What Is 18 Wheeler Law?

18 wheeler law deals with accidents that involve commercial truck drivers and their rigs. These huge vehicles are subject to strict federal guidelines regarding maintenance, safety and training.

Unfortunately, trucking companies frequently require their drivers to work longer hours and manipulate log books. This can cause accidents involving trucks to be devastating.

Weight Regulations

It is crucial to know the weight limitations of semi trucks. Most states have single axle and group axle weight limits that must be observed. Weigh stations are common along interstates, and truckers are weighed to ensure they do not exceed the weight limit for their vehicle or load. If a trucker is caught in violation of these limits, they could be fined and even sent to jail depending on their criminal record and the state.

Axle groups are given a higher limit because distributing the weight across more axles makes the vehicle safer and allows more cargo to be transported. A single tire on an wheel is only weighed up to 650 pounds per inch, however, when two tires are on the same axle, they can be weighed up to 1300 pounds.

There are limitations on the types of trailers which can be used in conjunction with a tractor. Some states will only allow one trailer, and others only permit triple or twin trailers. Some states also require a fifth-wheel on the trailer, which is a plate that sits above the drive wheels and connects (hooks up) the trailer to the tractor unit. There are both day cab tractors and sleeper cabs that have a sleeping area inside the tractor unit. They are made for over-the-road hauling.

Lane Restrictions

Truck drivers must obey traffic rules and speed limits in addition to lane restrictions. Trucks cannot travel at the same speed as passenger vehicles. If they do, accidents could occur. In most instances, it's the truck driver at fault. This is because truck drivers may drive longer than they are allowed to or break the rules of hours-of-service, or become sleepy or distracted behind the steering wheel.

Truck drivers are also prohibited from driving in the left right lane. This is due to the fact that trucks take longer trucks to brake than cars. This can be a dangerous problem, especially for people in smaller cars who may be stranded behind a truck if it slows or stops suddenly.

Certain states prohibit the use of lane lanes in certain circumstances, while some states limit the use of lanes for large trucks. These laws can be based on weight or axel limit. In other instances they may be solely based on vehicle's description.

Although there's no statewide law on lane restrictions, you should still look over the local rules and follow them. You should also shift to the right when you see trucks blocking the lane.

Ownership

The 18-wheeler and trucking firms have an array of resources they can utilize to force accident victims to accept less than what they are entitled to. They have teams of lawyers, insurance adjusters engineers, experts, and even engineers working for their clients even before they know whether an accident victim will pursue legal recourse.

Due to their massive load and are much bigger than passenger vehicles, 18 wheelers frequently cause severe injuries and massive property damage in accidents. This is especially relevant when these trucks collide with motor vehicles. It is crucial to have an an experienced attorney fight for your rights and get you justice against these powerful, massive corporations.

Large-scale accidents require an understanding of complex concepts in the fields of physics, biology, chemistry and trucking regulations from the federal government as well as medical standards, driving and many other related fields. Our lawyers are able to discover any infringements of these laws and present to the jury the circumstances that caused your accident.

Multiple parties could be accountable for truck accidents involving 18-wheelers. Our NY 18 wheeler accident lawyer will investigate all of the liable parties and make sure they are paid their fair portion of your current and anticipated expenses. This includes owners of trucking businesses, trucking companies and maintenance contractors, and even drivers themselves. Our team will also study weather conditions that may have played a part in your accident.

Insurance

Trucking companies can put together large teams of lawyers, adjusters engineers, experts and adjusters quickly. They begin this process before they know whether you will to pursue legal recourse. It is important to retain an attorney who can match their resources and helping them decrease in size.

An experienced 18-wheeler crash lawyer can relieve the burden of dealing with these large corporations off your hands and focus on getting you the compensation you're entitled to. The money could be used to pay for expenses such as high medical bills car damage, lost wages due to missing work, and also non-economic injuries like suffering and pain.

18-wheelers are extremely complex vehicles that require a high-level, structured maintenance to ensure they remain on the road. Failure to keep accurate records and perform this maintenance can lead to disastrous accidents.

Tractor-trailers can be used to transport hazardous substances, which require special training and licensing. They can be explosive or flammable, radiological or poisonous. They all pose a serious danger to other drivers on American highways. Failure to properly label and secure the load could cause a devastating accident.

A competent attorney for 18 wheeler accident lawsuit-wheelers can determine the cause and blame the parties that may be responsible. These may include the driver of the truck, the trucking company, 18 wheeler accident lawyer the owner of the trailer, and the company that manufactures the truck or its components. This is referred to as vicarious liability.