Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck crash can result in an injury of a serious nature that could cost a person a lot in medical bills. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
Following a collision, it is important to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney to assist you. A qualified attorney can assist you in proving your case by using evidence such as police reports or surveillance footage, for instance.
Vehicles that are not maintained properly
Owner-operators and trucking companies typically do not take the proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This negligence leads to many preventable crashes every year.
Comparatively to passenger vehicles, semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavier load. However keeping deadlines and increasing profits often take precedence over the maintenance of the fleet. As a result, trucks can be susceptible to mechanical breakdowns that can cause catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on trucks are crucial as they must be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at any moment. When brake pads lines, return springs or return lines on a truck wear out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components must be regularly checked and repaired as necessary to maintain their good working condition.
Tires that aren't maintained may play a significant role in truck accidents. Tires that are worn out may lose traction, which causes the truck to skid or even roll over. Tires that are defective or damaged, whether due to inadequate air pressure or tread design could fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks also require regular inspections to identify mechanical issues prior to causing an accident. However, if an inspection is performed incorrectly or the repair shop does not adhere to the guidelines of the manufacturer, it could cause a crash. In such cases, a company that employed the repair or maintenance company or managed it may be held liable.
Another cause of truck accidents is the failure of lights, signals and reflectors. These items must function properly to allow drivers to observe and anticipate the movement of the truck, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies may fail to maintain and inspect these equipments or the driver could not perform regular safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your situation and determine who could be responsible for your injuries in the event that you were injured by a badly maintained commercial truck. This investigation could uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence and help you receive the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and could cause much greater injuries when they are involved in collisions. While a variety of factors can cause accidents but distracted driving is among of the most common and risky. A truck driver who is distracted might lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize an issue on the road, which can lead to life-changing injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting and the use of cell phones while operating their vehicles. But even if truckers obey the rules they can still become distracted and cause a crash. This is often caused by accidental distractions, such as getting your hands off the steering wheel, or by cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
While the majority of people are aware that it is dangerous to text and drive, very few realize that other activities such as eating or changing the radio station or even talking to passengers can be considered distracting. When a trucker is distracted, he may drift into another track and not see the traffic jam ahead. When a trucker's attention is diverted, it will only take an instant for a large vehicle to crash into a passenger car.
It is important to collect information on witnesses and take photos of the scene of the accident when an unintentionally distracted driver causes a truck crash. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the company that they work for, and who is the owner of the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could impact on who is liable for the incident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking firm to employ competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be at least partially responsible for the accident, they could be held accountable for your financial as well as non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and can cause serious injuries. They can happen in a variety of settings like a red light or stop signal, where the trucker is unable to check behind them for traffic coming in. They can also occur when a car comes in front of the truck, causing the driver to slam on their brakes without warning. The trucker could then crash into the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions because it isn't always evident the vehicle that was at fault. However, a skilled lawyer can assist in gathering evidence that proves that the driver behind caused the crash because they followed too closely or driving distracted. This can include evidence like photos, police reports eyewitness testimony, and skid marks on the road.
The driver in the front of the car could also be accountable for the accident. This could happen if they cut someone off or fail make use of a turn signal, as would any reasonable person. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws be applied, in which the jury assigns a percentage of blame to each party and damages are lowered accordingly.
Lacerations and Bruises
In a rear-end collision, the rear of the car is the area that receives the most impact. This means that the passengers are at risk of serious injuries if hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash may cause broken bones if the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the interior of the vehicle. Spinal injuries can be very serious. The spinal cord houses a number of nerves that control the body, therefore any damage to the spinal column can cause serious and lasting issues for the victims.
A person who has been involved in a serious accident might also suffer emotional and psychological trauma. newark semi truck accident claim may have trouble sleeping or concentrating which can result in depression and anxiety. They could also be facing stress and financial strain if they are unable work because of an injury. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability to assist a victim in receiving fair compensation for their loss.
A problem with trailer hitches
Whatever vehicle you're driving, an automobile, a van, truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles have to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it could cause a catastrophic accident that could result in serious injuries or even death. If you've suffered injuries by a runaway trailer, contact an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents specializing in hitch failure cases immediately to discuss your legal options.
A defective trailer hitch could be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from inadequate security to design flaws. It can also be due to a manufacturer's defect, in which case lawful product liability may apply. The company or person accountable for a defective trailer is liable for the victim's medical costs, auto repair costs and other losses that result from the incident.
For example the fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 along an Ohio road known locally as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came off the truck and careened head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the truck driver's carelessness in failing to properly inspect and secure hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch involved in the crash -it was an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a significant percentage of occasions.
The trailer slammed into the side of the vehicles and crashed into them. The result was numerous fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers.
The driver of the truck involved in this accident was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, but experts believe he could have avoided the collision with the other vehicles if he completed a thorough inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were secure. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause serious accidents, since these accidents typically involve a large amount of speed and could easily cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In these instances the trailer can deform a car's frame and force the metal to strike the passengers inside.