Springfield Truck Accident Lawyer

Understanding Commercial Vehicle Accidents in Springfield, MA

Commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) include any large vehicle used for business purposes. Because of their size and weight, accidents involving CMVs can cause significant injuries and property damage.

Springfield has some of the highest collision rates in the country, making crashes a serious concern for many residents.

Commercial vehicle accidents in Springfield may involve: 

• City buses
• Coach buses
• Delivery vans (Amazon, FedEx, UPS, etc.)
• Dump trucks
• Plow trucks
• School buses
• Semi-trucks or tractor-trailers
• Straight trucks or box trucks

In Massachusetts, there were more than 320 fatal accidents involving large trucks over the course of a 10-year period, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

In one case, a 16-year-old girl in Springfield was killed when she was struck by a school bus while crossing at the intersection of State Street and Dwight Street near the MassMutual Center.

If you or a loved one was hurt or experienced property damage due to a commercial vehicle accident, you may be able to file a Springfield truck accident lawsuit. Let us fight for you.

Trucking Accidents vs. Passenger Vehicle Crashes

When a passenger vehicle is involved in an accident with a truck or other CMV, those in the passenger vehicle are 6 to 10 times more likely to suffer injuries and fatalities than those in the truck. This is due to the size and weight of most CMVs.

Trucking accidents are more likely to cause catastrophic injuries, like: 

• Broken bones
• Burns
• Disfigurement
• Hearing or vision loss
• Lacerations
• Loss of limb(s)
• Paralysis
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Death

Trucking accidents also differ from typical passenger vehicle crashes because you’re not just filing a claim against an individual driver. Often, large companies, insurance providers, and corporate policies are involved.

An experienced 18-wheeler accident attorney in Springfield can help level the playing field, holding both drivers and their employers accountable while fighting for the full compensation you deserve.

Causes of Truck Accidents in Springfield, MA

There are many factors that may cause a truck accident to occur in Springfield. Commercial trucks differ from cars due to their size, weight, and mechanics.

In addition to this, some trucking companies encourage drivers to cut corners as a way of maximizing their profit, even though it can put those sharing the road in danger.

Common causes of commercial vehicle accidents in Springfield include: 

• Distracted driving: 71% of large-truck crashes happened when the trucker was doing something else while driving, like eating, using a cell phone, or adjusting the radio, according to FMCSA.
• Driver fatigue or drowsiness: Driver drowsiness can impair a driver’s response time to on-the-road hazards, which increases the risk of accidents.
• Driving while under the influence: 17% of CMV drivers were using over-the-counter drugs at the time of a crash, some of which (like cold pills, allergy medicines, and sleeping pills) can induce drowsiness, according to the FMCSA.
• Failure to maintain the vehicle: Poorly maintained tires, brakes, and other parts can increase the risk of a crash and turn a preventable issue into a deadly accident.
• Following too closely: 5% of truck crashes happened when the driver followed the vehicle ahead of them too closely, not giving themselves adequate time to brake in the event of an emergency.
• Inadequate surveillance: 14% of large-truck crashes occurred due to the CMV driver’s inadequate surveillance or failure to see approaching traffic, like during a lane change.
• Overloading trucks: Carrying more weight than allowed can strain brakes, tires, and other parts, making trucks harder to control and increasing the likelihood of serious accidents.
• Pay structures that encourage dangerous driving: Compensation systems that reward faster deliveries may push truckers to speed, skip rest breaks, or exceed maximum driving hours, all of which increase the risk of crashes.
• Speeding: 23% of large-truck wrecks involved the truck driver traveling too fast for weather or road conditions, according to the LTCSS.
• Unfamiliar roadways: Of large-truck crashes, 22% occur when the driver is unfamiliar with the roadway.
• Unqualified or untrained drivers: Most truck drivers are required to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL). However, many companies send new drivers onto the road with little to no experience.

Trucking accidents can happen unexpectedly, and the results can be devastating. A commercial truck accident attorney in Springfield can help you seek justice and compensation for the harm you’ve suffered.

“Injuries from an accident might flare up later, which is what happened with my back. I had to go to physical therapy. It didn’t feel like something I should have to pay for, since the crash wasn’t my fault.”
– Matt, Massachusetts Crash Victim & Firm Client

How a Springfield Truck Accident Attorney Can Help

A truck accident is one of the most complex personal injury cases for several reasons. Since the injuries tend to be much worse, the compensation paid to victims is usually much more than in an average car wreck.

Because the stakes are so high, many trucking companies and their insurance providers fight hard to avoid liability — even if it means trying to pin blame on the accident victim.

At Sokolove Law, our Springfield truck accident attorneys can:

• Provide you with a free case review to determine your eligibility to file a claim
• Gather evidence to build a strong case on your behalf, like witness statements and accident reports
• File your Springfield truck accident lawsuit before any deadlines
• Negotiate a truck accident settlement with the defendant(s) on your behalf
• Present your case in court and pursue a trial verdict if a settlement isn’t reached

“My experience working with Sokolove Law was amazing. The whole process was really quick. My attorney was supportive and genuinely cared about my recovery. ”
– Alexandra, Massachusetts Crash Victim & Firm Client

If you become our client, one of our experienced semi-truck accident lawyers in Springfield can work on your behalf to set the record straight and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Springfield Truck Accident Settlements & Verdicts

At Sokolove Law, we’ve secured over $10.2 Billion total for clients injured through no fault of their own, including truck accident victims in Springfield.

Every accident is unique, and case values may differ depending on the circumstances involved in your situation.

Factors that may impact a Springfield truck accident payout include:

• The severity of your injury
• Medical costs, both current and future
• Lost wages if the wreck left you unable to work
• Any pain, suffering, or emotional trauma you have experienced
• Out-of-pocket expenses relating to the accident

In one case, we secured $600,000 for a Massachusetts resident who was hit by an 18-wheeler while she was in a crosswalk.

While there’s never a guarantee of compensation in any case, our Springfield truck accident lawyers are prepared to fight for everything you’re entitled to.

Play Sokolove Law - Car Accident Testimonial

Video Summary: Hear why Matt chose to file a car accident lawsuit with the help of Sokolove Law. View Transcript.

My name is Matt, and I contacted Sokolove Law after getting in a car accident. I'm a big fisherman, I love to hunt, and I'm always exploring stuff in this area. I go to this beach parking lot regularly to check to see if there are any fish biting. It's a drive I take multiple times a day. It's right down the street. I was just driving along, I was minding my own business, driving the speed limit, and all of a sudden someone was just driving into the side of my car and crashing into it. My car was completely totaled. I ended up on somebody's front yard.

Probably a day or two later, I started having some really, really bad back cramps, which is something that I've never in my life experienced. They were really really bad — I actually fell over because my whole back just seized up. It was just a pain I had never felt before. I probably had to go to physical therapy for somewhere between eight and nine weeks. Once I started having to go to physical therapy and once I started to get medical treatment for this, it felt like that shouldn't be something I have to pay for. It wasn’t my fault. It was someone else’s fault. Somebody was irresponsible and crashed into me. That’s when I started thinking about Sokolove Law.

I reached out to the law firm one week after the accident. The reason I did that was I was interested to see how much money would be available for a crash like this. I've never done anything accident-lawsuit-related in my life until now, and I was very surprised at how easy things were. Honestly, it was just so professionally done. That’s how I would describe it. My experience working with the legal team at Sokolove Law was excellent. It was super simple. They were super professional. Everything was laid out very clearly, and there was no confusion about what needed to be done at all. They did a lot of work to get that settlement done, and I’m really happy that I was able to find them, contact them, and get things done.

When the case was settled, I felt very relieved. I felt very happy, actually, because things were done, the check was there, and I didn’t have to deal with any of this anymore. I wish that my car didn’t get totaled, but I ended up getting a new car out of it, and, you know, everything’s going well now. I would recommend other people contact a firm like Sokolove Law after a car accident because injuries from car accidents aren’t always immediately apparent. It could be something that flares up later, like in my case. My back hurt more and more over the following days after the accident. I just feel like not enough people know what their options are when they get into a crash. You don’t have to just call the insurance company. You can talk to an attorney. It doesn’t cost you any money to speak to an attorney at all. It’s completely free to speak to them. I don’t see why you wouldn’t do it if you’re injured in a car accident. It’s a very simple process, and you can get money out of it.

Get Help from a Trucking Accident Attorney in Springfield

At Sokolove Law, our trucking accident attorneys in Springfield have over 45 years of experience fighting for those injured in crashes throughout Massachusetts.

To date, we’ve over $10.2 Billion total for victims of truck accidents and other incidents out of their control.

There are no upfront costs or hourly fees to work with our big truck accident lawyers in Springfield. We only get paid if you do.

Call (800) 995-1212 now or fill out our contact form to get started with a free, no-obligation case review.

Springfield, MA Big Truck Accident Attorney FAQs