Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck collision can result in a serious injury that can cause a person to pay a huge amount in medical bills. It can also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
After a crash, it is important to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney at your side. A skilled lawyer can you prove your case with evidence such as police reports and surveillance camera footage and more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Owner-operators and trucking companies typically don't take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good shape. This causes an astronomical number of preventable accidents every year.
Compared to passenger cars, semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavier loads. Unfortunately the pressure of completing deadlines and maximizing profits often takes precedence over maintaining the fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical issues that could result in catastrophes.
The brakes on a truck must be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a single notice. When brake pads lines, return springs or lines on a truck get worn out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components must be checked and repaired regularly when necessary to ensure they are in good condition.
Tires that aren't properly maintained can be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that have worn out may lose traction and cause the truck to flip over or slide. If a tire is deficient in any way, like having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks also require regular inspections to identify mechanical issues prior to causing an accident. If an inspection was performed in a way that is not correct or if the repair shop fails to adhere to the manufacturer's specifications this could result in an accident. In these instances, the company that employed the repair or maintenance company or who was responsible for its supervision could be held responsible.
Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are another frequent cause of truck accident. These items must be properly working to enable drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas or at night. However, trucking firms may fail to check and maintain these equipments or the driver could fail to perform daily safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident lawyer will investigate your case and determine who could be accountable for your losses in the event that you were injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence of negligence by the defendant and assist you in obtaining the compensation you're due.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your vehicle and may cause more injuries when they are involved in collisions. While many factors contribute to accidents that result from distracted driving, it is one of the most frequent and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted might lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize an accident on the road, which could lead to life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition on texting or using cell phones while driving. Even if truckers follow the rules, they could be distracted and cause an accident. This could be the result of manual distractions like taking their hands off the wheel or cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
While most people understand the dangers of using text while driving, a few are aware that other activities like eating, changing the radio station or even talking to passengers can be deemed as distracting. When the trucker is distracted, it is possible that he will drift into a different track and not see a traffic jam ahead. It only takes a split second for a big truck to hit a passenger vehicle when the trucker's attention wanders.
It is essential to collect information on witnesses and also take pictures of the scene after an accident if a distracted driver causes the truck to crash. It is important to determine the name of the driver, the business that they work for, and who owns the vehicle, if it's an independent contractor. This can have an impact on who is liable for the accident, because it is the trucking company's responsibility to hire competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be at least partially responsible for your accident, they could be liable for your economic and non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are quite common and can cause severe injuries. These accidents can occur in many different circumstances such as the stop sign or red light when the trucker does not check behind him for any traffic that is coming up. It could also happen when vehicles cross the truck's route, causing the driver of the truck to brake suddenly without warning. The trucker could then smash the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove the cause of a rear-end crash, as it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash. An experienced attorney can gather evidence to show that the driver in the rear caused the crash due to following too closely or driving distracted. This can be evidence in the form of photos as well as police reports and eyewitness testimony as well as skid marks in the road.
Sometimes the driver in front might be responsible for the accident as well. This can happen when they cut off someone else or fail to utilize a turn signal in the same manner as any reasonable person would do. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws could be used, in which the jury assigns a percentage of blame to each party, and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.
Bruises and Lacerations
The rear-end of the vehicle 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 dashboard or back windows. They also may break bones as they are scattered around the interior of the car due to the force of the collision. Spinal injuries can be very serious. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that regulate the body. Therefore, any injury to the spinal column can cause significant and permanent issues for the victims.
A person who has been involved in a serious accident may also suffer from emotional and psychological trauma. They may experience difficulties sleeping or concentrating which can lead them to anxiety and depression. If they're unable work due to the severity of their injury, this can cause anxiety and financial hardship. An attorney can research any possible liability sources and assist a victim in seeking an appropriate amount of compensation for their losses.
Faulty Trailer Hitches
No matter if you're driving an automobile, a truck, a van or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely attached to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it can cause catastrophic accidents that cause serious injuries or even death. If you have been injured in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck, contact an experienced attorney who specializes in hitch failure cases to discuss your legal options.
The cause of a faulty trailer hitch can be caused by a variety that can be traced to improper securement or design. portsmouth semi truck accident law firm could be caused by an error on the part of the manufacturer, where case-by-case product liability law may apply. The person or company that is at the fault for a trailer that is defective can be held liable for medical bills of victims and auto repair expenses, and other losses arising from the incident.
For instance, in a deadly crash that occurred in January 2014 along an Ohio road that is locally referred to as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came free from the truck and slid over two cars ahead of it. Initial investigations pointed out that the accident was due to the truck driver's carelessness in failing to properly inspect and secure the hitch. However, in June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch involved in the crash -an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a high proportion of times.
The trailer slammed into the side of the vehicle and crashed into them. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck 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 done a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were tight. The failure of trailer hitches can cause major accidents. These incidents are often high-speed and can easily sidewipe motorcycles or other smaller vehicles. In these instances the trailer could distort the frame of a car and cause razor-sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.