Truck Accident Lawyers

Truck Accident Lawyers for Personal Injury Claims

What Makes Truck Accidents Different?
Thomson Rogers understands personal injury cases involving trucks. We know that truck cases are different than other vehicular crashes, in at least three ways:


1. The injuries are frequently more severe, so accident victims require significant and intensive rehabilitation support.
The first thing that makes large commercial truck crashes (these trucks are also called tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, or big-rigs) different from other motor vehicle collisions is the severity of the injuries they create. A typical car weighs 4,000 pounds. Large commercial trucks can top out at 80,000 pounds, when you consider both the load and the truck itself. This difference in size can be life altering.

One in five road crashes in Ontario involves a large commercial transport truck. According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), 266 fatal crashes between 2012 and 2016 involved transport trucks and 330 people died in these incidents. We understand that when a large commercial truck is involved in a crash, it’s typically people in the other vehicle who suffer most.


2. Proving the driver and truck owner at fault can require significantly more due diligence, as there are a greater number of issues which can cause truck collisions.
The second thing that makes large commercial truck crashes different is how complex it can be to prove the truck driver and/or owner is at fault. Of course, familiar issues such as unsafe driving, driving under the influence, and driving while texting may be factors. However, large commercial trucks regularly have mechanical problems other vehicles don’t. These issues include defective hitches, poorly maintained tires, unsecured loads, and more. Driver fatigue is another major issue, partly due to the tight delivery schedules commercial truck drivers must follow. It’s common for large commercial truck crashes to have multiple issues that require thorough investigation and swift action to ensure that all possible evidence is obtained before the truck involved is repaired or written-off. The right experts are then required to analyse both the mechanical and human factors that may have caused the collision.


3. The employment of the driver, the ownership of the commercial truck and trailer, as well as the different regulations and insurance policies involved make truck involved personal injury cases complex. Only highly skilled lawyers can maximize your recovery.
The third thing that makes large commercial truck crashes different is the complexity of the litigation. Put simply, multiple parties in addition to the driver may have some responsibility for the crash. Who owns the truck? Who owns the trailer or the load? What company was operating the truck? Who was responsible for performing maintenance on it? Who was responsible for securing the load? Each of these parties may have their own interests, their own lawyer, their own insurance and may be partially or fully at fault. Navigating these issues is a highly technical and demanding task that ought to be left only to skilled and experienced truck accident lawyers.

What You Need to Know If You Have Been Injured by a Truck

Truck accident victims are entitled to compulsory Accident Benefits through their own insurance (or from the truck driver’s insurance if the injured person does not have auto insurance). These benefits are extremely important right after the accident as they will help pay for the treatment and care victims need when they are released from hospital. Thomson Rogers will navigate the complex accident benefits claims process on your behalf, to help ensure you make the best recovery possible.

You may also have the right to sue the driver, the trucking company and others. You may be entitled to additional compensation for your medical costs, pain and suffering, income loss, care costs, home maintenance expenses, out of pocket expenses, and more.

Because of the complex liability issues associated with large commercial truck crashes, there may be more money available to you than might initially be apparent. The company that owns the truck may have commercial liability insurance, a general liability policy, and an umbrella policy, for example.

Thomson Rogers understands how these policies interact so that we can maximise your compensation. If the company doesn’t have enough insurance to make you whole, we will pursue the defendants corporately and personally.

In addition to seeking compensation, you must maximize your chances of a physical recovery to get your old life back. This could involve physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthopaedic surgeons, speech language pathologists, neurocognitive therapists, chiropractors, and other specialists such as case managers. We work with the best health care providers in the province and will arrange the best rehabilitation team for you.

Why Choose Thomson Rogers for Your Truck Accident Case

We are experienced in navigating these difficult cases. We have been doing this work for over 80 years.

When it comes to large commercial truck crashes, you need a law firm with experience, skill and tenacity. Thomson Rogers will do all the extra legwork from the very start to ensure you can prove who is responsible for your injuries and ensure all possible parties and insurers are involved. We will retain the right experts to prove your case and to help you recover. We will go all the way to trial if that is required to get full and fair compensation for you.

We do not represent or defend the interests of auto insurance companies in personal injury claims, so you can count on us.

A leader in personal injury law for over 80 years, call us for a free consultation at 416-868-3100 or 1-888-223-0448.