There are over 1,000 traffic accidents caused by trucks in Nebraska every year. Many of them take place on I-80, N-2 or N-17. In most cases, it is the people in passenger cars that suffer the most, which is not surprising since a fully-loaded truck can weigh up to 20 times more than a family car. Dozens of Nebraska residents are killed in such accidents each year, while thousands are injured, some of them seriously. If you or a loved one were recently involved in such a crash, you need to get in touch with an experienced Nebraska truck accident lawyer right away. If you leave it to your insurer or that of the truck company, that’s a mistake that may cost you dearly.Soon after a truck accident, you may be surprised to receive a call from the trucking company’s insurer. How nice of them to ask about your health! Actually, that initial call is not about you, it’s about them protecting their interests.Their biggest fear is that you might decide to file a lawsuit against the trucking company itself. Don’t tell them anything at this point. Keep in mind that any detail you give them could be used later on to minimize the value of your claim. Let them know instead that your truck accident lawyer in Omaha will be in touch.Why do you need a lawyer? Because you want an independent review of the accident. Your lawyers will obviously start by looking at the official police report. This will state what happened, what sort of accident it was - a rear-end collision, a truck rollover, a runaway trailer, etc. It is the job of your lawyers to establish what caused the accident.

Upclose shot of semi-truck tires; image by Milan DeGraeve, via Unsplash.com.

Many truck accidents are caused by distracted drivers and they bear full responsibility for the crash. However, there are other cases where the accidents were caused by the fact that the driver was exhausted or lacked the necessary qualification. If that is the case, then it’s the company that should be held accountable. You’ll need a skilled lawyer with extensive knowledge of federal and state truck laws. Interstate truckers need to follow federal road safety regulations, but intrastate trucks, which operate strictly in the state of Nebraska, should obey local regulations concerning the number of hours they can work in one shift. Your lawyers will examine the driver’s log to see whether they were in compliance with safety regulations. If it is discovered that the trucking company directly or indirectly encouraged the driver to ignore safety regulations and keep driving when they should have been resting, you can file a claim against the company.Likewise, if the driver did not have the required commercial driver’s license, it is the company that should be held accountable. Another important part of the investigation concerns mechanical errors or improper loading problems that may have led to the accident. The trucking company is responsible for the good maintenance of their vehicles so they are the ones who need to pay if the crash that ruined your life was caused by a malfunction.Bottom line, this is what all the call you got from the insurance company was about. They want to know if you’re going to settle cheap or you intend to hire an attorney to fight for your rights.