Semi Truck Accident Law
A severe injury sustained in an accident with a semi truck can bury the victim with medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is important to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer at your side following an accident. A qualified lawyer will assist you in proving your case by using evidence such as police reports and surveillance footage.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In many cases, trucking companies and owners-operators do not take proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This negligence leads to an overwhelming number of avoidable accidents each year.
chandler semi truck accident law firm and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their larger dimensions and larger load. Unfortunately working to meet deadlines and maximizing profits may take precedence over the maintenance of the fleet. In the end, trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that can could cause devastating accidents.
The brakes on trucks are of particular importance since they have to stop the vehicle and slow it down at the smallest of moments. When brake pads, lines or return springs on a truck get worn out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These parts should be checked regularly and repaired when necessary to ensure they are in good working condition.
Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major cause of truck accidents. Tires that are worn down can cause the tires to lose traction and cause the truck to slide or even roll over. If a tire is defective in some way, such as having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
Regular inspections of trucks are required along with regular maintenance to detect mechanical issues prior to causing an accident. If an inspection is done improperly or the repair shop fails to adhere to the manufacturer's specifications it could cause an accident. In these instances the company that employed or supervising the maintenance or the repair shop could be held accountable.
Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are another frequent cause of truck accident. These components must function properly so that drivers can observe and anticipate the movement of the truck especially in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies might fail to check and maintain these equipments or the driver might fail to perform daily safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident lawyer can investigate your case and determine who might be accountable for your losses in the event that you were injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence that shows the defendant's negligence in the accident and assist you receive the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These massive trucks can weigh up to 25 times more than a car and cause much worse injuries when involved in an accident. Distracted driving is among the many factors that contribute to accidents. A driver who is distracted could lose control of the vehicle or miss a road danger, which can lead to serious and life-altering injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and regulations for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting and the use of cell phones while driving. However, even when truckers adhere to the rules, they can still become distracted and cause a crash. This could be the result of manual distractions, such as taking a hand off the wheel, or cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be dangerous, but few know that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers, can also be considered distracting. If the trucker is distracted, he may drift into another area and not be aware of the traffic jam in front of him. When a truck driver's eye is diverted, it only takes one second for a massive vehicle to hit a motorist car.
It is important to gather information about any witnesses and take photos of the scene of the crash when an unintentionally distracted driver causes the truck to crash. It is also helpful to know the name of the truck driver and the company they are employed by, as and who owns the truck if it's an independent contractor. This could have an influence on who is responsible for the accident, because it is the responsibility of the trucking company to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partly responsible for your accident, it could be liable to you for both economic and non-economic damage.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and often result in serious injuries. They can occur in a variety situations like at a red light or stop signal, where the trucker is unable to check behind them for any traffic that is coming up. They may also occur when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, causing the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker may then slam the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove fault in the event of a rear-end collision, because it's not always evident who was at fault. An experienced attorney can help gather evidence that proves the driver in the rear caused the crash because they followed too closely or distracted driving. This evidence can include photos as well as police reports and eyewitness testimony, aswell as skid marks on the road.
Sometimes the driver in front may be found to be at fault for the crash also. This could happen if they cut someone off or fail to use their turn signal in the manner that a reasonable person would, or decide to slam on the brakes in the last second, causing the driver behind to crash into the vehicle directly in the front. In these situations, modified comparative negligence laws could be used. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each of the parties. The damages are then lowered accordingly.
Bruises & Lacerations
In a rear-end collision, the rear of the car is the one that suffers the most force. This means that the people in the car are at risk of serious injuries if they strike their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash can cause broken bones if the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the interior of the vehicle. The spine is a vulnerable area and injuries to it can be severe. The spinal cord contains a lot of nerves that control the body, and any damage to the spinal column could cause long-lasting and serious issues for the victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, victims may suffer from psychological and emotional trauma as a result of the trauma of a crash. They may experience difficulty in concentrating or sleeping, which could cause depression and anxiety. They may also face financial hardship and stress when they are unable to work because of an injury. An attorney can investigate the possible causes of liability to assist the victim to receive an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss.
Problematic Trailer Hitches
All vehicles, whether they are a car or a truck, van flatbed, van, or are required to be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could cause catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries, or even death. If you've suffered injuries in a car accident caused by a runaway truck or trailer, consult an experienced attorney who is experienced in cases of hitch failure to discuss your legal options.
The cause of a faulty trailer hitch can be caused by a variety, ranging from improper securing or defective design. It can be the result of a defect in the manufacturing process and, in this case, laws governing product liability could apply. The person or company accountable for a defective trailer can be held accountable for the victim's medical expenses, auto repair costs and other losses that result from the incident.
For example, in a deadly crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road that is locally referred to as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came out of the truck and careened head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the truck driver’s negligence for failing to inspect and secure hitch. In June 2015 however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a flaw in the hitch and an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason for the crash.
The trailer hit the side of the vehicles and crashed into them. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The truck driver involved in the accident was convicted of vehicular homicide, but experts suggest that he could've avoided the collision by conducting an in-depth inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were in good order. The failure of a trailer's hitches can result in major disasters, as these incidents often involve a large amount of speed and can easily cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In these cases, the trailer may distort the car's frame and create sharp metal fragments to entrap passengers.