Indianapolis Car Carrier Trailer Accident Lawyer

Indianapolis Car Carrier Trailer Accident Lawyer

Car carrier tractor-trailers represent a unique threat on Indiana highways because of their weight and unwieldy nature when loaded. Car carriers may be configured as flatbed single-level carriers or as multilevel carriers with open and/or enclosed options.

When a car carrier crashes, there are likely to be multiple serious injuries from the initial impact and due to cars spilling from the trailer. The truck accident attorneys of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC, have extensive experience seeking compensation for injured victims of large truck crashes, including crashes involving car carriers. We have successfully handled hundreds of legal claims pertaining to commercial vehicle accidents in Indianapolis, Batesville, Richmond, Fort Wayne, and throughout Indiana.

If you have been injured in an accident involving a car hauler truck in Indiana, contact a car carrier truck accident lawyer at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC now for a free consultation about your legal options. We aggressively protect accident victims and work to help them recover full compensation for their losses.

What To Do Right After a Car Carrier Trailer Accident?

It is not unusual for trucking companies to respond quickly to large-scale catastrophic accidents, such as when a car carrier rolls over or spills its cargo in an Indianapolis highway crash. After being injured in a two-vehicle accident, you may have an unannounced visitor in your hospital room. Trucking company representatives are known to contact the seriously injured after crashes and make quick settlement offers to try to limit the company’s liability.

It is important to be wary of anyone offering you money soon after a car-hauling tractor-trailer accident. Do not sign anything until you have consulted with an experienced personal injury lawyer about your legal options.

You cannot know what a just settlement is after a truck accident until you have reached maximum physical recovery and have a full accounting of your other costs and losses connected to the accident and your injuries.

After being injured in a car carrier accident, you should save copies of everything that documents what you have been put through and what it has cost you. You should contact an experienced truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Why Choose Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC For Your Indianapolis Car Carrier Trailer Accident?

At Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC, our truck accident lawyers have extensive experience investigating large truck crashes and holding trucking firms financially accountable. We have the resources and readiness to fight for what you deserve from an insurance company after a car carrier crash. As a larger personal injury law firm, we have sufficient staff to move your case forward quickly, but we never sacrifice our personal touch.

Truck accident attorney David W. Craig has assembled a truck accident emergency response team that includes fellow attorney Scott A. Faultless and a:

We thoroughly investigate truck accidents in Indiana to determine fault. We negotiate aggressively with insurers to recover full damages for our clients. When insurers will not do the right thing, we are prepared to go to court and present persuasive cases.

What Are Recoverable Damages or Compensation in a Car Carrier Trailer Accident?

As your attorneys, we could seek compensation for you for:

  • Medical expenses, from emergency response to the accident until you have fully recovered. In cases of disabling injury, we work with consultants to project your medical needs and costs into the future.
  • Lost income from time out of work after the accident. If your injury reduces your future ability to earn, we’ll calculate the compensation you are due for that loss.
  • Property damage, such as the cost to repair or replace your vehicle.
  • Physical pain and suffering, damages for which depend on the type of injury you have suffered and the length of your recovery.
  • Emotional distress based on the impact the accident has had on your day-to-day life.
  • Punitive damages, which are intended to punish a defendant for conduct that is malicious or intentional and to deter similar future conduct.

What Is The Time Limit You Have for Indianapolis Car Carrier Trailer Accidents Lawsuits?

Personal injury lawsuits are subject to a statute of limitations in Indiana after which the claim cannot be filed. Under Indiana law, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed no later than two years after an injury.

You should consult with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after an accident to determine whether you have a valid claim. Truck accidents are complex and time-consuming to investigate. Further, we must wait for you to reach full recovery to know the full extent of damages you are due. Two years is not a long time in complicated legal matters.

How Is Liability Determined in a Car Carrier Trailer Accident?

Accidents involving car carriers are more complex than typical passenger car accidents. To determine how a car carrier trailer accident occurred, we would conduct an independent investigation of the accident, the truck driver, and the trucking company.

If you contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless immediately after a car carrier accident, we will move quickly to gather crash scene evidence. At the accident scene, for example, the lack of truck skid marks or short skid marks indicate no braking or a late effort to stop, typical indicators of driver distraction or inattention.

To investigate a car carrier accident, we would examine a variety of other evidence, including:

  • Police report
  • Your statement
  • Witness statements
  • Driver statement
  • Physical evidence at the crash scene
  • Vehicle damage
  • Vehicle event data recorder (EDR) contents
  • Driver duty logs
  • Truck dash camera footage
  • Dispatch or cell phone communications records
  • Security camera footage

After a significant accident, we may work with truck mechanics and accident reconstruction specialists to determine the cause of a car carrier truck accident.

How Our Attorneys Can Help To Win Your Indianapolis Car Carrier Trailer Accident?

We will work to determine who or what caused the car carrier accident you were injured in. The truck driver, the trucking company, the owner of the cars being transported, the shipper that loaded the truck, or others could be at fault. A truck accident may result in multiple claims.

We will present demand letters to those responsible for your injuries and work to negotiate an appropriate settlement for you. If there is clear evidence that shows who was at fault, the insurance companies and those responsible may agree to a settlement. If we cannot settle your claim, we would be ready to pursue a lawsuit on your behalf.

Most Common Causes of Car Carrier Trailer Accidents in Indianapolis

Because of their heavy weight, car carriers require longer distances to stop. This makes car carriers susceptible to rear-end accidents if a truck driver is speeding, driving too fast for the conditions, or not paying attention to traffic.

Multilevel auto carriers are top-heavy when loaded with vehicles. That can cause them to roll over or jackknife in sharp turns.

Other common causes of car carrier trailer accidents include:

  • Overpass Strikes. Some older highway bridges do not provide enough clearance for a loaded car hauler and its cargo. A truck can hit an overpass or become wedged underneath an overpass. The truck’s collision with an overpass may lead to rear-end collisions behind the tractor-trailer as well.
  • Unsecured Cargo. An improperly secured vehicle on a car carrier may shift or fall onto the highway if the truck hits a large pothole, brakes suddenly, or turns sharply. The movement can make the truck driver lose control of the car carrier.
  • Fires. Vehicles being transported by car carriers are filled with gasoline. This fuel can ignite in a collision causing a fire or an explosion. Vehicles being transported by car carriers meet the definition of “hazardous material” under federal rules governing commercial trucks and must carry $1 million of public liability insurance coverage.

Most Common Injuries of Car Carrier Trailer Accidents In Indianapolis

Because of a car carrier’s size and weight, motorists in passenger cars are at high risk of being severely injured or killed in collisions with car carriers. The potential for a multi-ton vehicle to fall from a carrier in a collision increases the risk for anyone nearby.

Among the severe injuries we typically see after a collision with a car carrier trailer are:

Schedule A Free Case Review with Our Experienced Indianapolis Car Carrier Trailer Accident Attorneys

Contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC as soon as possible if you have been injured in an accident involving a car hauler tractor trailer in Indianapolis or elsewhere in Indiana. Our car carrier trailer accident lawyers have the knowledge and experience to determine how a truck accident happened and who should be held financially accountable for your losses.

If you have been injured in an 18-wheeler car hauler accident, contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC today. We pursue truck accident claims on a contingency fee basis. We only get paid if we recover compensation for you. Contact us now by telephone or online for a free initial consultation. If you are unable to come to us, we will come to see you.