Clackamas Truck Accident Attorneys

Attentive Representation for Tractor-Trailer Accident Lawsuits

Trucking companies do what they can to avoid any liability when a trucker causes a motor vehicle accident. To pursue the compensation you deserve, you will need to do what you can in return to create a powerful personal injury claim or lawsuit. We recommend you start by picking up the phone, dialing 503-594-4944, and speaking with the Portland & Clackamas truck accident lawyers of The Gatti Law Firm.

For more than 45 years, we have been helping locals deal with complicated truck accident cases. Where other law firms might shy away, we proudly march forward in the name of our clients. You should be given every penny of compensation you need, especially when it is a large corporation attempting to avoid paying a fair share. Our goal is to ensure that happens.

Please contact us online and ask for a free consultation.

Truck Driver Mistakes That Cause Accidents

At the root of many truck accidents are the mistakes of the truck drivers involved. They have massive vehicles that require the utmost attention and skill to drive safely. The slightest error can result in a catastrophic accident that leaves people in smaller vehicles in dire straits.

Truck driver mistakes that commonly cause crashes include:

• Driving while tired: Truck driver exhaustion is a serious hazard to everyone on the road. Truckers can legally drive for 11 hours in a 14-hour shift. Many truck drivers feel completely fatigued towards the end of their routes, and fatigued driving has been compared to drunk driving. To make things worse, some truckers will use stimulants to stay awake, but exhaustion is amplified once they wear off.
• Speeding: To end a route sooner and avoid exhaustion, some truck drivers are tempted into illegally speeding. Truck drivers are commonly paid per mile driven, not per hour worked. Due to this wrinkle in their employment contracts, some speed to cover more ground and earn higher paychecks within the same 14-hour shifts.
• Overloading the trailer: An overloaded trailer can be the direct cause of a truck accident. Top-heavy trailers are prone to tipping over. Loosely secured cargo on a flatbed can fall right off, striking cars behind the truck.
• Not checking blind spots: Tractor-trailers have multiple blind spots that are much, much bigger than those of an average vehicle. Truck drivers who fail to check these blind spots as best they can and give cars time to move out of the way can cause a truck accident.

Can the Trucking Company Pay Your Damages?

Trucking companies can sometimes be held accountable for truck accidents if the trucker was their employee, not an independent contractor. Employers can be liable for the harm caused by their employees through the legal rule of respondeat superior.

Furthermore, a trucking company can be directly liable for an accident if it has used unreasonable policies that contribute to the risk of a crash occurring. For example, if a trucking company hired a driver without conducting any background check, and that trucker is found to not have a commercial driver’s license after causing a crash, then the trucking company could be on the line for paying the damages.

Trucking Companies Know Our Name – Call Today

The Gatti Law Firm offers comprehensive and supportive truck accident representation to clients in Clackamas and Portland, Oregon. We’re here to make your life easier if you need to take on a trucking company and/or the insurance company that should be paying out their policy. With extensive experience managing some of the most complicated cases on recent records, our attorneys are more than ready to see what your case needs to succeed.

Call us at 503-594-4944 the moment you need us.