Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck crash can result in an injury that is serious enough to cause a person to pay a huge amount in medical expenses. It can also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy.
After a collision, it is essential to retain an experienced New York truck accident attorney at your side. A qualified lawyer will help you prove your case by using evidence such as police reports and surveillance footage.
Vehicles that are not maintained properly
In many cases trucking companies and owners-operators do not take appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This can lead to many preventable accidents every year.
Compared to passenger cars, tractor-trailers and semis require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavy loads. Unfortunately, meeting knoxville semi truck accident attorney and maximising profits may take precedence over the maintenance of a fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical issues that could result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on a truck must be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a moment's notice. When the brake pads on a truck lines, lines or return springs fail they could result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is crucial that these components are regularly inspected and replaced as required to keep them in good condition.
Tires that aren't properly maintained can play a significant role in truck accidents. Tires that are worn down may lose traction and cause the truck to rollover or skid. If a tire is deficient in some way, for example, having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
Trucks require regular inspections in addition to regular maintenance in order to spot mechanical issues before they lead to an accident. If an inspection is conducted incorrectly or if the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's recommendations this could result in an accident. In such cases, a company that employed the repair or maintenance company or supervised it could be held accountable.
Another major cause of truck accidents is the failure of signals, lights and reflectors. These components must function properly to allow drivers to observe and anticipate the speed of the truck particularly in rural areas or at night. Drivers and trucking companies could fail to maintain and check these equipment, or may not carry out regular safety checks.
A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer will examine your case to determine who is accountable for your injuries should you be injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence that shows the negligence of the defendant in the accident and assist you recover the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be devastating. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and could cause a lot more injuries if they are involved in an accident. Distracted driving is one of many factors that can cause accidents. A driver who is distracted could lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice a road hazard and cause serious and life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while operating their vehicles. Even when truckers adhere to the rules, they might be distracted and result in an accident. This could be the result of distractions caused by manual actions like dropping a hand off of the wheel, or cognitive distractions like thinking about something else other than driving.
While most people are aware that it is risky to text and drive, very few are aware that other activities like eating or changing the station on the radio, and even conversing with a passenger could also be deemed as distracting. If the trucker is distracted, it is possible that he will drift into a different track and not see the traffic jam in front of him. When a trucker's attention is diverted, it will only take one second for a massive vehicle to strike a passenger car.
If a car accident occurs due to an unintentionally distracted driver it is crucial to capture photos of the crash scene and collect the contact details and name of any witnesses. It is also beneficial to determine the name of the truck driver as well as the company they work for, as well and who owns the truck if they are an independent contractor. This can have an impact on who is liable for the accident, as it is the responsibility of the trucking company to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be at least partially responsible for your accident, they could be held responsible for your economic as well as non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are frequent and frequently result in severe injuries. They can happen in a variety situations, such as at the stop or red light sign when the trucker fails to check behind them for oncoming traffic. They can also occur when a car crashes into front of the truck, forcing the driver to hit their brakes without warning. The trucker may then slam the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove the fault of a driver in rear-end collisions, as it's not always evident who was at fault. However, an experienced attorney can gather evidence that proves the driver behind caused the crash due to following too closely or distracted driving. This could include evidence like photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks on the roadway.
Sometimes the driver in front could be found to be the one responsible for the accident also. This could happen if they cut someone off or fail to use a turn signal as any reasonable person. In these situations modified comparative negligence laws may be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each party. The damages are then lowered accordingly.
Lacerations and Bruises
The rear-end of the vehicle is the one that is most affected in a rear-end crash, meaning that occupants can sustain serious injuries when they hit their head against the dashboard or back windows. They could also break bones due to being scattered around the interior of the car due to the force of the collision. The spine is a vulnerable area and injuries to it can be severe. The spinal cord houses a number of nerves that control the body, and any injury to the spinal column could cause long-lasting and serious problems for victims.
A person who is the victim of a serious accident may also experience emotional and psychological trauma. They may experience difficulties sleeping or concentrating which can lead them to anxiety and depression. If they are unable to work due to the severity of their injury, it can create stress and financial hardship. An attorney can investigate the possible causes of liability to help a victim receive fair compensation for their loss.
Faulty Trailer Hitches
It doesn't matter if you're driving either a car, van, truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles have to be securely attached to their trailers. When a trailer becomes unexpectedly unhitched, it could lead to catastrophic accidents that result in serious injuries or even death. If you've been injured in a car accident caused by a truck that has run away and you are in need of an experienced attorney who specializes in hitch failure cases to discuss your legal options.
The cause of a faulty trailer hitch could be due to a variety of factors that can be traced to improper secured or defective design. It could be due to an error on the part of the manufacturer, in which case product liability law could be applicable. The company or person at responsible for the malfunction of a trailer is responsible for victims' medical bills as well as auto repair costs as well as other losses that result from the incident.
In the fatal crash that took place on a highway in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014 an unattached trailer was spotted on the truck. It then crashed into two cars that were directly behind it. Initial investigation linked the accident to the truck driver's negligence in failing to examine and secure the hitch. In June 2015 however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a defect in the hitch and an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the cause of the crash.
The trailer struck the side of the vehicle and crashed into them. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers.
The driver of the truck involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, but experts believe he could have avoided the collision with the other vehicles had he performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were secure. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause major disasters, as these accidents typically involve a large amount of speed and can easily cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In such cases the trailer may distort the car's frame, and cause sharp metal pieces to strike the passengers inside.