Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck accident can cause an injury that is serious enough to cost a person a lot in medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.
After a collision, it is important to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney at your side. A skilled attorney can to prove your case using evidence such as police reports, surveillance camera footage, and more.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
In a majority of cases trucking companies as well as owners-operators do not take proper steps to ensure their vehicles are in good condition. This causes an astronomical number of preventable accidents each year.
As compared to passenger cars tractor-trailers and semis need more frequent maintenance work due to their size and weight. loads. Unfortunately keeping deadlines and increasing profits is often prioritized over the maintenance of a fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that can lead to devastating accidents.
The brakes on trucks must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a single notice. When brake pads, lines or return springs on a truck get worn out and become damaged, it can result in serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is crucial that these parts are regularly inspected and replaced when needed to keep them in good working order.
Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major cause of truck accidents. Tires that are worn down can cause the tires to lose traction and cause the truck to slide or even tip over. Tires that are defective because of improper air pressure or tread design could fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks need regular inspections in order to spot mechanical issues before they cause an accident. However, if the inspection is not done correctly or the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's instructions, it could cause an accident. In these cases the company that hired or supervised the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible.
Another cause of truck accidents is defective lights, signals, and reflectors. These items must be properly working to enable drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas and after dark. Drivers or trucking companies may not maintain and inspect these elements, or they might not conduct regular safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your case and determine who might be accountable for your damages in the event that you are injured by a deteriorated maintenance of a commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence and assist you in obtaining the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
There aren't many things that can be as devastating as an accident which involves a commercial vehicle. These huge trucks can weigh up to 25 times more than a car and cause much worse injuries in a crash. Distracted driving is one of many factors that can cause accidents. A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize a hazard in the roadway, which could lead to serious and life-threatening injuries.
Truck drivers are required to adhere to strict rules and regulations formulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting or using mobile phones while driving. But even if truckers adhere to the rules, they are still prone to be distracted and cause a crash. This could be due to manual distractions like not having your hands on the steering wheel or by cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving is dangerous, but they are not aware that other activities, such as eating, changing radio stations, or conversing with passengers could also be considered to be distracting. If a truck driver is distracted, they may drift into another lane or not be able to see a traffic jam up ahead of them. It takes only a split second for a huge truck to hit a passenger vehicle when the trucker's focus wanders.
It is important to gather information on witnesses and also take pictures of the accident scene when the driver is distracted and causes a crash of a truck. It is also beneficial to determine the name of the truck driver and the company they are employed by, as in determining who owns the truck, if it's an independent contractor. This could have an influence on who is responsible for the accident, as it is the responsibility of the trucking company to employ competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partially responsible for the accident, they may be held responsible for your economic and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. They can happen in a variety of settings for example, at an intersection or stop sign when the trucker fails to look behind them for traffic coming in. They may also occur when a car crashes into front of the truck, causing the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker might then slam the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions, as it isn't always evident which vehicle was responsible. An experienced attorney can gather evidence that proves the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash through following too closely or being distracted while driving. This evidence can include photos as well as police reports and eyewitness testimony, as well as skid marks on the road.
Sometimes the driver in front could be found to be the one responsible for the accident in addition. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to obey their turn signal in the way that a reasonable person would, or hit on the brakes in the last second and cause the driver behind to crash into the vehicle directly in the front. This type of scenario is where modified comparative negligence laws could be in play, where the jury assigns a percentage of fault to each party, and damages are lowered accordingly.
Lacerations and Bruises
The rear of the vehicle has the greatest impact in a rear-end crash, which means that occupants may suffer serious injuries after hitting their head against the dashboard or back window. They may also break bones from being scattered around the interior of the car as a result of the force of the collision. The injuries to the spine can be particularly severe. Damage to the spine can cause serious and lasting impacts on the victims.
In addition to these types of injuries, a victim may also experience emotional and psychological trauma from the trauma of a crash. They may experience difficulty in concentrating or sleeping, which could cause depression and anxiety. They may also experience financial hardship and stress when they cannot work due to their injury. An attorney will investigate the possible causes of liability to ensure that the victim receives fair compensation for their loss.
Faulty trailer hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a car or van, truck flatbed, van must be securely connected to their trailers. Unexpectedly unhitching a trailer can cause catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries or even death. If you've suffered injuries by the trailer that is running away, you should contact a qualified vehicle accident attorney that specializes in cases of failure of the hitch promptly to discuss your legal options.
A malfunctioning trailer hitch may be caused by many different factors, ranging from inadequate secured to faulty design. It could be due to an error on the part of the manufacturer, in which case product liability law may apply. The company or individual responsible for a trailer that is defective is liable for the victims' medical expenses along with auto repair expenses and other losses that result from the incident.
For example, in a deadly crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road referred to locally as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came out of the truck and crashed directly into two cars in front of it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the driver's negligence in failing to check and secure the hitch. In provo semi truck accident claim , the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a defect in the hitch and an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason behind the crash.
The trailer hit the side of the vehicles, and then crashed into them. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers.
The truck driver in the accident was found guilty of vehicular homicide. However, experts believe that he could have avoided the crash by conducting an extensive inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were tight. A faulty trailer hitch can cause major accidents. These incidents are often fast and can easily smack motorcycles or smaller cars. In these cases the trailer could distort the car's frame and cause razor-sharp metal fragments to entrap passengers.