Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained in a crash with a semi-truck can leave an individual with medical bills. It could also cause permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.
It is important to have a professional New York truck accident lawyer on your side following a crash. A professional lawyer can help you prove your case using evidence such as police reports or surveillance footage, for instance.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Owner-operators and trucking companies typically don't take the necessary steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good repair. This can lead to a high percentage of preventable accidents each year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars used for passenger transport due to their larger dimensions and larger load. Unfortunately keeping deadlines and increasing profits may take precedence over maintaining a fleet. As a result, trucks are susceptible to mechanical malfunctions that can result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on a truck have to be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a single notice. When brake pads lines, return springs or lines on a truck wear out, it can lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components must be regularly checked and repaired as necessary to maintain their good working condition.
Tires that aren't well maintained can contribute to truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction, which causes the truck to slide or even roll over. If a tire is not properly designed in any way, for example, having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
Trucks require regular inspections in addition to regular maintenance to spot mechanical issues before they lead to an incident. If an inspection is done improperly or the repair shop doesn't adhere to the manufacturer's specifications it could cause an accident. In these instances the company that hired or directed the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible.
Another major cause of truck accidents is faulty lights, signals and reflectors. These devices must function properly in order for drivers to be able to detect and anticipate the speed of the truck particularly in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies might neglect to inspect and maintain these equipments or the driver may not be able to complete daily safety inspections.
A reputable Houston truck accident lawyer will review your case and identify who might be responsible for your losses should you be injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck. This investigation could uncover evidence of the defendant's negligence and help you obtain the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
There are few things more devastating than an incident with a commercial truck. These massive trucks can weigh up to 25 times more than a vehicle and cause far more injuries in accidents. While many factors cause accidents, distracted driving is one of the most common and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted might lose control of their vehicle or fail to spot the dangers on the roadway, which could lead to life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting and using cell phones while operating their vehicles. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they can still become distracted and cause crashes. This could be because of manual distractions such as taking a hand off the steering wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something else other than driving.
While most people understand the dangers of using text and drive, many are aware that other activities like eating, changing the radio station or conversing with passengers can be considered distracting. When a truck driver is distracted, they may wander off into a different lane or fail to notice an obstruction in front of them. If a truck driver's focus is diverted, it only takes a split-second for a large vehicle to collide with a car.
It is crucial to gather details about witnesses and to take photographs of the scene of the accident when a distracted driver causes a crash of a truck. It is also beneficial to determine the name of the driver who is driving the truck and the company they are employed by, as well the owner of the truck, if it's an independent contractor. This can affect who is liable for your incident since the trucking company is responsible for hiring skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be at least partially responsible for your accident, they could be held responsible for your economic and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are common and can cause serious injuries. These accidents can occur in many different situations such as the stop sign or a red light when a trucker doesn't check behind him for oncoming traffic. They can also occur when a car cuts in front of the truck, which forces the driver to slam on their brakes without warning. The trucker might then slam into the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in rear-end collisions, since it is not always obvious what vehicle caused the accident. However, an experienced attorney can gather evidence that proves the driver in the rear caused the crash due to following too closely or distracted driving. This can be evidence in the form of photos as well as police reports and eyewitness testimony as well markings from skids on the road.
The driver in the front of the car could also be accountable for the accident. This could happen if they cut someone off or fail to use their turn signal in the way that a reasonable person would, or put on the brakes at the very last minute which causes the driver in the back to crash into the vehicle directly in front of them. This type of scenario is where modified comparative negligence laws can come into play, where the jury assigns a percentage of blame to each party, and damages are lowered accordingly.
Lacerations, Bruises and Bruises
In a rear-end collision, the rear end of the vehicle is the one that suffers the most force. This means that the passengers are at risk of serious injuries if they strike their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They may also break bones after being scattered around the interior of the car by the force of the crash. Injuries to the spine are often severe. Injuries to the spine can be serious and have long-lasting impacts on the victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may suffer from psychological and emotional trauma from having been involved in a terrible crash. They may have trouble sleeping or concentrating, which can cause anxiety and depression. If they're unable work due to the degree of their injury this could cause stress and financial burden. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability to assist the victim to receive fair compensation for their loss.
The trailer is not working properly
No matter if you're driving either a car, truck, a van, or a flatbed, all vehicles need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it can cause a catastrophic accident that could cause serious injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in a collision involving an unhitched trailer, call an experienced lawyer for car accidents that specializes in cases of failure of the hitch promptly to discuss your legal options.
A malfunctioning trailer hitch may be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from inadequate security to design flaws. It can be the result of a manufacturer's defect or a manufacturing defect, in which case the laws governing product liability could apply. The person or company that is at the fault for a defective trailer could be held accountable for victims' medical bills and auto repair costs as well as other losses that result from the incident.
In an accident that killed a person on a road in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014 the trailer was detached from the truck. It crashed into two cars directly behind it. The initial investigation attributed the crash to the truck driver's negligence in failing to inspect and secure the hitch. In June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a flaw in the hitch, an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the cause of the crash.
Due to the hitch that was defective caused by the defective hitch, the trailer smashed into the sides of the vehicles, before colliding into them head-on. kent semi truck accident attorney was numerous deaths and serious injuries for the drivers.
The truck driver involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular homicide. However experts say he could have avoided the collision in the event that he had conducted a thorough 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 lot of speed and may wipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In such instances the trailer may distort the car's frame, and cause sharp metal pieces to strike the passengers inside.