Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck accident could cause serious injuries that could cost the victim a significant amount in medical expenses. It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is important to have a qualified New York truck accident lawyer at your side following an accident. A qualified attorney can help you prove your case with evidence like police reports, surveillance camera footage, and much more.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
Owner-operators and trucking companies typically do not take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good shape. This can lead to many preventable crashes every year.
Compared to passenger cars, tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and weight. load. Unfortunately the pressure of completing deadlines and maximizing profits often takes precedence over maintaining the fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical issues that could cause catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on a truck have to be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a moments notice. When the brake pads on a truck, lines, or return springs fail they can result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. These components must be checked and repaired regularly in order to keep them in good working condition.
Inadequately maintained tires can be a major cause of truck accidents. Tires that are worn out may lose traction, which causes the truck to slide or even roll over. If a tire is not properly designed in any way, like having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it may fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks need regular inspections to spot mechanical issues before they cause an accident. If an inspection is done in a way that is not correct or if the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's instructions it could cause an accident. In these situations, the company that hired or supervising the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible.
Faulty lights, signals and reflectors are a common cause of truck accident. These devices must be correctly functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas and after dark. However, trucking companies could fail to check and maintain these equipments or the driver might fail to perform daily safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your situation and determine who could be accountable for your damages in the event you were injured by a deteriorated maintenance of a commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence of the defendant's negligence and help you obtain the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
The result of a collision involving commercial trucks could be catastrophic. dallas semi truck accident lawsuit weigh up to 25 times more than your vehicle and can cause more serious injuries when they are involved in collisions. While many factors contribute to accidents that result from distracted driving, it is one of the most prevalent and risky. A distracted truck driver can lose control of the vehicle or overlook an opportunity to avoid a road accident that could result in serious and life-threatening injuries.
Truck drivers are required to follow strict rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition against texting or using mobile phones while driving. However, even when truckers obey the rules they could still get distracted and cause an accident. This can be the result of distractions caused by manual actions like getting off the steering wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
While most people understand that it is risky to text while driving, a few are aware that other activities like eating, changing the radio station, and even conversing with a passenger could also be considered to be distracting. When a trucker is distracted, the driver could drift off into another area and not be aware of a traffic jam ahead. When a truck driver's eye is diverted, it will only take one second for a massive vehicle to strike a passenger car.
It is crucial to gather details about witnesses and take photos of the accident scene when a distracted driver causes an accident with a truck. It is important to determine 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 the person who is responsible for your accident, as the trucking company is responsible for hiring skilled and competent truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for the accident, it could be liable to you for any economic as well as non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and often cause serious injuries. They can occur in a variety situations for example, at an intersection or stop sign, when the trucker fails to look behind them for any traffic that is coming up. They can also occur when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, which forces the driver to slam on their brakes without warning. The trucker could then hit the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove the cause of rear-end collisions, since it's not always clear what vehicle caused the accident. An experienced lawyer can find evidence to prove that the driver in the back caused the accident by following too closely, or driving in a distracted manner. This can be evidence in the form of photos or police reports, eyewitness testimony as well markings from skids on the road.
Sometimes the driver in front may be found to be at fault for the crash also. This can happen when they cut off someone else or fail to utilize their turn signal in the manner that a reasonable person would, or hit on the brakes in the last second, causing the driver behind to crash into the vehicle directly in the front of them. This type of scenario is where modified comparative negligence laws can be used, in which the jury assigns a percentage of fault to each party and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.
Lacerations & Bruises
In a rear-end crash the rear of the car is the one that suffers the most impact. This means that the occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they strike their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They also may break bones after being scattered around the interior of the car as a result of the force of the collision. Spinal injuries can be severe. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that regulate the body, and any damage to the spinal column could cause long-lasting and serious issues for those affected.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, victims may also be suffering from psychological and emotional traumas as a result of being involved in a devastating crash. They may have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which may result in anxiety and depression. They may also face stress and financial burdens if they are unable work because of an injury. An attorney can examine all possible causes of liability and help a victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss.
Troublesome trailer hitches
It doesn't matter if you're driving the vehicle of a car, van, truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles have to be securely attached to their trailers. Unintentionally removing a trailer's hitch can cause catastrophic accidents that lead to serious injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck or trailer, consult an experienced attorney who is specialized in cases involving hitch failure to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch could be due to a variety of factors that can be traced to improper secured or defective design. It can be the result of a manufacturer's defect and in that case, laws governing product liability could apply. The company or person at fault for a faulty trailer could be held accountable for victims' medical bills and auto repair costs and other damages resulting from the incident.
For instance, in a deadly crash that took place in January 2014 on an Ohio road locally known as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came off the truck and careened head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the truck driver's inattention to inspect and secure the hitch. In June 2015 however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a flaw in the hitch that was an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the cause of the crash.
Due to the malfunctioning hitch, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before crashing into them head-on. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck that was involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However, experts believe that he could have avoided the collision with the other vehicles had he conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were tight. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major disasters, as these types of incidents typically involve a lot of speed and could easily cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In these cases, the trailer may distort the frame of a car and cause razor-sharp metal fragments to impale any passengers.