Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained during the crash of trucks can result in the death of someone in medical costs. It can also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is vital to have a qualified New York truck accident lawyer by your side after a crash. A qualified lawyer will assist you in proving your case with evidence like police reports or surveillance footage, for instance.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In many instances trucking companies as well as owners-operators do not take appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good working condition. This can lead to an astronomical number of avoidable accidents every year.
Comparatively to passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers and semis need more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavy loads. Unfortunately, meeting deadlines and maximising profits often take precedence over the maintenance of the fleet. In the end, trucks can become prone to mechanical breakdowns that can cause catastrophic accidents.
The brakes of trucks are especially important because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at an instant's notice. When brake pads lines, return springs or return lines on a truck are worn out, it can lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components must be regularly checked and repaired as needed to ensure their good condition.
Tires that aren't properly maintained may contribute to truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction, which causes the truck to slide or even roll over. If a tire is defective in some way, such as having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it may fail catastrophically.
Trucks require regular inspections along with regular maintenance to spot mechanical issues prior to causing an incident. However, if the inspection is performed incorrectly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's instructions the result could be an accident. In these instances, the company that hired or oversees the maintenance or the repair shop could be held accountable.
Another reason for truck accidents is faulty signals, lights, and reflectors. These items must function properly to allow drivers to detect and anticipate the truck's movements, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies may neglect to inspect and maintain these equipments or the driver may fail to conduct regular safety checks.
A Houston truck accident attorney can review your case and determine who could be accountable for your damages in the event that you were injured by a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence proving the defendant's negligence and assist you in obtaining the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be devastating. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times more than your vehicle and can cause more serious injuries when they are involved in an accident. Distracted driving is one of many factors that cause accidents. A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize an issue on the road, which can lead to life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition on texting or using cell phones while operating their vehicles. Even if truckers follow the rules, they could still get distracted and cause crash. This is often caused by manual distractions such as not having your hands on the steering wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving is dangerous, but they are not aware that other activities, such as eating, changing radio stations, or talking to passengers, could also be considered to be distracting. If a truck driver is distracted, they could wander off into another lane, or fail to see a traffic jam up ahead of them. When a truck driver's eye is diverted, it takes only just a few seconds for a huge vehicle to collide with a car.
If a truck crash is caused by an unintentionally distracted driver, it is important to take photographs of the scene of the accident and note down the name and contact information of witnesses. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the business for which they work and who owns the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This can affect who is accountable for your accident since the trucking company is responsible for hiring skilled and competent truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for your accident, it may be liable to you for financial and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. These accidents can happen in many different situations such as at a stop sign or an intersection when the trucker is not checking behind him for oncoming traffic. It can also happen when vehicles cross the truck's path, which forces the driver of the truck to brake suddenly without warning. The trucker can then slam into the car from behind.
It is often difficult to prove fault in an accident that occurs at the rear, as it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash. A knowledgeable attorney can gather evidence to prove that the driver in the back caused the accident by following too closely, or driving in a distracted manner. knoxville semi truck accident attorney could include evidence like photos, police reports eyewitness testimony and skid marks left on the roadway.
The driver in front of the car may also be held responsible for the incident. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to utilize a turn signal in the same manner as any reasonable person. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws could come into play, where the jury assigns a percentage to each party and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.
Lacerations and Bruises
In a rear-end crash the rear of the car is the area that receives the most impact. This means that the occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they crash their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They also may break bones due to being scattered around the interior of the vehicle by the force of the crash. The spine is a vulnerable area and injuries to it can be particularly severe. Damage to the spine can cause serious and lasting effects on the victims.
A person who is the victim of a serious accident may also suffer from psychological and emotional trauma. They may experience difficulty being able to sleep or concentrate, which can lead them to anxiety and depression. If they are unable to work due to the degree of their injury this could cause pressure and financial hardship. An attorney can research any possible liability sources and help the victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their losses.
Troublesome trailer hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a vehicle, a car, a truck, van flatbed, van must be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it could cause a catastrophic accident that could result in severe injuries or even death. If you've suffered injuries in a collision involving the trailer that has run away, contact an experienced lawyer for car accidents with a specialization in cases of hitch failure as soon as you can 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 a defect on the part of the manufacturer in which case product liability laws could apply. The company or person responsible for a defective trailer can be held accountable for the victim's medical costs along with auto repair expenses and other losses resulting from the incident.
In an accident that killed a person on a road 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 investigations attributed the accident to the truck driver's carelessness for failing to inspect and secure hitch. However, in June 2015 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch at the center of the crash -one of the Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a significant number of occasions.
The trailer hit the side of the vehicle and crashed into them. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck that was involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However experts believe he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he done a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were in good order. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major disasters, as these incidents often involve a lot of speed and could easily hit smaller cars or motorcycles. In such instances the trailer can deform the frame of a vehicle and force razor sharp metal fragments to strike the passengers inside.