Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Auto Accident Lawyer Salt Lake City UT

Aggressive driving is a common factor in traffic accidents in Utah and across America. In fact, one study from the American Automobile Association (AAA), which used information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatal Accident Report System (FARS), had found that aggressive driving to be a factor in as many as 56 percent of all U.S. car crashes in a five-year period. What do these statistics mean for non-aggressive drivers, and what can victims do after an accident has occurred? The following explains. For more detailed information and assistance if you have been injured in a crash, contact an auto accident lawyer Salt Lake City UT victims turn to from Rasmussen & Miner.

What Constitutes Aggressive Driving?

Most people see the terms “aggressive driving” and “road rage” as synonymous, but road rage is actually a form of aggressive driving – one of the more concerning displays of it. Other forms of aggressive driving include:

• Speeding
• Tailgating
• Racing
• Improper lane changes
• Driving on the shoulder
• Driving in the ditch
• Driving in the median
• Passing where prohibited
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Failure to signal
• Driving too fast for road conditions
• Improper turns
• Reckless or erratic handling of a vehicle
• Failure to obey traffic signs or controls
• Failure to observe warnings or instructions

All these maneuvers and behaviors may place the driver and other road users at risk for an accident. If one does occur, aggressive drivers may be held liable for the injuries or damages experienced by victims.

Your Right to Pursue Compensation

Victims who are injured in aggressive driving accidents have the right to pursue compensation from the negligent driver’s insurance. Unfortunately, what victims may not know is that insurance companies typically do everything they can to eliminate a payout. If they cannot deny the claim, the insurance company may then use a variety of strategies to reduce the victim’s settlement amount. This is why car accident victims should retain the services of a Salt Lake City UT auto accident lawyer for assistance. Examples of these tactics can include:

• Searching for fault with the victim
• Delaying the process to coerce the victim into settling
• Making an early offer before the victim consults an attorney

To prevent such issues, victims should know and understand their rights, including their rights to hire an attorney and pursue full and fair compensation for the injuries they have experienced.

Commercial Vehicle Accidents

While most commercial drivers operate their vehicles safely, a percentage of serious accidents result from negligence on the part of a driver or from contributing factors such as company policies that encourage their drivers to take risks in order to deliver products on time.

At the law office of Rasmussen & Miner in Salt Lake City, our lawyers serve as advocates for people injured in accidents caused by commercial vehicles. We will protect your interests and hold the commercial driver and their employer accountable for the full damages you have suffered.

What is a Commercial Vehicle?

Generally, all vehicles are considered a “commercial vehicle” when it is titled or registered to a company. Vehicles that are designed to carry more than 16 passengers are considered a commercial vehicle.

Examples of commercial vehicles include some types of vans and semi-trucks, buses, trains, taxis, coaches, trailers.

Was the Driver’s Employer at Fault?

Commercial drivers include not only delivery vehicles and couriers, but also business people who rent cars while on company business. Employers may be responsible for their employee’s actions, even if the employee was driving his or her own vehicle.

An example of employer responsibility is Domino’s Pizza promising delivery within 30 minutes, or the pizza was free. By encouraging its employees to drive fast, Dominoes placed other people at risk. People injured by Domino’s drivers recovered millions of dollars in damages.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

Commercial drivers are required to carry large insurance policies. As a result, if you are injured in a commercial vehicle accident that was not your fault, there will be a significant amount of insurance to cover your damages. However, insurance companies will not pay this money willingly.

Insurance companies typically offer you only a portion of the money you may actually be due for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, disability, and other losses. The adjuster will also pressure you to settle early — perhaps before the full extent of your disability is even known.

Before you sign anything or make any statement, you should get the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney.

Our Accident Law Firm Can Help

Do not let the insurance companies take advantage of your situation. Contact Rasmussen & Miner instead. Our firm has decades of legal and trial experience that we bring to every single case we take. Contact our office to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation with a Salt Lake City UT auto accident lawyer who has the knowledge and skills that are needed to ensure you are effectively represented. We protect your rights, best interests, and financial future by aggressively pursuing the most favorable outcome possible. Get started by calling our office today.