Arkansas Truck Accident Attorney

We Can Connect You With an Arkansas Commercial Truck Accident Lawyer

The Goldwater Law Firm has a long history of helping injured victims get results. We are an award-winning law firm with strategic partnerships with many of the most successful firms nationwide. We work with co-counsels throughout Arkansas and the country to ensure victims have an attorney near them who can advocate for their best interests and fight for their financial recovery.

We understand that truck accident injuries often leave victims frustrated, scared, and angry. We know the financial stress these accidents can cause, especially when you are facing long-term treatment and rehabilitation and are not sure if you will return to work.

We have an extensive network of medical experts, trucking industry professionals, accident reconstructionists, and specialists who can help our co-counsels develop robust cases to hold liable parties accountable. We will not stand by while insurance companies take advantage of injured people.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Arkansas Truck Accident Attorney?

Arkansas tractor-trailer collision attorneys represent clients based on contingency. You should not have to pay upfront fees or costs to hire a lawyer to handle your case. All our law firm partners are paid only from the money they recover for you. You only pay if they secure a payout for you.

How an 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer Determines Liability

The Goldwater Law Firm’s co-counsels understand the common cause of truck accidents in Arkansas. When you work with one of our law firm partners, your attorney will take steps to determine the cause and contributing factors in your crash. This could include:

• Improper Lane Changes or Turns: Failing to account for a truck’s large blind spots or wide turning radius leads to sideswipes, underride accidents, and other collisions.
• Violating Other Traffic Laws: Almost any traffic law violation, such as running a red light or failing to maintain a lane, could cause a collision and injuries.
• Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Neglecting regular inspections or failing to repair critical components like brakes, tires, or lights could result in a collision.
• Violation of Trucking Regulations: Ignoring hours-of-service rules, weight limits, or other trucking laws can contribute to accidents. Violating hours-of-service regulations can be especially dangerous as it leads to fatigued driving.
• Inadequate Driver Training: Allowing untrained or undertrained drivers to operate commercial vehicles could contribute to crashes, especially under complex driving conditions.
• Negligent Hiring Practices: Employing drivers with poor safety records, inadequate experience, or disqualifying conditions—or without proper screening or background checks—could contribute to collisions.
• Pressure to Meet Deadlines: Imposing unreasonable delivery schedules that push drivers to take unsafe risks, such as skipping safety checks, violating hours-of-service regulations, or ignoring road conditions, plays a role in some accidents.

Vicarious Liability in an Arkansas Truck Collision Case

Your 18-wheeler truck accident lawyer from one of our law firm partners will likely pursue a case against the trucking company, not an individual truck driver. Arkansas follows the doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds employers legally responsible for their employee’s actions when those actions occur within the scope of employment.

In truck accident cases, trucking companies are often held responsible for their drivers’ negligence under respondeat superior. This includes accidents caused by mistakes behind the wheel, failure to follow safety protocols, or other acts occurring during employment. Trucking companies may also be liable for some causes, such as negligent hiring practices or inadequate training.

Arkansas courts consider each case individually. They analyze factors such as the nature of the employee’s duties, the circumstances of the incident, and whether the actions benefited the employer. In most cases, the trucking company can be held liable for their driver’s actions in these cases.

An Arkansas truck accident lawyer can help you determine who may share liability in your case.

Our Co-Counsels Understand Common Arkansas Truck Collision Injuries

When a large commercial truck slams into a smaller passenger car, the occupants of the vehicle are often left with catastrophic injuries. These injuries can be life-altering, including:

• Brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Amputations and loss of use injuries
• Burns and scarring
• Severe fractures and crush injuries
• Internal injuries and internal bleeding
• Neck and back injuries
• Chronic pain
• Psychological damages, including PTSD

Getting prompt care and treatment is essential. The Arkansas Department of Health lists six Level I or Level II trauma centers where you can receive the care you need:

• Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH), Little Rock, Level I
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, Level I
• Baptist Health Medical Center, Little Rock, Level II
• CHI St. Vincent Infirmary, Little Rock, Level II
• CHI St. Vincent Hospital, Hot Springs, Level II
• Washington Regional Medical Center, Fayetteville, Level II

In some areas of the state, accident victims with serious injuries may be taken to a trauma facility in a neighboring state, such as Tennessee, Missouri, or Texas. The treatment, therapies, and rehabilitation at designated trauma centers are essential for those with the most severe injuries. However, the cost of this level of treatment and care can quickly reach significant sums.

Recovering Damages Based on Your Arkansas Truck Accident

When Arkansas car accident lawyers from our co-counsels handle commercial vehicle accident cases, they help victims seek fair compensation for their expenses and losses. Some common examples include:

• Medical care costs and related expenses
• Future care and therapies
• Income losses from missing work
• Reduced ability to work and earn
• Property damages, including car repairs
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Pain and suffering

Wrongful Death in an Arkansas Truck Accident

Our co-counsels represent victims’ families in wrongful death actions after an Arkansas truck accident. Under state law, an Arkansas truck accident attorney can seek and recover money for:

• The losses the victim suffered, payable to the estate and including medical bills, funeral costs, and their conscious pain and suffering
• Losses the surviving family sustained, including loss of income, loss of consortium, and mental anguish

Understanding the Actions of an Arkansas Tractor-Trailer Truck Accident Lawyer

When you work with one of our law firm partners in Arkansas to pursue damages in your truck accident case, you can count on your tractor-trailer truck accident attorney to take several steps to develop a compelling case for you. This could include:

• Securing Key Evidence: Ensuring that critical evidence, such as truck log information, vehicle computer data, and surveillance footage, is preserved before it is lost or destroyed
• Conducting Witness Interviews: Identifying and speaking with witnesses to record their statements while their memories are clear and accurate
• Protecting You from Insurance Company Tactics: Protecting your rights by handling communication with adjusters and fighting insurance company strategies designed to minimize or deny your claim
• Comprehensive Documentation: Recording your injuries, medical expenses, lost income, and other damages as they arise to create a compelling claim
• Collaborating with Experts: Partnering with accident reconstructionists, medical specialists, and other experts to build a strong case
• Providing Peace of Mind: Managing the legal case for you so you can focus entirely on your recovery and rehabilitation without the added stress of worrying about administrative and legal tasks

What Is the Deadline for Suing Based on My Arkansas Truck Accident?

There are strict deadlines in Arkansas for filing a lawsuit against a truck accident company whose driver caused your crash.

• Arkansas Code § 16-56-105 gives you three years from the crash date for injuries.
• Arkansas Code § 16-62-102 gives you three years from the date of death for a wrongful death action.

You do not want to wait until this deadline approaches to take action. Act as quickly as your injuries allow to enable our co-counsel to build the strongest case possible based on your accident and injuries. This is especially important in truck collisions since the trucking company often holds key evidence.