Have you ever been traveling behind or beside a truck and wondered about the security of its cargo?
Kentucky Shifting Loads Truck Wreck Lawyer
In the rush of daily life, most of us prefer not to question such things or think about what would happen if that load of lumber or cars came crashing down and spilled all over the road. Unfortunately, traffic accidents involving unsecured cargo or shifting loads are all too common in Kentucky and, like many truck accidents, can cause extraordinary loss and injuries.
When a truck is being loaded, it must be done carefully to ensure cargo is properly secured and can’t break free, because, in addition to spillage, a shift in weight can cause a truck to roll while turning, jackknife or cross into another lane. The result can be serious injuries to or death for motorists, passengers, and other people on the road. Survivors of these crashes may be left dealing with hospitalizations, surgery, pain and suffering, and mounting bills at a time they are unable to work.
If you or a loved one has been injured or someone has died in an unsecured truck load accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses through insurance or a lawsuit. However, Kentucky laws for personal injury are complicated, and trucking companies and their insurers and lawyers will attempt to get you to settle for the lowest amount possible. Going up against them is not something you should attempt on your own, but an experienced Kentucky truck accident lawyer can fight for your rights and a fair settlement.
Kentucky truck wreck lawyer Billy Johnson believes that those who cause harm to others should be held accountable for their actions. This includes paying compensation to accident victims for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, in the event of a fatal accident, wrongful death. Let Billy handle all legal hurdles involved with winning compensation that covers all your losses, so you can focus on recovering and putting your life back together.
Why Choose Our Trucking Injury Lawyer
There are many personal injury attorneys, but it is important to find one you can trust who also has the experience, skills, and resources to fight for the settlement you deserve. Here are some reasons why we feel you should choose the Johnson Law Firm:
- We are experienced. Attorney Billy Johnson is highly skilled and aggressive when going after the negligent parties and holding trucking companies, manufacturers and insurance companies accountable for the damage done. He has been helping victims of truck and car crashes since 1998.
- We get results, including a $24 million settlement in a recent truck wreck case on first day of trial.
- We are local and know Kentucky courts, judges and systems.
- We are compassionate and take a personal interest in each client. Billy Johnson gets to know your case inside out and works tirelessly for you. We have helped many satisfied clients, and you can read their testimonials here.
- We are respected for the work we do. Billy Johnson has been recognized by the following organizations:
- Super Lawyer
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers
- Instrument Rated Pilot
- We offer free consultations to get you started, and there are no fees to you unless and until we win your case.
How Our Unsecured Load Truck Accident Attorney Works for You
Cargo and trucking companies and their insurers have high-powered lawyers working to limit their financial losses. They may try to manage the accident scene to limit liability and even confront accident victims to get them to make statements that can be used against them. That is why it is so important to have a truck accident attorney working for you as soon as possible.
When you have the Johnson Law Firm on your side, we will start working for you immediately. We will:
- Meet with you to discuss the individual circumstances of your case, determine who the at-fault parties may be, and estimate what your case should be worth
- Investigate the accident and gather evidence such as videos and photos of the scene, vehicle damage and road condition; the truck’s black box information; the truck driver’s cellphone records; and past safety and hiring records for the cargo and trucking companies
- Interview witnesses and first responders
- Hire accident reconstruction experts, medical experts, and experts on the costs and effects of your injuries into the future
- Deal with insurance companies and aggressively negotiate for a fair settlement
- Take your case to court and advocate on your behalf if necessary.
Billy will be there for you at every stage of the legal process, from handling discovery, filing pretrial motions, presenting evidence and making closing arguments, to filing an appeal if appropriate.
How Shifting Loads Causes Accidents
Unsecured or loose loads can cause catastrophic accidents as other vehicles try to avoid the falling debris. Drivers who successfully maneuver their cars to miss an item that fell off of a truck may lose control or strike another vehicle while other drivers simply cannot get out of the way fast enough. Loose freight can also drop from trucks and smash through a car’s windshield, injuring or killing the people inside. In addition to loads that are not properly secured, loads inside trucks can shift, resulting in an unbalanced trailer. If the center of gravity is even slightly off, the truck driver can lose control and the whole rig can topple over. This makes trucks with weight violations a danger not only to truck drivers, but also to anyone in their path on the road.
Compensation Our Kentucky Truck Accident Attorney May Recover
After a truck accident that was not your fault, Billy Johnson will fight for a settlement that provides payment the for your damages – the physical, emotional and financial losses that resulted from the crash. These may include both economic damages for calculable monetary losses, such as medical bills, lost wages and property damage, and non-economic damages for less tangible losses that do not have a specific dollar value but negatively impact your life, such as physical and emotional pain and suffering, loss of consortium and wrongful death.
Proving Negligence for a Truck Accident
To win your case, our attorneys would have to prove that another party (the defendant in the case) was negligent and at fault for causing the accident. To prove negligence, our legal team would have to demonstrate the existence of the following factors:
- Duty — The defendant owed you a duty of reasonable care not to cause harm.
- Breach — The defendant breached this duty by actions or failure to act.
- Cause — This breach caused the accident.
- Damages — You suffered injuries and damages as a result.
Who is Responsible for an Unsecured Load Crash?
There are a number of parties in the freight distribution chain that may be responsible for wrecks involving 18-wheelers, flatbed trucks, box trucks and other commercial vehicles that were improperly loaded or secured. It begins with the shipper – the people on the loading dock who put the cargo on the truck — and includes the consideration of factors such as the type of cargo being transported, the type of truck being used and the weight the truck is able to carry. The truck driver also has a duty to inspect the load before every trip, while the trucking company is bound by specific federal Department of Transportation rules for loading, stacking, balancing and tying down freight.
Any of these parties may have been negligent and thus can be held liable for damages if an improperly secured load led to a crash.
Get Help from Our Kentucky Trucking Accident Lawyer
A KENTUCKY TRUCK WRECK LAWYER KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUILDING A LEGAL CLAIM.
If a truck with an unsecured or unbalanced load caused an injury or death in your family, the Johnson Law Firm can help. Our Pikeville personal injury lawyers handle truck wreck cases in Eastern Kentucky and statewide. We have the experience and resolve to hold freight carriers accountable, and we know how to identify as many potential defendants as possible in order to ensure a thorough recovery.
Attorney Billy Johnson has decades of legal experience helping families just like yours. He knows the ins and outs of a courtroom, and he has successfully secured settlements and jury awards on behalf of his clients across Kentucky. He will aggressively fight for your rights and seek the financial compensation you deserve.
We work on contingency, which means we get paid only when you get paid. Call the Johnson Law Firm at 606-437-4488 today for a free, no-obligation consultation, so we can get started working on your behalf while evidence is fresh and witnesses can be found.
Get Help Now 606-437-4488
Attorney Billy Johnson
William “Billy” Johnson grew up in the Dorton area of Pike County, Kentucky, and early on decided to stay in the beautiful Appalachian mountains. Like many others in Eastern Kentucky, Billy’s dad worked as a coal miner, a hard job but one that taught his son how to meet challenges head on and persevere. Attorney Billy Johnson has years of experience helping injured clients with claims such as car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, wrongful deaths, work injuries, and more. [ Attorney Bio ]
