Truck Accidents at the Crossroads of America
Vaughan & Vaughan will fight for your rights
Getting hit by a semi-truck can be one of the most violent and painful experiences of a person’s life.
A fully loaded 80,000-pound commercial truck going 65 mph down I-70 can cause serious damage if the driver is distracted, drowsy, intoxicated, or loses control of the vehicle.
Serious accidents call for substantial compensation. At Vaughan & Vaughan, one of Indiana’s oldest practicing law firms, that’s all we do. Our recent case results include $4.4 million for the victim of a truck trailer crash and over $1 million for another tractor-trailer accident.
If you were hit by a truck or another type of commercial vehicle you may have already heard from the insurance companies. They may have even already made you an offer.
Don’t take it.
Truck accidents are complicated due to the number of people and commercial businesses usually involved. They take time to properly investigate and to come to a full understanding of your losses and needs.
Common types of truck accidents include underride, jackknife, rollover, and T-bone.
Insurance companies know how expensive truck accident claims can be; most of them will try to settle with you before you can talk to a lawyer. They don’t want you to know that hiring an experienced, battle-tested Indianapolis attorney likely won’t cost you anything out of pocket.
Who is at fault?
Oftentimes, when a big rig accident happens there are more people at fault than just the trucker. At Vaughan & Vaughan we go after everyone who contributed to your injuries, including:
- Truck owners
- Cargo loaders
- Truck parts manufacturers
- Inspectors
- Third-party contractors
- Cargo owners
- And maintenance crews among others
Types of evidence
With all these employees, companies, and lawyers involved, if you don’t handle truck accident claims every day, it can be tough to keep things straight. Even people who know the law, like attorneys in other fields such as divorce or criminal defense, hire truck accident lawyers after an accident.
Vaughan & Vaughan has been investigating Indiana truck accidents for decades. We know the unique kinds of evidence available in a wreck with a semi-truck, and how to get it.
To build a strong case for you, our legal team collects information from accident reports, driver logs, toll receipts, black box recordings, loading dock records, driver histories, medical histories, witness statements, and time sheets, among many other sources.
Vaughan & Vaughan takes pride in the care we take with your claim. Our legal team uses tried-and-true methods to negotiate the best settlement possible for you. And if the insurance companies are being unreasonable, we are ready to bring them to court.
Attorney Charles V. Vaughan is certified in civil trial law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. This certification is rare and only awarded to experienced attorneys who have demonstrated skill and expertise in the courtroom. Certified attorneys have passed a rigorous testing process.
Dangerous highways
The risk of getting in a truck accident in Indy is higher than other Midwestern cities of its size.
Indianapolis is a major transportation hub. There are about a dozen major highways intersecting with the I-465 Loop. In the city, on I-70 alone, more than 160,000 vehicles travel the highway daily - about 10% of them are trucks.
When people call Indianapolis the “Crossroads of America,” they aren’t kidding. Among the interstate and US highways that run through Indianapolis are:
- I-65
- I-69
- I-70
- I-74
- US 31
- US 36
- US 40
- US 52
- US 67
- US 135
- US 136
- US 421
Large trucks are involved in anywhere between 120 and 150 fatal Indiana accidents per year.
Generations of results
Studies show time and again that accident victims who hire lawyers wind up with settlements and verdicts that are, on average, 3.5 times more than people who try to take on the insurance companies alone.
The insurance companies have lawyers, you should, too.
We understand that money is tight following a bad crash; that’s why our attorneys often represent people on contingency. This means, we won’t ask you for a retainer or charge you an hourly rate. Our fee is paid for by the insurance companies. We only get paid when we win.
Vaughan & Vaughan also offers free case consultations to accident victims. We can help you understand the full value of your claim and recovery needs. We are ready to hear from you today.