Semi Truck Accident Law
A severe injury sustained in the crash of trucks can result in the death of an individual in medical costs. It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is important to have a reputable New York truck accident lawyer on your side following a crash. A qualified lawyer will help you prove your case with evidence such as police reports and surveillance footage.
Poorly-Maintained Vehicles
Owner-operators and trucking companies often don't take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good condition. This causes an increase in the number of avoidable accidents every year.
As compared to passenger cars tractor-trailers and semis require more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavier loads. However, meeting deadlines and maximising profits may take precedence over the maintenance of the fleet. This is why trucks can be susceptible to mechanical breakdowns that can lead to devastating accidents.
The brakes on trucks are of particular importance since they have to stop the vehicle and slow it down at a moment's notice. When the brake pads on a truck, lines or return springs fail, they can cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. These components should be regularly inspected and repaired as necessary to maintain their good condition.
A poorly maintained tire can also be a major reason for truck accidents. Tires that are worn down can cause the tires to lose traction and cause the truck to slide or even flip over. If a tire is not properly designed in any way, like having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
Trucks require regular inspections in addition to regular maintenance to detect mechanical issues before they can cause 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, it can cause a crash. In these cases, a company that employed the repair or maintenance shop or supervised it could be held accountable.
Another cause of truck accidents is defective signals, lights and reflectors. These devices must be correctly functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas and after dark. Trucking companies or drivers may not be able to maintain and inspect these elements, or they might not conduct regular safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident attorney can investigate your case and determine who may be accountable for your damages in the event that you were injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. Investigating your case can uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence in the accident and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
There aren't many things more devastating than an accident that involves a commercial truck. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your vehicle and can cause much greater injuries when they are involved in a collision. While a variety of factors can contribute to accidents that result from distracted driving, it is one of the most frequent and risky. A distracted truck driver can lose control of the vehicle or overlook a road hazard and cause serious and life-altering injuries.
Truck drivers must adhere to strict rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition on texting or using cellular phones while driving. Even if truckers adhere to the rules, they may still be distracted and cause a crash. This could be due to mechanical distractions like getting your hands off the steering wheel or cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
While most people understand that it is risky to text and drive, few are aware that other activities such as eating, changing the radio station or conversing with a passenger could also be deemed to be distracting. If the trucker is distracted, they may wander off into a different track and not see the traffic jam in front of him. When a trucker's attention is diverted, it takes only a split-second for a large vehicle to strike a passenger car.
When a truck accident occurs due to a distracted driver It is essential to snap photos of the crash scene and gather the name and contact details of witnesses. It is also beneficial to know the name of the truck driver as well as the company they work for, aswell and who owns the truck if they are an independent contractor. This can have an impact on who is liable for the incident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking company to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partly responsible for the accident, they could be held responsible for your economic as well as non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are not uncommon and can cause severe injuries. These accidents can happen in many different circumstances like at a stop sign or red light when a trucker doesn't check the road ahead for oncoming traffic. They may also occur when a car comes in front of the truck, forcing the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker might then slam the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions, as it isn't always certain which vehicle was responsible. However, a skilled attorney can gather evidence that proves the driver in the rear caused the crash through following too closely or distracted driving. The evidence can include photographs of the scene, police reports, eyewitness testimony as well being skid marks on the road.
The driver in the front of the car could also be liable for the collision. This can happen when they cut off someone else or fail to make use of a turn signal, as would any other reasonable person. This is where modified comparative negligence laws could be used, in which the jury determines a percentage of the fault to each party and damages are reduced accordingly.
Bruises & Lacerations
In a rear-end crash the rear of the car is the part that takes the most force. tustin semi truck accident settlement means that occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they strike their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They also may break bones from being scattered around the interior of the car due to the force of the crash. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that regulate the body, so any injury to the spinal column may cause long-lasting and serious issues for the victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, the victim may suffer from psychological and emotional trauma from being involved in a devastating crash. They may have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which may cause anxiety and depression. If they're unable to work due to the seriousness of their injury it can create anxiety and financial hardship. An attorney can investigate all possible causes of liability and help a victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss.
The trailer is not working properly
No matter if you're driving the vehicle of a car, van, truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles have to be securely connected to their trailers. Unexpectedly unhitching a trailer can cause catastrophic accidents that lead to serious injuries or death. If you've been injured in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck, contact an experienced attorney who is skilled in cases involving the failure of a hitch to discuss your legal options.
A malfunctioning trailer hitch may be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from inadequate securement to a defective design. It can be the result of a defect in the manufacturing process or a manufacturing defect, in which case the products liability laws could apply. The person or company that is at fault for a faulty trailer could be held accountable for the cost of medical bills, auto repair costs, and other damages resulting from the incident.
In a fatal crash on a highway in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014, the trailer was detached from the truck. It then crashed into two cars that were directly behind it. Initial investigations linked the incident to the truck driver's carelessness for failing to inspect and secure the hitch. However, in June 2015 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch involved in the crash -it was an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a large proportion of times.
As a result of the malfunctioning hitch caused by the defective hitch, the trailer smashed into the sides of the vehicles and then crashed into them head-on. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck involved in this accident was convicted of vehicular manslaughter. However experts believe that he could have avoided the collision with the 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 could cause major problems. These incidents are often fast and can easily smack motorbikes or smaller vehicles. In such instances the trailer may distort the frame of a vehicle and force steel fragments that are razor-sharp to impale passengers inside.