What Is 18 Wheeler Law?

Accidents involving commercial truck drivers, their rigs and 18 wheelers are covered by the 18 wheeler law. These huge vehicles are subject to strict federal guidelines regarding maintenance, safety and training.

Trucking companies often make their drivers to work longer and manipulate logbooks. This can lead accidents that happen in trucks to be catastrophic.

Weight Regulations

Understanding the weight limits of semi trucks is essential. Many states have single axle and group axle weight limits that must be adhered to. It is commonplace to see weigh stations along interstates, where truck drivers are weighed in order to make sure they do not exceed maximum limits for their vehicle and load. If a trucker is found in violation of these limits they could face fines and even sentenced to jail subject to their criminal history and the state.

Axle groups have a greater limit of weight since the vehicle is safer when the weight is distributed across more axles. This also allows for the transportation of more cargo. For example a single tire on an axle is able to be weighed at 650lbs per inch of wheel's diameter. However, when there are 2 tires on the same axle, it can be weighed at 1300 pounds per tire.

There are limitations on the types of trailers which can be used with a tractor. Some states permit only one trailer while some states allow triple or 18 wheeler Accidents twin trailers. Additionally, a lot of states require fifth wheels on the trailer, which is a round plate that is above the drive wheels that joins (hooks) the trailer to the tractor unit. Day cab tractor models and sleeper cabs are readily available. They both include a sleeping area inside the tractor unit.

Lane Restrictions

In addition to limitations on lane width truck drivers must comply with speed limits and traffic lights. Trucks aren't able to travel at the same speed as cars, and should they do, they could cause accidents. In a lot of cases, it's the truck driver who is at fault. This is due to truck drivers being able to be driving for longer than is permitted and break hours-of service rules or become tired or distracted behind the steering wheel.

Truck drivers are also forbidden from driving in the left side of the road. Trucks are slower to brake than passenger cars. This can be a serious problem, especially for people who drive smaller vehicles and may be stranded behind the truck when it suddenly stops or slows down.

Certain states restrict the use of lane lanes in certain circumstances, while others restrict it to large trucks. In certain instances these laws are built around axel and weight limits, while in other they could be based upon vehicle description or direction signs.

Even if there isn't a statewide law on lane restrictions, you must still review the local rules and abide by the rules. It is also recommended to move to the right when you see a truck in the pass lane, so that it does not block faster cars from taking over.

Ownership

The 18 wheeler accidents-wheeler and trucking companies have many resources they can employ to pressure accident victims to accept less than what they're entitled to. They have teams of insurance adjusters and 18 wheeler accidents lawyers who represent them before they know whether the victim of the accident will take legal action.

In accidents, 18-wheelers are often responsible for severe injuries and property damage due to the fact that they carry such hefty loads and are huge relative to passenger vehicles. This is particularly the case when they collide with other motor vehicles. It is vital to hire an attorney with experience fighting for your rights against these powerful, huge corporations.

Accidents involving large vehicles require an understanding of complex concepts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology as well as federal regulations for trucking, medicine, driving standards and other related fields. Our lawyers are able to identify any violations of these laws and present to the jury the circumstances that caused your accident.

Many parties could be at fault for truck accidents involving 18-wheelers. Our NY attorney for 18 wheeler accidents will investigate all accountable parties and ensure they are paid their fair portion of your current and expected costs. This includes owners of trucking businesses, trucking companies of maintenance contractors, even the drivers themselves. Our team will also study weather conditions that may have contributed to your accident.

Insurance

Trucking companies have a wealth of resources at their disposal and can quickly deploy teams of insurance adjusters, lawyers engineers, experts, and even engineers to create a defense against the victims of accidents. They begin this process before they know whether you'll be seeking legal recourse. It is crucial to hire an attorney who can match their resources and bringing them down in size.

A lawyer who has experience in handling 18-wheeler crashes will ease your burden and help you get the compensation you deserve. This money can be used to pay medical costs, vehicle damage loss of income due to missed work as well as other non-economic damages like suffering and pain.

18-wheelers are extremely complex vehicles that require high-level, systematized maintenance to ensure they remain on the road. Failure to keep accurate records and to perform maintenance could lead to devastating accidents.

Tractor-trailers are often carrying hazardous materials that requires specialized training and special licensing for transport. The material may be explosive, flammable, or toxic, all of which present significant dangers to other drivers on American roads. In the absence of proper labeling and secure the load could result in a catastrophic accident.

A skilled 18-wheeler crash lawyer will determine the exact cause and blame the individuals who could be accountable. These could include the driver of the truck as well as the trucking company, the owner of the trailer and the company that manufactures the truck or its components. This is known as vicarious liability.