Jackson, MS Speeding Truck Accidents

Many of these accidents occur due to a truck driver being late when delivering a shipment, fatigued while driving, or monetarily incentivized to arrive at the destination as quickly as possible. Because of the routes of many truck drivers, many of these accidents are interstate collisions , and several have taken place on highly-traveled interstates in the Jackson, Mississippi area like I-55, I-20, and I-220. These long hauls have caused many truck drivers to abuse stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines. The side effects of abusing such stimulants may include psychosis and aggression, both of which can lead to a truck driver speeding.

Pinpointing the reason for the accident is integral to crafting your claim of negligence against the defendant. Mississippi law places the burden of proof on the injured victim seeking damages, so you will want to procure any evidence that could help your case. One piece of evidence that is highly valuable in a case such as this is a commercial truck’s “black box” – a recording device that can potentially disclose the speed at which the truck was traveling at the time of a speeding truck accident. With that said, many truck companies will try to discreetly have the black box destroyed if it contains information that could hold them liable.

Retaining a skilled trucking accident attorney in the Jackson area can reduce the chances of valuable evidence, like the “black box,” from being destroyed by sending the trucking company a spoliation of evidence letter. In addition, a lawyer can elaborate on all of the different types of damages you may be entitled to, including economic damages for monetary losses such as medical bills and lost wages as well as non-economic damages for intangible losses such as loss of consortium and loss of enjoyment of life. If you and your attorney are able to successfully prove that the truck driver displayed wanton disregard by speeding, you may also be awarded punitive damages.