Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained during collision with a semi truck can bury a person in medical bills. It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy.
After a crash, it is important to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney at your side. A qualified attorney can help establish your case through evidence like police reports or surveillance camera footage and more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Owner-operators and trucking companies often do not take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good condition. This causes many avoidable accidents every year.
As compared to passenger cars tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and weight. loads. However the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximizing profits is often prioritized over the maintenance of the fleet. In the end, trucks are more prone to mechanical problems that can lead to devastating accidents.
The brakes on a truck must be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a moment's notice. When brake pads lines, return springs, or lines on a truck wear out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is vital to have these parts regularly inspected and replaced when needed to keep them in good condition.
Tires that aren't maintained may 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 damaged in any way, like having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
Trucks need routine inspections along with regular maintenance in order to spot mechanical issues before they can cause an incident. If an inspection is performed improperly or the repair shop does not adhere to the manufacturer's specifications this could result in a crash. In these instances, the company that commissioned the maintenance or repair shop or was the one who supervised it could be held accountable.
Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are another frequent cause of truck accident. These devices must function properly to enable drivers to see and anticipate the movements of the truck especially in rural areas or at night. Drivers and trucking companies could fail to maintain and inspect these equipment, or may not carry out regular safety checks.
A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your situation and determine who could be accountable for your losses in the event you were injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. Investigating your case can uncover evidence to prove the negligence of the defendant in your crash and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
There aren't many things that can be as devastating as an accident which involves a commercial vehicle. These massive vehicles can weigh up to 25 times more than your car and cause a lot more injuries in an accident. Distracted driving is one of many factors that can cause accidents. A truck driver who is distracted may lose control of their vehicle or fail to notice a hazard in the road, which can lead to severe and life-changing injuries.
Truck drivers are required to adhere to strict rules and regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting or using mobile phones while driving. However, even when truckers abide by the rules, they can still become distracted and cause crashes. This is often caused by manual distractions like turning your back on the steering wheel, or by cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be risky, but not many know that other activities, like eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers, can also be considered distracting. If a trucker is distracted the driver could drift off into another track and not see an impending traffic jam. When a truck driver's eye is diverted, it only takes just a few seconds for a huge vehicle to collide with a car.
It is essential to collect information on witnesses and take photos of the scene of the accident when the driver is distracted, which can cause a crash of a truck. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the business that they work for and who owns the vehicle in case it's an independent contractor. This could influence on who is responsible for the incident, since it is the trucking company's responsibility to hire competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found partially responsible for your accident, it could be held accountable to you for financial as well as non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and can cause serious injuries. They can occur in a variety situations for example, at an intersection, a stop signal when the trucker fails to look behind them for any traffic that is coming up. It can also happen when a car cuts across the truck's route, causing the driver of the truck to stop suddenly and without warning. The trucker may then crash into the car from behind.
It is often difficult to prove the cause of rear-end collisions, since it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash. An experienced attorney can gather evidence to prove that the driver in the back caused the crash by following too closely, or driving with a distraction. This evidence can include photos or police reports, eyewitness testimony as well markings from skids on the road.
Sometimes, the driver in the front could be found to be responsible for the accident also. This could happen if they cut someone off or fail to make use of a turn signal, as would any reasonable person would do. In this kind of situation an amended comparative negligence law may be used. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each of the parties. Damages will be reduced accordingly.
Lacerations, Bruises and Bruises
The rear-end of the car is the one that is most affected during a rear-end collision so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries as they smash their head against the back window or dashboard. They may also break bones due to being torn around inside the car as a result of the force of the crash. columbia semi truck accident lawyer to the spine can be extremely severe. Damage to the spine can have long-lasting and serious effects on the victims.
A person who has been involved in a serious accident may also suffer from emotional and psychological trauma. They may experience difficulties in concentrating or sleeping, which could result in anxiety and depression. If they are unable to work due to the extent of their injury, this can add pressure and financial hardship. An attorney can examine the potential sources of liability to assist a victim in receiving fair compensation for their loss.
Problematic Trailer Hitches
It doesn't matter if you're driving an automobile, a van, truck, or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally pulling a trailer off can cause catastrophic accidents that can lead to severe injuries, or even death. If you've suffered injuries by the trailer that has run away, contact a qualified vehicle accident attorney who specializes in cases involving hitch failure immediately 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 could also be due to an issue with the manufacturer and, in this case, lawful product liability may apply. The person or company responsible for a trailer that is defective could be held responsible for the victim's medical costs along with auto repair expenses and other losses resulting from the incident.
For example the fatal crash that took place in January 2014 on an Ohio road that is locally referred to as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came free from the truck and crashed head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigations pointed out that the accident was due to the driver's negligence for not inspecting and secure hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -- an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a significant percentage of occasions.
The trailer slammed into the side of the vehicles and then crashed into them. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers.
The driver of the truck that was involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However experts believe that he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he had performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were tight. A faulty hitch on a trailer can lead to catastrophic accidents, as they typically involve a substantial amount of speed and can easily sidewipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In these instances the trailer could distort the frame of a car and cause sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.