Semi Truck Accident Law
A severe injury sustained in collision with a semi-truck can leave an individual with medical bills. It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is essential to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer by your side after an accident. A qualified attorney will assist you in proving your case using evidence like police reports and surveillance footage, among others.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In a majority of cases trucking companies as well as owners-operators do not take proper steps to ensure their vehicles are in good condition. This can lead to a high percentage of avoidable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their size and heavier weight. Unfortunately working to meet deadlines and maximizing profits can often take precedence over maintaining the fleet. This is why trucks are more prone to mechanical failures that lead to devastating accidents.
The brakes on trucks must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a moment's notice. When brake pads, lines or return springs on a truck get worn out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is crucial that these components are regularly inspected and replaced as required to ensure that they remain in good working condition.
Tires that aren't maintained can also contribute to truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction, which causes the truck to slide or even roll over. Tires that aren't working either because of improper air pressure or tread design can fail catastrophically.
Regular inspections of trucks are required along with regular maintenance to detect mechanical problems before they cause an incident. However, if an inspection is conducted incorrectly or the repair shop fails to adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines it could lead to a crash. In these cases, the company that hired or directed the maintenance or repair shop could be held accountable.
Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are also a frequent cause of truck accident. These components must be in good working to enable drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers may fail to maintain and inspect these components, or they might not conduct regular safety checks.
A reputable Houston truck accident lawyer will investigate your case to determine who is responsible for your losses if you were injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence that proves the defendant's negligence and assist you in obtaining the compensation you deserve.
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 vehicle and can cause much greater injuries when they are involved in an accident. Distracted driving is among the many factors that cause accidents. A distracted driver of a truck can lose control of the vehicle or miss an opportunity to avoid a road accident, which can lead to serious and life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting and the use of cell phones while driving. Even if truckers obey the rules they could still get distracted and cause a crash. This could be due to manual distractions such as taking your hand off the steering wheel, or by cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be dangerous, but they are not aware that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers can also be considered distracting. If a trucker gets distracted, it is possible that he will drift into a different direction and not notice the traffic jam in front of him. When a truck driver's eye is diverted, it only takes an instant for a large vehicle to crash into a passenger car.
When a truck collision is caused by distracted driving it is vital to capture photos of the crash scene and gather the contact details and name of witnesses. It is also helpful to determine the name of the truck driver as well as the company they are employed by, as and who owns the truck if it is an independent contractor. This could have an impact on who's responsible for the accident, because it is the responsibility of the trucking firm to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible in your accident, they could be held accountable to you for financial as well as non-economic losses.
chattanooga semi truck accident case -End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are not uncommon and can result in severe injuries. They can occur in a variety settings, such as at a red light or stop signal when the trucker fails to look behind them for any traffic that is coming up. They can also occur when a car cuts in front of the truck, causing the driver to apply their brakes without warning. The trucker might then slam the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions, as it isn't always evident who was at fault. An experienced attorney can gather evidence to prove that the driver in the back caused the crash due to following too closely or driving distracted. This can be evidence in the form of photos, police reports and eyewitness testimony, aswell being skid marks on the road.
The driver in the front of the car could also be accountable for the accident. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to obey their turn signal in the manner that a reasonable person would, or slam on the brakes at the very last minute, causing the driver in the back to slam into the car directly in the front. In this type of scenario the modified comparative negligence laws could be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each of the parties. Damages are then reduced accordingly.
Bruises & Lacerations
The rear end of the vehicle is the one that is most affected in a rear-end collision, meaning that occupants can sustain serious injuries as they smash their head against the back window or dashboard. The force of the collision can cause broken bones when the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the interior of the car. The injuries to the spine can be extremely severe. The spinal cord houses a number of nerves that control the body, therefore any injury to the spinal column may cause long-lasting and serious problems for victims.
A person who has been involved in a serious accident could also be suffering from emotional and psychological trauma. They may have difficulty in concentrating or sleeping, which could cause anxiety and depression. They could also be facing financial hardship and stress when they cannot work due to their injury. An attorney can examine all possible causes of liability and help the victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their expenses.
Problematic Trailer Hitches
No matter if you're driving either a car, van, truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles need to be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could cause catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries or even death. If you've been injured by a runaway trailer, contact a qualified vehicle accident attorney with a specialization in cases of hitch failure immediately to discuss your legal options.
The reason behind a defective trailer hitch could be due to a variety of factors such as inadequate securing or defective design. It could also be the result an error by the manufacturer, in which case product liability laws may apply. The company or individual responsible for a trailer's defect can be held accountable for the victim's medical expenses as well as auto repair costs and other losses that result from the incident.
For instance there was a fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 along an Ohio road locally known as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came loose from the truck and careened through the air into two cars that were behind it. The initial investigation attributed the accident to the truck driver's inattention to inspect and secure the hitch. In June 2015, however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a flaw in the hitch the Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason for the crash.
The trailer hit the side of the vehicles, and then crashed into them. The result was numerous fatalities and serious injuries to the drivers.
The truck driver involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular homicide, but experts suggest that he could've avoided the collision in the event that he had conducted an exhaustive inspection of his trailer to ensure all connections were in good order. A faulty hitch on a trailer can lead to serious accidents, since these types of incidents typically involve a lot of speed, and they can wipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In these cases the trailer could deform the frame of a car and result in sharp metal fragments to impale any passengers.