Semi Truck Accident Law

A severe injury sustained in the crash of a semi truck accidents-truck can leave someone in medical bills. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.

It is important to have a reputable New York truck accident lawyer on your side following an accident. A qualified attorney will help you prove your case using evidence such as police reports and surveillance footage.

Vehicles that aren't maintained properly

Owner-operators and trucking companies typically do not take the proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good working order. This can lead to an astronomical number of preventable accidents occurring every year.

As compared to passenger cars semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance due to their size and weight. load. Unfortunately working to meet deadlines and maximizing profits may take precedence over the maintenance of a fleet. This is why trucks are more prone to mechanical breakdowns that can result in catastrophic accidents.

The brakes on trucks must be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a moment's notice. If the pads of a truck's brakes lines, lines, or return springs fail, they can cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is essential that these parts are regularly inspected and replaced when needed to keep them in good working order.

A poorly maintained tire can also be a major cause of truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can lose traction and cause the truck to flip over or skid. Tires that aren't working, whether it's due to improper air pressure or tread design may fail catastrophically.

Regular inspections of trucks are required along with regular maintenance to identify mechanical issues prior to causing an incident. If an inspection is performed incorrectly or the repair shop doesn't adhere to the guidelines of the manufacturer it could lead to an accident. In such cases, a company that hired the maintenance or repair shop or supervised it could be held responsible.

Another common cause of truck accidents is faulty lights, signals, and reflectors. These items must be properly functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas or after dark. However, trucking companies might fail to maintain and inspect these items or the driver might fail to perform daily safety inspections.

A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer can analyze your case to determine who could be accountable for your damages if you were injured in an accident with a poorly-maintained commercial truck. This investigation could uncover evidence of negligence by the defendant and help you receive the compensation you deserve.

Distracted Drivers

There are few things more damaging than an accident which involves a commercial vehicle. These massive vehicles can weigh as much as 25 times the weight of your car and can cause more severe injuries when involved in an accident. Distracted driving is just one of the many factors that cause accidents. A distracted driver of a truck can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice an accident on the road which could lead to serious and life-altering injuries.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition on texting and the use of cell phones while driving. But even if truckers obey the rules they are still prone to be distracted and cause a crash. This can be a result of manual distractions such as dropping a hand off of the wheel or cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.

Many people are aware that texting while driving can be risky, but many do not realize that other activities, like eating, changing radio stations, or chatting with passengers, can also be considered distracting. When a trucker is distracted, they may drift into another lane or miss the traffic jam ahead of them. If a truck driver's focus is diverted, it only takes an instant for a large vehicle to strike a passenger car.

It is essential to collect information on witnesses and to take photographs of the accident scene when a distracted driver causes an accident with a truck. It is important to determine the name of the driver, the company for which they work and who owns the vehicle, if it's an independent contractor. This could impact on who is liable for the accident, because it is the responsibility of the trucking business to employ competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for the accident, they could be held responsible for your economic and non-economic losses.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions between trucks are not uncommon and can cause serious injuries. They can happen in a variety settings like at an intersection, a stop signal, where the trucker is unable to look behind them for oncoming traffic. It can also happen when vehicles cross the truck's path, which forces the driver of the truck to brake abruptly without warning. The trucker could then hit the car from behind.

It can be difficult to prove the cause of rear-end crashes, as 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 in a distracted manner. This could include evidence such as photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks on the roadway.

The driver in front of the car may also be accountable for the collision. This could happen if they cut someone off or fail to use their turn signal in the way that a reasonable person would, or hit on the brakes at the very last minute and causing the driver behind to slam into the car directly in front of them. In this type of scenario an amended comparative negligence law may be used. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each of the parties. Damages are then reduced accordingly.

Lacerations & Bruises

In a rear-end collision, the rear end of the vehicle is the area that receives the most impact. This means that the occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they strike their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash can cause broken bones if the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the interior of the vehicle. Spinal injuries can be severe. The spinal cord contains a lot of nerves that regulate the body, so any damage to the spinal column may cause significant and permanent issues for the victims.

In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may suffer from psychological and emotional traumas as a result of having been involved in a terrible crash. They may have difficulty getting enough sleep or concentrating, which could cause anxiety and depression. They may also face stress and financial strain when they cannot work due to an injury. An attorney can research the possible sources of liability and assist a victim in seeking fair compensation for their expenses.

Problematic Trailer Hitches

All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a car or a truck, van flatbed, van, or, need to be securely connected to their trailers. When a trailer becomes unexpectedly unhitched, it can result in catastrophic accidents that result in severe injuries or death. If you have been injured in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck get in touch with an experienced lawyer who is skilled in cases involving the failure of a hitch to discuss your legal options.

The reason behind a defective trailer hitch is many things that can be traced to improper securement or design. It can be the result of a defect in the manufacturing process and, in this case, products liability laws could apply. The company or individual accountable for a defective trailer can be held accountable for the victim's medical expenses as well as auto repair costs and other losses resulting from the incident.

In a fatal crash that occurred on a highway in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014 the trailer was detached from the truck. It crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the driver's negligence in 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 caused the hitch involved in the crash -- an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a large proportion of occasions.

The trailer struck the side of the vehicles and crashed into them. The result was numerous fatalities and serious injuries to the drivers.

The truck driver in the crash was found guilty of vehicular homicide, but experts say that he could've avoided the collision in the event that he had conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were tight. A faulty trailer hitch can cause major accidents. These incidents are often high-speed and are able to sidewipe motorcycles or smaller cars. In such cases, the trailer can distort a car's frame and force steel fragments that are razor-sharp to crush passengers inside.