After a semi-truck collision on Interstate 10 or Interstate 25 near Las Cruces, victims face overwhelming challenges while recovering from serious injuries. Between mounting medical bills, insurance companies requesting recorded statements, and trucking companies deploying investigation teams to accident scenes within hours, you need someone protecting your interests immediately. Understanding what a semi-truck accident attorney actually does can help you decide whether legal representation is necessary for your situation.
Immediate Investigation and Evidence Preservation
A semi-truck accident attorney’s most time-sensitive role involves securing evidence before it disappears. Commercial trucking companies must preserve certain records, but these obligations have strict timelines. Electronic logging device data, driver logs, maintenance records, and black box information may be overwritten or disposed of within days or weeks after a crash.
Your attorney sends preservation letters to trucking companies, requiring them to maintain all relevant evidence. They also conduct independent investigations, photographing accident scenes, interviewing witnesses while memories remain fresh, and hiring accident reconstruction professionals to analyze how the collision occurred. In New Mexico, weather conditions, road defects, and visibility issues along major trucking routes can all contribute to crashes, and documenting these factors quickly is essential.
Identifying All Liable Parties and Insurance Policies
Unlike typical car accidents, semi-truck crashes often involve multiple responsible parties beyond just the driver. Your attorney investigates whether the trucking company, truck owner, maintenance contractors, cargo loaders, or parts manufacturers contributed to your injuries. According to the New Mexico Department of Transportation, commercial vehicles are involved in a significant percentage of serious injury crashes on state highways, and complex business relationships in the trucking industry mean multiple insurance policies may apply to your claim.
This investigation requires understanding federal and state trucking regulations, reviewing Motor Carrier Safety Administration records, and analyzing commercial insurance policies that differ substantially from personal auto coverage. Your attorney determines which parties bear legal responsibility and which insurance policies provide coverage for your damages.
Handling Insurance Company Communications
Insurance adjusters for trucking companies begin investigating crashes immediately, often contacting victims while still hospitalized. These adjusters work to minimize their company’s financial exposure, not to protect your interests. A semi-truck accident attorney handles all communications with insurance companies, preventing you from making statements that could harm your claim.
Your attorney also reviews settlement offers to determine whether they adequately compensate you for current and future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, and other damages. Trucking company insurers frequently make quick, low settlement offers hoping victims will accept before understanding the full extent of their injuries.
Calculating Comprehensive Damages
Semi-truck accidents often cause catastrophic injuries requiring extensive medical treatment, long-term rehabilitation, and permanent lifestyle changes. Your attorney works with medical professionals, life care planners, vocational rehabilitation consultants, and economists to calculate the true cost of your injuries. This includes not just current medical bills and lost wages, but future medical needs, diminished earning capacity, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
New Mexico follows comparative negligence rules, meaning your compensation may be reduced if you share any fault for the accident. Your attorney builds a strong case demonstrating the truck driver’s or trucking company’s negligence while defending against allegations that you contributed to the collision.
Preparing for Litigation When Necessary
While many semi-truck accident claims settle through negotiation, some require filing a lawsuit to achieve fair compensation. Your attorney prepares your case for trial if settlement negotiations fail, including conducting depositions, filing motions, and presenting evidence in court. The willingness to litigate often encourages insurance companies to offer reasonable settlements rather than risk jury verdicts.
Providing Legal Representation for Las Cruces Trucking Collision Victims
At Hit by a Truck Call Chuck, our semi-truck accident attorney in Las Cruces manages the legal process for injured clients throughout New Mexico. For 15 years, we have been working with victims of truck accidents in Las Cruces and surrounding areas, pursuing financial recovery through negotiated settlements, litigation, or jury awards.
Our firm investigates collision circumstances, identifies responsible parties, and works to secure the compensation needed for medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages. We handle big rig accidents and other commercial vehicle crashes throughout the Las Cruces area.
If you’ve been injured in a semi-truck accident in Las Cruces or anywhere in New Mexico, contact us at 575-526-4529 for a free consultation. Visit our contact page to learn more about how we approach these cases and what you can expect during the legal process.