving on public highways. It's no wonder there are over 500,000 truck accidents per year.
The trucking industry sees itself as a target for injury lawsuits and you can often expect a no holds barred defense. In several cases I've handled, company representatives and even company lawyers came to the scene of a wreck to "collect evidence." They can also show up in a victim's hospital room. Obviously, they are there to represent themselves—not the injured victims.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a semi-tractor trailer collision, I can get reconstruction experts. professional photographers, investigators and myself to the scene right away—and that can make all the difference.
If you've been hurt in a trucking accident, it takes time—and financial resources—to recover physically and emotionally. To put my experience and determination to get results on your side, please contact me, attorney Robert L. Whitaker, today.
Here are a few examples of my successful trucking litigation track record:
- A $741,000 settlement for a passenger in a vehicle rear-ended by a tractor trailer
- A $500,000 settlement in a 1997 case involving a woman's collision with a detached trailer on I-40 in Nashville
- A $385,000 jury trial award for a driver who suffered a closed head injury in a truck rollover accident—the single highest jury verdict in Bedford County over a seven-plus-year period
- A $1.2 million dollar judgment in federal court against a national trucking company
- A $1.2 million dollar partial settlement of a tractor-trailer wreck, which led to a fatality. The case is still pending against another tractor-trailer company
Knowledge, Strategy, Skill and Connections to Handle Your Case
Due to the complexity of federal and state laws that apply to the long-haul trucking industry, and the nature of the business itself where owner-operators, leased drivers, independent contractors, sub-contractors and out-of-state carriers are common, the need for experienced legal representation is critical for the best results.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates the trucking industry and their rules for truckers can be found online at www.fmcsa.dot.gov. Because of these rules, several courts have found a "higher standard of care" for commercial truck drivers.
Trucking collisions frequently involve a number of regulatory violations, including:
- Violations of federal trucking regulations that may have contributed to your accident and injuries
- Driver negligence involving alcohol or drug use, inattentive or distracted driving.
- Inadequate truck maintenance
- Log-keeping irregularities that may indicate driver fatigue, or trucking companies' failure to conduct adequate background checks or otherwise properly prepare drivers
- Backup records irregularities that demonstrate inconsistencies and false log keeping entries (bills of lading and fuel stop receipts)
- Negligent company supervision arising from the failure to enforce regulations and company procedures and rules
I cannot be intimidated by large companies with extensive resources—and that matters in a trucking case, because larger carriers have deep pockets, see themselves as "lawsuit targets" and typically contest major insurance claims vigorously. For other basic points about trucking accidents, please visit our information center on this topic or my page on the causes.
You can depend on me—along with key expert connections— to work both the accident investigation and medical sides of your case diligently, in order to recover full compensation from all available sources. Our work together can begin with a free initial consultation, and you will owe no attorney fees at all unless I succeed in obtaining financial compensation for you.
