Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained in collision with a semi truck can bury the victim with medical expenses. It can also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is essential to have a professional New York truck accident lawyer at your side following an accident. A skilled lawyer can prove your case by using evidence such as police reports, surveillance camera footage, and more.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
In a majority of cases trucking firms and owner-operators don't take the appropriate steps to make sure their vehicles are in good working condition. This negligence results in many avoidable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their size and heavier weight. Unfortunately keeping deadlines and increasing profits can often take precedence over the maintenance of the fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems which could cause catastrophes.
The brakes of a truck need to be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a moment's notice. If the pads of a truck's brakes, lines, or return springs fail they could cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is essential that these parts are regularly checked and replaced as required to ensure that they remain in good condition.
A poorly maintained tire can also be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn-out could lose traction, causing the truck to roll over or skid. If a tire is deficient in some way, such as having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
Trucks require regular inspections along with regular maintenance to identify mechanical issues prior to causing an accident. If an inspection is not done correctly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's guidelines this could result in a crash. In such cases the company that hired or supervised the maintenance or repair shop could be held accountable.
The malfunctioning of signals, lights and reflectors are another frequent cause of truck accident. These items must function properly so that drivers can detect and anticipate the speed of the truck particularly in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies could not inspect and maintain these items or the driver could fail to perform daily safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your case and determine who may be accountable for your damages in the event that you were injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence proving the defendant's negligence and help you get the compensation you're due.
Distracted Drivers
There aren't many things that can be more devastating than an accident that involves a commercial truck. These huge trucks can weigh up to 25 times the weight of your vehicle and cause far more injuries when involved in an accident. While a variety of factors can cause accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most common and risky. A distracted driver of a truck can lose control of their vehicle or fail to notice an accident on the road which could lead to serious and life-changing injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition on texting or using mobile phones while driving. Even if truckers obey the rules, they could still be distracted and cause an accident. This is often caused by manual distractions such as turning your back on the steering wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving is risky, but many do not realize that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or chatting with passengers, are also considered to be distracting. When a truck driver gets distracted, they might wander off into another lane, or fail to notice a traffic jam up ahead of them. If a truck driver's focus is diverted, it's only an instant for a large vehicle to collide with a car.
It is important to collect information on witnesses and to take photographs of the scene after an accident if a distracted driver causes a truck crash. It is important to know the name of the driver, the company for which they work, and who owns the vehicle, if it's an independent contractor. This will affect who is accountable for your accident since the trucking company is responsible for securing skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partially at fault for the accident, they may be responsible for your economic and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are quite common and can result in severe injuries. These accidents can happen in a variety of situations like at a stop sign or an intersection when the trucker does not check the road ahead for oncoming traffic. It can also happen if a car cuts across the truck's path, causing the driver of the truck to stop at a rapid pace without warning. The trucker could then hit the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in the event of rear-end collisions, as it's not always clear who was at fault. An experienced attorney can help gather evidence to show that the driver behind caused the crash because they followed too closely or driving distracted. The evidence can include photographs or police reports, eyewitness testimony, aswell being skid marks on the road.
Sometimes the driver in front might be the one responsible for the accident also. This could occur if they cut someone off or fail to utilize a turn signal in the same manner as any other reasonable person would do. In this scenario modified comparative negligence laws may be used. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each party. Damages will be reduced accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
The rear of the vehicle experiences the most impact in a rear-end collision, so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries as they smash their head against the dashboard or back window. The force of the crash can also cause broken bones if the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the interior of the car. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. The spinal cord houses a number of nerves that regulate the body, so any damage to the spinal column can cause permanent and significant issues for those affected.
A person who is the victim of a serious accident could also be suffering from emotional and psychological trauma. They may have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which can cause anxiety and depression. They may also face stress and financial strain when they cannot work due to an injury. An attorney will investigate the potential sources of liability to ensure that the victim receives an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss.
A problem with trailer hitches
Whatever vehicle you're driving, an automobile, a van, truck, or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely attached to their trailers. Unintentionally pulling a trailer off can cause catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries, or even death. If you've been injured in an accident involving the trailer that is running away, you should contact an experienced vehicle accident lawyer who specializes in cases involving hitch failure as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
A damaged trailer hitch could be caused by many different factors, ranging from inadequate security to design flaws. It can also be the result a manufacturer's defect and in that case, lawful product liability may apply. The company or the person who is at responsible for the malfunction of a trailer is responsible for the cost of medical bills and auto repair costs as well as other losses that result from the incident.
In a fatal crash on a road in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014, an unattached trailer was spotted on the truck. It then crashed into two cars that were directly behind it. Initial investigation linked the crash to the truck driver's negligence in failing inspect and secure the hitch. In June 2015, however the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started investigating the possibility that a defect in the hitch and an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the cause of the crash.
Due to the hitch that was defective due to the hitch's failure, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles and then crashed into them head-on. sunrise semi truck accident lawsuit was multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck involved in this accident was convicted of vehicular manslaughter. However, experts believe that he could have prevented the collision with other vehicles if he conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were tight. A faulty trailer hitch can cause major catastrophes. These accidents are typically high-speed and are able to sidewipe motorbikes or smaller vehicles. In these instances the trailer can deform the car's frame and push razor sharp metal fragments to strike the passengers inside.