Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck accident can cause a serious injury that can cost a person a fortune in medical bills. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is essential to have a qualified New York truck accident lawyer by your side after an accident. A qualified attorney can help prove your case by using evidence like police reports, surveillance camera footage, and much more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In a lot of cases trucking companies and owner-operators don't take the appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This negligence leads to an overwhelming number of accidents that could have been avoided every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars because of their larger dimensions and larger weight. Unfortunately, the pressure to meet deadlines and maximize profits often takes precedence over maintaining the fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical issues that could lead to devastating accidents.
The brakes on a truck must be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a moment's notice. When brake pads lines, return springs or lines on a truck are worn out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components should be checked and repaired regularly as needed to ensure their good working condition.
Tires that aren't maintained can also play a significant role in truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues, which causes the truck to skid or even flip over. Tires that aren't working or damaged, whether due to inadequate tread design or air pressure could fail catastrophically.
The inspections are routine for trucks along with regular maintenance to detect mechanical issues before they can cause an accident. If an inspection is done incorrectly or if the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's guidelines this could result in an accident. In these instances, the company that hired the maintenance or repair shop or managed it may be held accountable.
Another cause of truck accidents is malfunctioning lights, signals and reflectors. These elements must function correctly so that drivers can detect and anticipate the speed of the truck, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. Drivers or trucking companies may fail to maintain and check these equipment, or may not be able to conduct daily safety inspections.
A reputable Houston truck accident lawyer will review your case and determine which parties may be responsible for your losses if you were injured in an accident with a poorly-maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence of negligence by the defendant and assist you in obtaining the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and could cause more serious injuries when they are involved in a collision. Distracted driving is just one of the many factors that contribute to accidents. A distracted truck driver can lose control of their vehicle or miss an accident on the road, which can lead to serious and life-threatening injuries.
Truck drivers are required to adhere to strict rules and regulations that have been formulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting and using cell phones while driving. Even if truckers follow the rules, they may still be distracted and cause an accident. This can be a result of manual distractions, such as getting off the wheel, or cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving is dangerous, but few know that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers are also considered to be distracting. When a trucker is distracted, the driver could drift off into another track and not see the traffic jam ahead. It takes only a split second for a huge truck to hit a passenger vehicle when the trucker's attention wanders.
It is crucial to gather details on any witnesses and also take pictures of the accident scene when the driver is distracted, which can cause a truck crash. It is important to determine the name of the driver, the business that they work for, and who is the owner of the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could impact on who's responsible for the accident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking company to employ competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partly responsible for your accident, it could be held accountable to you for any economic as well as non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and can cause serious injuries. They can occur in a variety settings, such as at an intersection or stop signal, where the trucker is unable to observe the road ahead for traffic in the direction of oncoming traffic. They can also happen when a car crashes into front of the truck, causing the driver to hit their brakes without warning. The trucker may then slam the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in rear-end collisions, since it's not always clear what vehicle caused the accident. A knowledgeable attorney can gather evidence to prove that the driver in the back caused the accident by following too closely or driving in a distracted manner. This could include evidence like photos, police reports eyewitness testimony, and skid marks left on the roadway.
Sometimes, the driver in the front could be found to be liable for the accident in addition. This can happen if they cut someone off or fail to use a turn signal as any reasonable person. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws can be applied, in which the jury assigns a percentage of fault to each party, and damages are reduced accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
The rear end of the vehicle experiences the most impact in a rear-end crash, so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries when they hit their head against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash may cause broken bones if the occupants are thrown about the interior of the vehicle. Spinal injuries can be serious. The spinal cord contains a lot of nerves that control the body, and any damage to the spinal column could cause serious and lasting problems for victims.
In addition to these types of injuries, victims may also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma as a result of being in a horrific crash. They may experience difficulty sleeping or concentrating, which may result in anxiety and depression. They could also be facing stress and financial burdens when they are unable to work due to an injury. An attorney can look into possible sources of liability and assist a victim in receiving the right amount of compensation for their loss.
Faulty trailer hitches
Regardless of whether you're driving a car, a van, truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles need to be securely attached to their trailers. Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could result in catastrophic accidents that lead to serious injuries or 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.
A defective trailer hitch could be caused by many different things, from improper securement to a defective design. It could also be due to an error on the part of the manufacturer, where case-by-case product liability law may apply. The person or company at fault for a faulty trailer is responsible for medical bills of victims, auto repair costs, and other losses related to the incident.
For instance there was a fatal crash that took place in January 2014 on an Ohio road locally known as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came out of the truck and slid over two cars ahead of it. The initial investigation attributed the accident to the truck driver's lapse in examine and secure the hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch involved in the crash -one of the Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a large proportion of occasions.
Due to the faulty hitch The trailer struck the sides of the vehicles, before colliding into them head-on. san diego semi truck accident law firm was multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers.
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 if he had completed a thorough inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were secure. A faulty hitch on a trailer can lead to major catastrophes, since they typically involve a substantial amount of speed and can easily sidewipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In these instances the trailer could deform the car's frame and cause razor-sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.