Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained during collision with a semi truck can bury an individual with medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is essential to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer on your side following an accident. A qualified lawyer will assist you in proving your case using evidence like police reports, surveillance footage, etc.
Vehicles that are not maintained properly
In a majority of cases trucking firms and owners-operators do not take appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This negligence results in an astronomical number of preventable accidents occurring every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars for passengers because of their larger size and heavier weight. Unfortunately keeping deadlines and increasing profits may take precedence over the maintenance of the fleet. As a result, trucks can be susceptible to mechanical failures that result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes of trucks are crucial because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at the smallest of moments. When brake pads lines, return springs or return lines on a truck wear out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is essential to have these parts regularly inspected and replaced when required to ensure that they remain in good condition.
Inadequately maintained tires can be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues and cause the truck to skid or even roll over. Tires that aren't working either because of an insufficient tread design or air pressure may fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks must undergo routine inspections to detect mechanical problems before they lead to an accident. However, if the inspection is not done correctly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's instructions this could result in an accident. In such cases, a firm that hired the repair or maintenance shop or managed it may be held liable.
Another reason for truck accidents is defective lights, signals and reflectors. These items must be properly working to enable drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies could fail to maintain and inspect these elements or the driver may fail to perform daily safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident lawyer can review your case and determine who may be accountable for your losses in the event that you were injured by a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence proving the defendant's negligence and help you get the compensation you're due.
Distracted Drivers
The result of a collision involving commercial trucks could be devastating. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and can cause much greater injuries when they are involved in collisions. While a variety of factors can contribute to accidents but distracted driving is among of the most common and risky. A driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or overlook an accident on the road which could lead to serious and life-altering injuries.
Truck drivers are required to adhere to strict rules and regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition on texting or using cellular phones while driving. However, even when truckers abide by the rules, they are still prone to be distracted and cause a crash. This could be the result of manual distractions like dropping a hand off of the wheel or cognitive distractions like thinking about something else other than driving.
While the majority of people are aware that it is dangerous to text while driving, a few are aware that other activities, such as eating or changing the radio station, and even conversing with passengers can be deemed to be distracting. When a truck driver is distracted, they might drift into another lane or not be able to see the traffic jam ahead of them. It takes only a split second for a big truck to hit a passenger vehicle when the trucker's attention is diverted.
If a car accident is caused by a distracted driver it is crucial to snap photos of the crash scene and gather the contact details and name of any witnesses. It is also important to determine the name of the driver who is driving the truck and the company they are employed by, as well as who owns the truck, if it's an independent contractor. This can have an influence on who is responsible for the accident, as it is the responsibility of the trucking company to recruit competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partially responsible in your accident, it could be liable to you for financial and non-economic damage.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are quite common and can cause serious injuries. These accidents can occur in a variety of circumstances like at a stop sign or red light, when the trucker doesn't check behind him for oncoming traffic. They may also occur when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, which forces the driver to hit their brakes without warning. The trucker can then slam into the car from behind.
It is often difficult to prove the cause of an accident that occurs at the rear, as it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash. An experienced attorney can gather evidence to show that the driver behind caused the crash by following too closely or driving distracted. This could include evidence like photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony, and skid marks on the roadway.
The driver in the front of the car could also be liable for the accident. This can happen when they cut someone off or fail to use a turn signal like any reasonable person would do. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws could be in play, where the jury assigns a percentage to each party and damages are reduced accordingly.
Lacerations and Bruises
The rear-end of the car is the one that is most affected in a rear-end collision, so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries when they hit their head against the back window or dashboard. north carolina semi truck accident law firm of the crash could cause broken bones if the occupants are thrown around the inside of the vehicle. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. Spinal injuries can be serious and have long-lasting impacts on the victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, victims may also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma as a result of being involved in a devastating crash. They may experience difficulty getting enough sleep or concentrating. This can result in anxiety and depression. They could also be facing stress and financial difficulties when they cannot work due to an injury. An attorney can look into all possible sources of liability and help the victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their expenses.
Faulty trailer hitches
Regardless of whether you're driving the vehicle of a car, truck, a van or a flatbed, all vehicles have to be securely attached to their trailers. If a trailer goes unhitched, it can lead to catastrophic accidents that result in serious injuries or even death. If you've been injured in an accident that involved the trailer that has run away, contact an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents who specializes in cases involving hitch failure as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.
The reason behind a defective trailer hitch is many things such as inadequate secured or defective design. It could be caused by an error on the part of the manufacturer, in which case, product liability law may apply. The person or company that is at the fault for a defective trailer could be held accountable for victims' medical bills, auto repair costs, as well as other losses that result from the incident.
In a fatal crash 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. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the driver's negligence in failing to inspect and secure the hitch. In June 2015, however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started investigating the possibility that a defect in the hitch, an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason for the crash.
As a result of the defective hitch caused by the defective hitch, the trailer smashed into the sides of the vehicles before plunging into them head-on. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries to the drivers.
The driver of the truck that was involved in this accident was convicted of vehicular murder, however experts say that he could have prevented the collision with other vehicles if he had performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were tight. Faulty trailer hitches can cause major accidents. These incidents are often fast and can easily smack motorbikes or smaller vehicles. In these instances the trailer may distort the car's frame and push razor sharp metal fragments to sever the limbs of passengers in.