Semi Truck Accident Law
A severe injury sustained in a crash with semi-trucks can cost a person with medical bills. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.
After a collision is essential to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A skilled attorney can prove your case by using evidence such as police reports and surveillance camera footage and much more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In a majority of cases trucking firms and owner-operators fail to take the appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This can lead to an overwhelming number of accidents that could have been avoided every year.
As compared to passenger cars tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and weight. load. However keeping deadlines and increasing profits can often take precedence over maintaining a fleet. As a result, trucks are more prone to mechanical breakdowns that can result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on a truck have to be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a moments notice. When brake pads, lines or return springs on a truck wear out they can cause serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components should be regularly checked and repaired when necessary to ensure they are in good working condition.
Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major contributor to truck accidents. Tires that are worn-out can lose traction and cause the truck to roll over or skid. Tires that are defective either because of an insufficient tread design or air pressure can fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks also require regular inspections to identify mechanical issues prior to causing an accident. If an inspection is performed in a way that is not correct or if the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's guidelines it could cause a crash. In these cases, the company that hired or oversees the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible.
Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are another common reason for truck accidents. These devices must be correctly functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas or after dark. However, trucking companies may neglect to inspect and maintain these components or the driver could fail to perform daily safety checks.
A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer can investigate your case to determine which parties may be accountable for your damages should you be injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence and help you obtain the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These huge trucks can weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and cause much worse injuries in accidents. While many factors cause accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most common and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted may lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize a hazard in the road, which can lead to life-changing injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and regulations for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using mobile phones while driving. Even if truckers obey the rules, they could be distracted and result in an accident. This can be a result of manual distractions such as getting off the wheel, or cognitive distractions like thinking about something else other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be risky, but many do not realize that other activities, such as eating, changing radio stations, or conversing with passengers, can also be considered distracting. When a trucker is distracted, they could get lost in a lane or fail to notice a traffic jam in front of them. It only takes a fraction of a second for a big truck to crash into a vehicle when the trucker's focus wanders.
If a car accident is caused by distracted drivers it is crucial to snap photos of the scene of the crash and collect the name and contact information of witnesses. It is essential to know the name of the driver, the business that they work for, and who owns the vehicle, if it's an independent contractor. This will affect who is accountable for your accident as the trucking company is responsible for securing competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for your accident, it may be liable to you for both economic and non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are quite common and can cause serious injuries. They can happen in a variety of settings for example, at the stop or red light signal when the trucker fails to check behind them for oncoming traffic. It can also happen when an automobile crosses the truck's route, causing the driver of the truck to brake abruptly without warning. The trucker can then slam into the car from behind.
It is often difficult to prove the cause of rear-end collisions, since it is not always obvious what vehicle caused the accident. A skilled attorney can help find evidence to prove that the driver in the back caused the crash because they followed too closely or driving with a distraction. This could include evidence such as photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony, and skid marks on the road.
The driver in front of the car may also be accountable for the collision. This can happen when they cut someone off or fail use a turn signal as any reasonable person would do. In this kind of situation an amended comparative negligence law could be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each party. The damages are then reduced according to.
Bruises and Lacerations
In a rear-end crash the rear-end of the car is the area that experiences the most force. This means that the drivers are most at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash can cause broken bones when the occupants are thrown about the vehicle's interior. The injuries to the spine can be particularly severe. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that control the body, and any injury to the spinal column could cause permanent and significant problems for victims.
A person who has been involved in a serious accident may also suffer from psychological and emotional trauma. fayetteville semi truck accident law firm might have trouble sleeping or concentrating. This can result in anxiety and depression. They may also experience stress and financial difficulties in the event that they are unable to work because of an injury. An attorney can examine the possible causes of liability to help a victim receive an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss.
Troublesome trailer hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a car, van, truck flatbed, van, or must be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer goes unhitched, it can cause a catastrophic accident that could cause serious injuries or even death. If you've suffered injuries in an accident involving an unhitched trailer, call a qualified vehicle accident attorney who specializes in cases involving hitch failure as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch can be a variety of things that can be traced to improper securement or design. It could be due to an issue on the part of the manufacturer, in which case the product liability law could be applicable. The person or company that is at fault for a faulty trailer can be held liable for the cost of medical bills and auto repair expenses, and other losses arising from the incident.
For instance the fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road locally known as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came out of the truck and careened head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigations pointed out that the accident was due to the truck driver’s negligence for not inspecting and secure the hitch. But in June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -one of the Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a large proportion of times.
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. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries to the drivers.
The driver of the truck that was involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, but experts believe he could have avoided the collision with the other vehicles if he done a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were in good order. Faulty trailer hitches can cause major catastrophes. These accidents are typically high-speed, and they can easily cause a collision with motorbikes or smaller vehicles. In these situations the trailer could distort the frame of a vehicle and force the metal to crush passengers inside.