Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained in an accident with trucks can result in the death of a person in medical bills. It can also lead to permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is important to have a qualified New York truck accident lawyer by your side after an accident. A qualified attorney can help to prove your case using evidence like police reports or surveillance camera footage and more.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
Owner-operators and companies that operate trucks often fail to take the necessary steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good shape. This negligence leads to many avoidable accidents each year.
Compared to passenger cars, tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavy loads. Unfortunately, the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximising profits can overtake maintaining the fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems that could result in catastrophes.
The brakes of trucks are of particular importance because they must be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at a moment's notice. If the pads of a truck's brakes lines, lines, or return springs wear out, they can cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is vital that these components are regularly inspected and replaced as needed to keep them in good working condition.
Tires that aren't well maintained can play a significant role in truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction, which causes the truck to slide or even tip over. If a tire is deficient in any way, for example, having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it may fail catastrophically.
The inspections are routine for trucks along with regular maintenance to identify mechanical problems before they cause an incident. However, if the inspection is done incorrectly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's guidelines it could lead to a crash. In such cases, a company that employed the repair or maintenance company or supervised it could be held liable.
Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are also a frequent cause of truck accident. These elements must function correctly so that drivers can see and anticipate the speed of the truck particularly when driving in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers may not be able to maintain and inspect these components, or they might not conduct regular safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident attorney can review your situation and determine who could be accountable for your losses in the event you were injured by a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence proving the defendant's negligence and help you receive the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
There are few things more damaging than an accident which involves a commercial vehicle. These massive vehicles can weigh up 25 times more than your car and cause a lot more injuries when involved in an accident. While many factors cause accidents, distracted driving is one of the most common and risky. A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to spot an accident on the roadway, which could lead to serious and life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using mobile phones while driving. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they may be distracted and result in an accident. This could be due to manual distractions like not having your hands on the steering wheel or by cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
While most people understand that it is risky to text while driving, a few realize that other activities, such as eating, changing the station on the radio, and even conversing with the other driver can also be deemed to be distracting. When a truck driver gets distracted, they could wander off into a different lane or fail to see a traffic jam in front of them. When a truck driver's attention is diverted, it's only just a few seconds for a huge vehicle to collide with a car.
It is important to gather details about witnesses and take photos of the accident scene when a distracted driver causes a truck crash. It is also important to know the name of the truck driver as well as the company they are employed by, as the owner of the truck if they are an independent contractor. carson semi truck accident lawyer can have an effect on who is accountable for the accident, since it is the trucking company's responsibility to hire competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partially at fault for the accident, they may be responsible for your economic as well as non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are common and can cause serious injuries. These accidents can occur in many different circumstances, including at the stop sign or red light, when the trucker is not checking the road ahead for oncoming traffic. They can also occur when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, forcing the driver to hit their brakes without warning. The trucker might then slam into the car from behind.
It can be hard to establish fault when there's a rear-end collision, because it isn't always certain which vehicle was at fault. However, an experienced attorney can gather evidence that shows the driver behind caused the crash because they followed too closely or driving distracted. The evidence can include photographs of the scene, police reports, eyewitness testimony, aswell being skid marks on the road.
Sometimes, the driver in the front may be found to be responsible for the accident as well. This can happen when they cut off someone else or fail to use a turn signal like any reasonable person. In this type of scenario modified comparative negligence laws may be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each of the parties. Damages will be reduced accordingly.
Lacerations, Bruises and Bruises
The rear-end of the car has the greatest impact in a rear-end collision which means that the occupants could suffer serious injuries from hitting their head against the back window or dashboard. The force of the collision can cause broken bones when the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the interior of the car. Injuries to the spine can be particularly severe. The spinal cord houses a number of nerves that regulate the body. Therefore, any damage to the spinal column could cause significant and permanent issues for the victims.
A person who has been involved in a serious accident may also experience psychological and emotional trauma. They may experience difficulties in concentrating or sleeping, which could lead them to depression and anxiety. They may also face stress and financial strain in the event that they are unable to work because of an injury. An attorney can look into possible sources of liability and help a victim receive fair compensation for their loss.
The trailer hitches are faulty.
All vehicles, regardless of whether they're a car or van, truck flatbed, van, or must be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could cause catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries, or even death. If you've been injured in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck, contact an experienced attorney who specializes in hitch failure cases to discuss your legal options.
The reason behind a defective trailer hitch can be a variety of things which can range from inadequate securement or design. It could also be due to a defect on the part of the manufacturer, in which case, product liability laws may apply. The company or the person responsible for a defective trailer can be held accountable for the victim's medical expenses or auto repair expenses, as well as other losses resulting from the incident.
In a fatal crash on a highway in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014 the trailer slid off of the truck. It then crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the truck driver's carelessness for failing to inspect and secure hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -it was an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a high proportion of times.
Due to the defective hitch, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before crashing into them head-on. This resulted in multiple fatalities and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular murder, however experts believe he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles had he performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were secure. Faulty trailer hitches can cause major accidents. These incidents are often high-speed and are able to sidewipe motorcycles or other smaller vehicles. In these situations, the trailer may distort the frame of a car and create sharp metal fragments to injure passengers.