semi truck accident lawyer Truck Accident Law

A serious injury resulting from an accident with a semi truck accident law firms-truck can leave someone in medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.

After a collision is essential to retain an experienced New York truck accident attorney by your side. A qualified attorney can help establish your case through evidence like police reports or surveillance camera footage and much more.

Poorly maintained vehicles

Owner-operators and companies that operate trucks often do not take the proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good shape. This causes many preventable crashes every year.

Compared to passenger cars, tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavier load. However, the pressure of completing deadlines and lawyers maximizing profits often over maintaining the fleet. As a result, trucks are susceptible to mechanical failures that cause catastrophic accidents.

The brakes on trucks must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a moment's notice. If the brake pads of a truck lines, lines or return springs wear out they could result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. These components must be checked regularly and repaired when necessary to ensure they are in good condition.

Tires that aren't well maintained can also be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn down could lose traction, causing the truck to rollover or skid. Tires that are defective because of incorrect air pressure or tread design could fail catastrophically.

In addition to regular maintenance, trucks need regular inspections to identify mechanical problems before they lead to an accident. If an inspection is done incorrectly or the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's guidelines it could cause an accident. In these instances, the company that hired the repair or maintenance company or was the one who supervised it could be held responsible.

Another reason for truck accidents is the failure of lights, signals and reflectors. These items must be properly working to enable drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, lawyers especially in rural areas or after dark. However, trucking companies might not inspect and maintain these elements or the driver may not be able to complete daily safety checks.

A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer will examine your case to identify who might be accountable for your injuries when you've been injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence of the defendant's negligence and help you get the compensation you're entitled to.

Distracted Drivers

There aren't many things as devastating as an accident involving a commercial truck. These massive trucks can weigh up to 25 times more than your vehicle and cause far more injuries in an accident. Distracted driving is among the many factors that cause accidents. A driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or overlook a road hazard and cause life-threatening injuries.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition on texting or using cellular phones while driving. Even if truckers follow the rules, they could still be distracted, causing an accident. This can be the result of manual distractions, such as getting off the wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.

While most people understand the dangers of using text and drive, many are aware that other activities, such as eating or changing the radio station, and even conversing with passengers can be deemed to be distracting. If a trucker is distracted, the driver could drift off into another lane and fail to notice the traffic jam ahead. When a truck driver's eye is diverted, it will only take a split-second for a large vehicle to crash into a passenger car.

When a truck collision is caused by distracted drivers, it is important to take photographs of the crash scene as well as collect the name and contact details of witnesses. It is also beneficial to determine the name of the driver of the truck and the company they work for, as well the owner of the truck if it is an independent contractor. This could impact who is liable for your accident, as the trucking company is responsible for hiring competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partially responsible for the accident, they may be held responsible for your economic and non-economic damages.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. These accidents can occur in a variety of situations such as the stop sign or an intersection when the trucker doesn't check ahead for traffic coming in. They may also occur when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, forcing the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker may then crash into the car from behind.

It can be difficult to prove fault in an accident that occurs at the rear, as it's not always clear which vehicle caused the crash. A knowledgeable attorney can collect evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the accident because they followed too closely or driving distracted. This could include evidence like photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks left on the roadway.

The driver in the front of the car could also be accountable for the collision. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to utilize their turn signal in the manner that a reasonable person would, or decide to slam on the brakes at the very last minute and cause 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 in play, where the jury assigns a percentage of blame to each party and damages are reduced accordingly.

Lacerations and Bruises

The rear-end of the vehicle is the one that is most affected in a rear-end crash, so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries when they hit their head against the back window or dashboard. The force of the crash may cause broken bones when the occupants are thrown around the interior of the car. Injuries to the spine can be extremely severe. Damage to the spine can cause serious and lasting impacts on the victims.

In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may suffer from emotional and psychological trauma from the trauma of a crash. They may experience difficulties being able to sleep or concentrate, which can lead them to anxiety and depression. They may also face stress and financial strain when they are unable to work because of an injury. An attorney can examine any possible liability sources and help a victim seek fair compensation for their losses.

A problem with trailer hitches

No matter if you're driving either a car, van, a truck, or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely attached to their trailers. Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could result in catastrophic accidents that lead to serious injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in an accident involving the trailer that has run away, contact a qualified vehicle accident attorney specializing in hitch failure cases immediately to discuss your legal options.

A malfunctioning trailer hitch may be caused by many different things, from improper securing to defective design. It could also be the result a manufacturer's defect or a manufacturing defect, in which case the lawful product liability may apply. The person or company that is at the fault for a defective trailer is liable for the medical bills of the victims and auto repair costs as well as other losses that result from the incident.

In the fatal crash that took place on a road in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014, a trailer detached from the truck. It crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigation linked the crash to the truck driver's inattention to inspect and secure the hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch at the center of the crash -- an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a high proportion of occasions.

The trailer struck the side of the vehicles, and then crashed into them. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers.

The driver of the truck involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular murder, however experts believe that he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were secure. A faulty hitch on a trailer can lead to catastrophic accidents, as these types of incidents typically involve a substantial amount of speed, and they can cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In these situations the trailer can deform a car's frame and force sharp metal pieces to sever the limbs of passengers in.