Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained during collision with a semi-truck can leave the victim in medical costs. It can also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is important to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer by your side after an accident. A qualified attorney can help you prove your case with evidence such as police reports, surveillance camera footage, and much more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In many instances trucking companies as well as owner-operators don't take the proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good working condition. This can lead to many accidents that could have been avoided every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars for passengers due to their larger size and heavier weight. However the pressure to meet deadlines and maximize profits often over maintaining the fleet. As a result, trucks are susceptible to mechanical malfunctions that can result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on trucks must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a single notice. When brake pads lines, return springs, or lines on a truck get worn out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is essential to have these parts regularly inspected and replaced as needed to keep them in good working order.
Tires that aren't properly maintained may be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues, which causes the truck to slide or even tip over. Tires that are defective because of incorrect tread design or air pressure may fail catastrophically.
Trucks require regular inspections in addition to regular maintenance to spot mechanical problems before they cause an accident. However, if an inspection is conducted incorrectly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's guidelines this could result in an accident. In these situations the company that hired or directed the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible.
Another cause of truck accidents is malfunctioning lights, signals, and reflectors. These components must be in good functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas and after dark. However, trucking firms may neglect to inspect and maintain these elements or the driver could not be able to complete daily safety checks.
A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer can investigate your case to determine which parties may be accountable for your damages should you be injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence that proves the negligence of the defendant in the accident and assist you receive the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
There are few things as devastating as an accident that involves a commercial truck. These massive trucks can weigh up to 25 times more than a car and can cause more severe injuries in a crash. Distracted driving is among the many factors that contribute to accidents. A driver who is distracted can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice a road danger which could lead to serious and life-altering injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and regulations for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while driving. However, even when truckers adhere to the rules, they may still be distracted and cause crashes. This could be because of distractions caused by manual actions like taking a hand off the wheel, or cognitive distractions such as thinking about something else other than driving.
While the majority of people are aware that it's dangerous to text and drive, few are aware that other activities, such as eating or changing the station on the radio, and even conversing with passengers can be deemed to be distracting. If a trucker gets distracted, he may drift into another direction and not notice an impending traffic jam. It only takes a split second for a huge truck to crash into a vehicle when the trucker's attention wanders.
When a truck accident occurs due to an unintentionally distracted driver It is essential to snap photos of the scene of collision and note down the contact details and name of witnesses. It is important to determine the name of the driver, the company that they work for, and who owns the vehicle in case it's an independent contractor. This could effect on who is accountable for the incident, since it is the trucking company's responsibility to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for the accident, they could be responsible for your economic as well as non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are quite common and can result in severe injuries. They can occur in a variety settings like the stop or red light signal when the trucker fails to check their surroundings for any traffic that is coming up. They may also occur when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, which forces the driver to apply their brakes without warning. The trucker may then crash into the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove the cause of rear-end crashes, as it's not always clear which vehicle caused the accident. An experienced lawyer can assist in gathering evidence that proves the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash because they followed too closely or driving while distracted. This can include evidence such as photos, 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 can happen if they cut off someone else or fail to utilize a turn signal in the same manner as any reasonable person. In this type of scenario the modified comparative negligence laws could be used. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each party. Damages are then reduced accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
In a rear-end collision, the rear-end of the car is the part that takes the most impact. This means that drivers are most 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 when the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the inside of the vehicle. Injuries to the spine are often severe. The spinal cord contains many nerves that control the body, so any injury to the spinal cord could cause long-lasting and serious problems for victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, the victim may also experience psychological and emotional trauma as a result of being involved in a devastating crash. wyoming semi truck accident attorney might have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which can result in anxiety and depression. They could also be facing stress and financial strain when they cannot work due to their injury. An attorney can look into all possible sources of liability and assist the victim in seeking an appropriate amount of compensation for their losses.
A problem with trailer hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a vehicle, a car, a truck, van flatbed, van, need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer becomes unhitched, it could result in catastrophic accidents that result in severe injuries or even death. If you've suffered injuries in a car accident caused by a runaway truck and you are in need of an experienced attorney who is specialized in cases involving hitch failure to discuss your legal options.
The reason behind a defective trailer hitch can be a variety of things such as inadequate securement or design. It can also be the result a defect in the manufacturing process or a manufacturing defect, in which case the lawful product liability may apply. The company or the person who is at the fault for a defective trailer can be held liable for the medical bills of the victims as well as 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 that were directly behind it. Initial investigation linked the accident to the truck driver's negligence in failing to inspect and secure the hitch. But in June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch in the crash -- an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a large proportion of occasions.
Due to the malfunctioning hitch due to the hitch's failure, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles, before colliding into them head-on. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles.
The truck driver who was involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular homicide, but experts suggest that he could've avoided the crash if he'd performed an in-depth inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were in good order. A faulty trailer hitch can cause major accidents. These incidents are often fast and can easily smack motorbikes or smaller vehicles. In such cases the trailer can deform the car's frame, and cause razor sharp metal fragments to sever the limbs of passengers in.