About 400 people a year are killed in lorry accidents in the UK:-
- On a typical day there are 12,000 foreign lorries and 95,000 British ones on the country's roads, according to the Department of Transport
- Lorry accidents therefore pose a significant risk for road and motorway users
- Because ot the size and weight of lorries accidents involving them often involve high severity
If you have a crash or are involved in a motorway pile up involving a lorry the same general principles apply as in any other road traffic accident:-
- The driver responsible for the lorry accident is responsible for any damages that follow as a result
- The insurance company of the driver at fault will be liable to pay compensation for your injuries and your other losses
- If you or a relative have been injured as a passenger in car crash, you may be eligible for financial compensation
However, liability for lorry accidents is also influenced by the specialist road traffic legislation that regulates:-
- Keeping records of hours of driving and other work
- Drivers breaks and rest periods
- The operation of Tachographs
- Training and Licensing for HGV
- Driver fitness
If you are injured in an accident by a lorry you might be able to claim compensation from either the Lorry Company/Haulage Company or the Bus Driver (or both).
- All lorry drivers owe a legal duty of care to other road users, so if an accident is due to the driver's fault you can claim compensation for your injuries and other losses
- If the driver wasn't fully concentrating on the road, was speeding or failing to drive with reasonable care and attention then you are in a strong position unless you in some way caused or contributed towards the accident
If the accident isn't due to driver error, but to a badly maintained or unsafe lorry then you can claim compensation too.
Our solicitors can help protect your legal rights and recover damages for your compensation for pain and suffering, for the impact of long term injury, any uninsured losses and for loss of earnings.
Contact our offices in Nottingham Leicester or Derby to speak to a lorry accident lawyer today.
If you have been injured in a lorry accident that is not your fault you need to:-
- Seek medical advice
- Take legal advice from a specialist at Nelsons
- Inform your insurance company (if applicable)
- Keep records and receipts of any expenses you incur as a result of the accident
Please contact us to discuss how our Personal Injury Solicitors might be able to act on your behalf for making a claim for compensation for your injuries arising from a lorry accident.
