Semi Truck Accident Law

A semi truck accident lawyer-truck crash can result in serious injuries that could cost a person a fortune in medical bills. It can also cause permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.

It is vital to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer by your side after a crash. A qualified attorney can assist you in proving your case using evidence like police reports or surveillance footage, for instance.

Poorly maintained vehicles

In a lot of cases trucking firms and owner-operators fail to take the appropriate steps to make sure their vehicles are in good condition. This causes an overwhelming number of preventable crashes every year.

Comparatively to passenger vehicles, semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavier load. However keeping deadlines and increasing profits can often take precedence over the maintenance of a fleet. This is why trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that can cause catastrophic accidents.

The brakes on a truck have to be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a minute's notice. When brake pads, lines or return springs on a truck are worn out, it can lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is vital that these parts are regularly checked and replaced as necessary to ensure they are in good working condition.

Inadequately maintained tires can be a major reason for truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues, which causes the truck to skid or even tip over. Tires that aren't working or damaged, whether due to inadequate tread design or air pressure, can fail catastrophically.

Regular inspections of trucks are required along with regular maintenance to detect mechanical issues before they lead to an accident. If an inspection was performed improperly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's instructions this could result in a crash. In these situations, the company that hired or supervising the maintenance or the repair shop could be held responsible.

Another common cause of truck accidents is defective lights, signals, and reflectors. These components must function properly to allow drivers to observe and anticipate the truck's movements particularly in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies may fail to check and maintain these equipments or the driver could fail to perform daily safety inspections.

A Houston truck accident lawyer can investigate your situation and determine who could be responsible for your injuries in the event you were injured by a deteriorated maintenance of a commercial truck. This investigation could uncover evidence of the defendant's negligence and assist you in obtaining the compensation you're entitled to.

Distracted Drivers

There aren't many things that can be as devastating as an accident with a commercial truck. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your vehicle and can cause a lot more injuries if they are involved in an accident. While a variety of factors can cause accidents but distracted driving is among of the most prevalent and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize the dangers on the road, which could lead to life-threatening injuries.

Truck drivers must follow strict rules and regulations formulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition on texting and using cell phones while operating their vehicles. Even if truckers follow the rules, they might still be distracted, causing an accident. This could be because of manual distractions like getting off the wheel or cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.

While most people understand that it's dangerous to text and drive, very few realize that other activities such as eating or changing the station on the radio or conversing with a passenger can also be deemed as distracting. If the trucker is distracted, they may wander off into a different lane and fail to notice a traffic jam ahead. It only takes a fraction of a second for a big truck to crash into a vehicle when the trucker's focus wanders.

It is important to collect information on witnesses and to take photographs of the scene of the crash when an unintentionally distracted driver causes an accident with a semi truck accident attorneys. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the business that they work for and who owns the vehicle in case it's an independent contractor. This could influence on who is responsible for the incident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking firm to recruit competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for your accident, they may be liable for your economic and non-economic damages.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. They can occur in a variety of situations like at an intersection or stop signal, where the trucker is unable to observe the road ahead for oncoming traffic. They may also occur when a car cuts in front of the truck, causing the driver to apply their brakes without warning. The trucker could then smash the car from behind.

It is often difficult to prove the cause of an accident that occurs at the rear, as it's not always clear which vehicle was responsible for the crash. A skilled attorney can help gather evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the accident by following too closely or driving distracted. This can be evidence in the form of photos, police reports and eyewitness testimony, as well as skid marks on the road.

The driver in front of the car may also be liable for the collision. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to use their turn signal as a reasonable person would, or slam on the brakes at the last moment, causing the driver in the back to crash into the vehicle directly in front of them. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws could be applied, in which the jury determines a percentage of the fault to each party and damages are lowered accordingly.

Lacerations and Bruises

The rear-end of the vehicle has the greatest impact in a rear-end collision so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries from hitting their head against the dashboard or back window. They could also break bones as they are thrown around the interior of the car as a result of the force of the collision. Spinal injuries can be severe. The spinal cord contains a lot of nerves that control the body. Therefore, any injury to the spinal cord could cause significant and permanent issues for the victims.

A person who is the victim of a serious accident could also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma. They might have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which can lead to depression and anxiety. They may also experience stress and financial burdens when they cannot work because of an injury. An attorney can examine the possible sources of liability and assist a victim in seeking fair compensation for their losses.

The trailer hitches are faulty.

It doesn't matter if you're driving a car, a van, semi truck accident truck, or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it could result in catastrophic accidents that result in serious injuries or death. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a runaway truck, contact an experienced attorney who specializes in hitch failure cases to discuss your legal options.

The reason behind a defective trailer hitch can be a variety of things which can range from inadequate secured or defective design. It could also be the result an issue with the manufacturer or a manufacturing defect, in which case the laws governing product liability could apply. The company or person at the fault for a defective trailer could be held accountable for the cost of medical bills and semi truck accident auto repair costs and other damages resulting from the incident.

In a fatal crash that occurred on a highway in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014, an unattached trailer was spotted on the truck. It then crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the truck driver's carelessness in failing to check and secure hitch. In June 2015 however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a flaw in the hitch the Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was responsible for the crash.

The trailer struck the side of the vehicle and crashed into them. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.

The truck driver in the incident was found guilty of vehicular homicide. However, experts say that he could've avoided the crash had he conducted an extensive inspection of his trailer to ensure that all connections were secure. Faulty trailer hitches can lead to major disasters. These types of accidents are typically high-speed and can easily sidewipe motorbikes or small cars. In these cases, the trailer may distort the frame of a car and cause razor-sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.