If you were hit by a commercial truck in Huntsville, Alabama, you may be facing unexpected medical bills you could struggle to pay if you are off work because of your injury. If the truck driver or another party was responsible for the accident, they may be liable to pay fair compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and other losses.
If you are ready to file a lawsuit against the truck driver and other potentially liable parties, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer. Contact Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., today to learn how we can help you get started with your case in a free consultation.
Why You Need Our Lawyers When Filing a Truck Crash Lawsuit
When filing a complaint in a truck accident lawsuit, you can rest assured that our skilled and knowledgeable personal injury attorneys will carefully draft the complaint to capture all possible causes of action against all potentially liable parties.
You need a Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., lawyer to ensure you sue the proper parties and include all viable causes of action against them. With our lawyers in your corner, you can be confident we will seek maximum financial recovery for your injuries and related losses after a truck crash in Huntsville.
Our truck accident attorneys are best suited to file a lawsuit because we have the experience to craft your complaint in such a way as to seek your best outcome. When you work with a local Huntsville, Alabama, lawyer from our firm, you will have a strong legal advocate on your side who knows the local court is likely to rule and is well-versed in Alabama personal injury law.
What Does It Mean to File a Complaint in a Truck Accident Lawsuit?
Filing a complaint in a lawsuit means you have officially begun the legal process of suing the parties who caused your injuries. A complaint is the first pleading filed in a case to start a lawsuit. You must timely file a complaint in accordance with Alabama’s statute of limitations to ensure you can seek compensation in court.
Under Alabama law, you must file your lawsuit within two years of the accident date. The state’s statute of limitations sets this deadline. Because you will likely be barred from suing if you miss this critical deadline, you must contact our lawyers as soon as possible after the accident so we can work on your case and file the complaint within the two-year timeframe.
Is Filing a Complaint the Same as Filing a Lawsuit?
Filing a complaint and filing a lawsuit mean the same thing. By filing the complaint, you have filed a personal injury lawsuit in civil court against the parties responsible for the accident. The complaint puts the parties who caused the accident on notice of your claims against them.
Once your attorney files the complaint, the truck driver or other responsible parties will file an answer to the allegations in your complaint. After these initial filings, the discovery phase will begin, and the parties’ respective attorneys will likely send written questions to each party to learn more about the victim’s injuries and how the accident occurred.
What Happens Before Drafting a Complaint?
Before drafting a complaint, your attorney will gather all available evidence concerning how the accident occurred, obtain your medical records and bills, and possibly speak to eyewitnesses. Through the initial investigation of the facts and circumstances of your accident, your attorney can construct a timeline of events and develop their theories of liability in the case. With this information, they can craft a complaint that captures how the accident occurred and caused your injuries to demand the compensation you deserve.
Depending on the specific circumstances, your attorneys may make an initial demand to the insurance companies to see if the case can be resolved before filing a complaint. However, insurance companies are notorious for making lowball offers or refusing to negotiate until a complaint is filed because they count on accident victims not wanting to go to court. If the insurance company does not come to the table to negotiate in good faith for a fair settlement of your insurance claim, your attorney will not hesitate to proceed with filing a lawsuit.
What Is Usually Included on a Complaint in a Truck Wreck Case?
Although your attorney could later amend the complaint if new information is obtained, the initial complaint should include all facts known at the time of filing. For example, it will name all possibly responsible parties as defendants in the lawsuit. It will also include an outline of the facts demonstrating how the accident occurred. It will then assert all possible causes of action based on those facts. To the extent the injuries and losses you have suffered are known, the complaint may also include those facts.
Filing a Truck Accident Complaint
When you file a truck accident complaint, you initiate a lawsuit against all the negligent parties responsible for the crash. Although our law firm does not charge attorney’s fees until you receive money, certain expenses are associated with commencing litigation. For example, there’s a filing fee to file the complaint with the court. There may also be a fee to have the complaint served upon the parties you sued. If we take depositions in your case, the court reporter’s cost to prepare the deposition transcript must be paid. If the court orders mediation or the lawyers involved in the case agree to mediate the matter, the cost of the mediator will likely be split between the parties.
If you receive a settlement or favorable verdict, any expenses like those listed above that weren’t paid when accrued will be deducted from the money you receive, along with our agreed-upon percentage for attorney’s fees. That way, you do not have any out-of-pocket expenses while the lawsuit is pending.
Get Help from Our Huntsville Truck Accident Lawyers Now
The experienced 18-wheeler accident attorneys at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., are committed to helping victims of truck accidents seek the money they need after a crash. We understand that you may be intimidated by the legal system, but you can trust that our attorneys have the skills and resources to build a strong truck accident claim for you.
You do not need to worry about the cost of hiring a truck accident lawyer. Our attorneys offer free case reviews, and if you hire us, you will pay our fees only if you receive a settlement or judgment in your favor.
Contact us today to get started with your truck accident lawsuit.
