Skilled Mississippi Lawyers Hold Drunk Truck Drivers Accountable

Aggressively pursuing compensation when drunk driving causes a truck crash in Jackson, Clarksdale or throughout the Gulf Coast region

Driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics is one of the most dangerous decisions a person can make. Not only does an intoxicated driver put himself at risk, but he also endangers the lives of every person traveling around him on the highway. The effects of alcohol include reduced coordination, slowed response time, and visual distortion. When you put these dangerous behaviors behind the steering wheel of an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer, the ramifications can be deadly.

At Merkel & Cocke, P.A., our experienced Mississippi drunk driving accident lawyers demand compensation from truck drivers and trucking companies when their risky decisions cause severe injuries to innocent people. For more than three decades, we have been fighting for victims’ rights and obtaining high-value settlements to assist our clients with the financial struggles of a truck accident injury. We never back down from a fight when justice is on our side. Let us fight for you.

When commercial truck operators choose to drive under the influence

As commercial drivers make their way down roads like I-55 or I-20, they have a duty to operate their vehicles in a safe manner in order to best avoid crashes and injuries to others on the roadway. Unfortunately, recent statistics show that many of these drivers are choosing to get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or drugs. As explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, impairment affects a driver’s ability to perform numerous vital driving tasks, including:

• Controlling the vehicle’s speed
• Steering correctly
• Concentrating on the road
• Detecting signal and traffic changes
• Braking appropriately
• Remaining in their lane of traffic

Our knowledgeable lawyers know how prevalent addiction has become within the trucking industry. Life on the road can be challenging, and many truckers turn to alcohol or drug use as coping mechanisms. When these risky choices cause injury or wrongful death, we get to work proving liability and securing compensation.

Proving liability in drunk truck driving crashes

When big-rig operators drive impaired, there may be several parties who hold some liability for the resulting injuries. At Merkel & Cocke, our legal team brings claims against all responsible parties, including:

• The driver. Truckers are responsible for the actions they take on the roadways, including the decision to drive while intoxicated.
• The truck owner. If someone other than the driver owns the vehicle, the owner may have some accountability for accidents involving his or her truck.
• The driver’s employer or contractor. If the driver is employed or contracted by some individual or company other than the truck owner, this party may also be liable if proven that standard safety procedures and drug screenings were not properly conducted.

We examine the specifics of your accident to help you determine who may be liable and then pursue the maximum compensation possible.

Get help when a drunk Mississippi truck driver caused your crash

If a drunk truck driver caused your injuries, you deserve compensation from all responsible parties. With the reputable attorneys of Merkel & Cocke on your side, you can focus on healing, while we focus of your truck accident claim. We provide client services from our offices in Jackson and Clarksdale, where we also assist injured parties throughout Mississippi, including Tupelo, Jackson, Cleveland, Indianola, and across the Gulf Coast region. We also handle truck crash injury cases occurring in Tennessee and Arkansas. To schedule a free initial consultation, call us today at 662-627-9641 or complete our contact form.