Hays, KS Truck Accident Lawyers

Hurt in a truck wreck? Our Kansas personal injury attorneys can help

If you or someone you love was badly injured in a truck wreck with a tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler, semi or other large commercial vehicle, our lawyers can be your voice for justice. Bretz Injury Law has helped personal injury victims in Hays and all across Kansas win more than $300 million in settlements and verdicts. Find out what an experienced Hays attorney can do for you. Contact us today for your free consultation. Se habla Español.

Getting into an accident with an 18-wheeler is not only terrifying, it’s devastating. When a large commercial vehicle such as a tractor-trailer or semi-truck smashes into a car, it causes destruction, severe injury, and in some tragic cases – death. That’s because a fully loaded tractor-trailer can outweigh an average size car by more than 70,000 pounds.

Common causes of truck accidents include:

• Trucker was speeding
• Trucker was texting and driving or otherwise distracted
• Trucker was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Trucker was fatigued, drowsy, or asleep at the wheel
• Trucking company hired an inexperienced or unqualified driver
• Trucking company did not adequately maintain the tractor-trailer
• Truck’s trailer was not loaded properly
• Mechanical defects

When you’ve been badly injured in a truck accident, you’ll quickly realize how complicated it can be to get compensation for your damages. That’s because when you’re involved in a crash with a large commercial vehicle, you’re not just dealing with the truck driver. In many cases, you’ll have to jump through hoops and pursue a claim against the trucking company, the company that has insurance on the truck’s cab, the company that insures the trailer, or maybe even a third party that contributed to the crash.

At Bretz Injury Law, our Hays truck accident lawyers have the knowledge and experience to handle every aspect of your claim – no matter how straightforward or complex it may be – so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Let us fight for you and get the compensation you deserve.

Truck accident attorneys for every type of truck wreck

There are a lot of different ways to get into an accident with an 18-wheeler, but our dedicated truck accident lawyers have the experience to handle them all. Some of the most common types of truck accidents are:

• Rear-end collisions: Even at lower speeds, when the driver of a smaller car gets rear-ended by a tractor-trailer or semi, it often results in severe injury or death due to the massive size difference between the two vehicles. These types of crashes are often caused by distracted truckers, truckers driving too fast, overloaded trailers, poor maintenance, and mechanical defects.
• Underride accidents: Due to the extreme height of large commercial trucks, smaller cars can get crushed underneath an 18-wheeler’s trailer from the front, rear, or side of the truck. Underride collisions are often fatal because the truck’s trailer breaches the inside of the car and destroys everything in its path. This kind of accident can happen if a trucker pulls out into the path of an oncoming car, makes an improper turn, doesn’t merge or change lanes correctly, or if underride guards are missing/defective.
• Rollover accidents: Tanker trucks, tractor-trailers and other large commercial trucks have a high center of gravity and are prone to tipping over – often because of the reckless actions of a truck driver or trucking company. A rollover truck wreck can happen if the trailer wasn’t properly loaded or if the trucker applies the brakes too quickly, doesn’t slow down for a turn or curve, or doesn’t adjust their driving for the road conditions. Rollover accidents can also happen due to poor truck maintenance.
• Jackknife accidents: When the cab of an 18-wheeler and its trailer fold back in on each other it can form a 90-degree angle that resembles a jackknife. These types of accidents are usually the result of a trucker going over the speed limit or slamming on the brakes too fast and skidding out of control.
• Head-on collisions: Lane departure crashes between smaller vehicles can be tragic, but when they involve a tractor-trailer vs. a smaller car, there’s almost always fatal consequences. Sadly, many of these accidents could have been avoided if not for the negligent actions of an irresponsible truck driver or trucking company.

If you were injured or a loved one was killed in a crash with an 18-wheeler, contact our Hays law firm immediately. Our dedicated legal team can listen to what happened, answer your questions, explain your legal options, and help you figure out the best way to move your case forward.

Let a Hays truck accident lawyer hold them accountable

Whatever the details are of your truck accident, it’s important to remember that you have rights. Trucking companies have teams of attorneys looking out for the company’s best interests and will fight tooth and nail to protect their profits and squash your claim. That’s why you need someone on your side to be your voice and aggressively advocate for you.

Our Hays truck accident lawyers can conduct a thorough investigation into your crash to determine who caused your accident and who’s legally responsible for your damages. We know what evidence to look for and will leave no stone unturned to get you the highest amount of compensation possible. Best of all, you don’t have to pay us anything unless we win. That’s because we represent personal injury victims on a contingency fee basis.

Learn how Bretz Injury Law can help you. Contact us today for your free consultation or give our Hays office a call at (785) 655-6212.