Muskegon Truck Accident Lawyer

Muskegon Truck Accident Attorney

If you or a member of your family has been injured in a collision with a semi-truck or other commercial vehicle, you want a dedicated Muskegon truck accident lawyer who understands the high stakes, complex liability issues, traffic laws, and local roads involved in such cases.

A highly skilled Musken personal injury attorney from the law firm of Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, can help steer your case to an optimal outcome, including significant financial relief to help you get back on your feet.

Your Truck Accident Attorney in Muskegon MI

Having successfully helped injured Michiganders for over 40 years, Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, is proud to serve injured clients throughout Muskegon County and western Michigan. From Grand Haven to Whitehall and everywhere in between, Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, is the preferred law firm in the aftermath of a serious accident involving a commercial truck anywhere in the greater Muskegon area.

Understanding Truck Accidents and Commercial Truck Injuries in the Muskegon, MI Area

As with any vibrant community, Muskegon has certain areas with a high incidence of truck traffic, with parts of US-31 being just one prime example. Naturally, more trucks on the road can lead to more truck-involved accidents. Commercial truck accidents can be deadly due to the massive size and weight of the vehicles involved.

Semi-truck crash injury cases work similarly to car crash cases on many levels, but they also represent a unique type of personal injury claim in some critical ways. For one, truck and commercial vehicle collision cases can become extremely complex due to the number of different parties involved. This can include:

• Truck drivers
• Other motorists or pedestrians
• Insurance carriers (usually multiple insurance carriers)
• Trucking and shipping companies
• Maintenance crews
• Warehouse/loading personnel
• Vehicle or vehicle parts manufacturers
• Medical care providers and other key witnesses

While some motor vehicle injuries can be successfully dealt with by the injured party through a routine insurance claim, it’s important to consider all of the above if you have been injured by a truck. For example, a trucking injury case with two or three potential co-defendants can quickly turn into a complex claim involving dozens of lawyers, insurers, motions, and court hearings, which may be difficult to even understand if you lack legal training.

Trucking companies, their insurance carriers, and all their respective attorneys work diligently to minimize or deny your claim, so you must be prepared to stand up and fight back. Equipping yourself with high-end legal representation from the firm of Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, is one excellent way to do this and is a strategy that has led to significant settlements for many of our previous personal injury clients.

When deciding whether you need assistance from an attorney, consider some of these key facts regarding commercial truck accidents here in Muskegon and throughout Michigan:

• According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Michigan sees around 15,000 CMV (commercial motor vehicle) accidents each year.
• In Muskegon County, trucks and buses weighing over 10,000 lbs. are only involved in about 2% of accidents. (Big trucks and buses were only involved in 139 of 4,673 total Muskegon County crashes in 2021, for example.)
• About 2,500 of Michigan’s annual commercial truck crashes result in injuries, with another 100 proving to be tragically fatal for one or more of the parties involved.
• Different data sources provide varying auto collision statistics regarding “commercial vehicles.” While the FMCSA counts around 15,000 “commercial vehicle involved accidents” each year, for instance, the State of Michigan’s official report tallies only about 6,000 annual “large truck crashes.”
• Commercial vehicles operating in Michigan put on a combined six to seven billion service miles each year. Unfortunately, it only takes one poor decision or mistake to create catastrophic consequences for one or more innocent people.

FAQs About Muskegon, MI Truck Accident Law

How Is Fault Determined in a Truck Accident?

Fault is determined in a truck accident in more or less the same way as fault is determined in a car accident, but it’s important to understand that commercial truck accidents can become more complex due to the different highway regulations to which trucks are subject.

How Do Accidents Occur in Michigan?

Accidents occur in Michigan more or less the same way they occur anywhere else. From bad weather to extreme potholes to reckless drivers, Michigan sees a wide range of accident types and just as wide a range of subsequent injuries. Every accident is unique, and your legal options depend on the unique circumstances of your particular case.

What Happens if a Truck Driver Gets in an Accident?

A number of outcomes may occur if a truck driver gets into a crash, depending on the unique circumstances involved. The trucker might be sent by their employer to get tested for drug and alcohol use, by way of example. If serious injuries and property damage occurred, the truck driver may lose their commercial license, or their employer might also be sued in an attempt to hold them financially liable for these damages.

Are Commercial Trucks More Dangerous than Cars?

Commercial trucks are more dangerous than the average passenger car in an immediate, material sense because they are much larger and heavier. On the other hand, there are many more injurious and fatal accidents involving passenger cars than those involving commercial vehicles each year in Michigan and throughout the United States. While commercial trucks are safer in this statistical sense, their immense bulk and form factor can cause extreme damage and injury when accidents do occur.

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC – Muskegon’s Trusted Truck Accident Injury Team

If you or a loved one has been harmed in a crash with a semi-truck, passenger bus, or other type of commercial vehicle, help is available. Don’t suffer needlessly when our high-quality legal solutions can assist you as you begin to rebuild your life. Reach out to the Michigan-based team at Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, at your earliest convenience to set up a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.