Semi Truck Accident Law
A severe injury sustained in collision with a semi-truck can leave someone with medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy.
It is crucial to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer at your side following a crash. A qualified attorney can help establish your case through evidence like police reports and surveillance camera footage and much more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Owner-operators and trucking companies often fail to take the necessary steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good shape. This negligence results in many preventable accidents each year.
Comparatively to passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers and semis need more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavy load. Unfortunately keeping deadlines and increasing profits can often take precedence over maintaining a fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that can result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on trucks are of particular importance because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at any moment. If the pads of a truck's brakes, lines, or return springs fail they could result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. These components should be checked regularly and repaired as needed to ensure their good working condition.
Tires that aren't well maintained may play a significant role in truck accidents. Tires that have worn out could lose traction, causing the truck to flip over or skid. Tires that are defective or damaged, whether due to improper tread design or air pressure may fail catastrophically.
The inspections are routine for trucks along with regular maintenance to spot mechanical issues before they lead to an accident. If an inspection was performed incorrectly or the repair shop does not adhere to the manufacturer's specifications this could result in a crash. In these situations, a firm that hired the maintenance or repair shop or who was responsible for its supervision could be held liable.
Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are another 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 or after dark. Drivers and trucking companies could fail to maintain and inspect these elements, or they may not carry out regular safety checks.
A reputable Houston truck accident lawyer can analyze your case to determine who could be responsible for your losses when you've been injured in an accident with a poorly-maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence of the defendant's negligence and assist you in obtaining the compensation you're due.
Distracted Drivers
The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These huge vehicles can weigh up to 25-times more than your vehicle and cause far more injuries in a crash. Distracted driving is one of many factors that can cause accidents. A driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or overlook an accident on the road and cause serious and life-altering injuries.
Truck drivers must adhere to strict rules and regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting and using mobile phones while operating their vehicles. Even if truckers obey the rules, they may be distracted and cause an accident. This could be the result of manual distractions like taking their hands off the wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
While most people are aware that it is risky to text and drive, few are aware that other activities like eating or changing the station on the radio or even talking to a passenger could also be considered distracting. When a trucker is distracted the driver could drift off into another area and not be aware of a traffic jam ahead. It takes only a split second for a huge truck to strike a passenger vehicle when the driver's attention wanders.
When vancouver semi truck accident lawyer occurs due to distracted drivers it is crucial to take photographs of the crash scene and note down the contact details and name of witnesses. It is important to determine the name of the driver, the company that they work for and who owns the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could impact on who's responsible for the incident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking business to hire competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partially responsible for the accident, it could be liable to you for both economic and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are common and can cause serious injuries. They can happen in a variety situations like an intersection or stop signal when the trucker fails to look behind them for traffic coming in. They can also occur when a car crashes into front of the truck, causing the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker could then crash into the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions because it isn't always evident who was at fault. However, an experienced attorney can gather evidence that proves that the driver behind caused the crash through following too closely or distracted driving. This evidence can include photos, police reports and eyewitness testimony as well as skid marks on the road.
Sometimes the driver in front may be found to be the one responsible for the accident in addition. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to utilize their turn signal as a reasonable person would, or put on the brakes in the last second, causing the driver behind to slam into the car 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 blame to each party and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.
Bruises & Lacerations
The rear-end of the vehicle is the one that is most affected during a rear-end collision meaning that occupants can sustain serious injuries when they hit their head against the back window or dashboard. They also may break bones due to being bounced around the interior of the car as a result of the force of the collision. The injuries to the spine can be extremely severe. Damage to the spine can be serious and have long-lasting impacts on the victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, victims may suffer from emotional and psychological trauma from the trauma of a crash. They might have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating. This can lead to depression and anxiety. They may also face stress and financial strain when they are unable to work because of an injury. An attorney will investigate the possible causes of liability to assist a victim in receiving fair compensation for their loss.
Troublesome trailer hitches
All vehicles, whether they are a vehicle, a car, van, truck flatbed, van must be securely connected to their trailers. When a trailer becomes unexpectedly unhitched, it can result in catastrophic accidents that result in severe injuries or even death. If you've been injured in a collision involving the trailer that is running away, you should contact an experienced lawyer for car accidents that specializes in cases of failure of the hitch as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch is many things which can range from inadequate securement or design. It can also be the result an error by the manufacturer and, in this case, products liability laws could apply. The person or company at responsible for the malfunction of a trailer can be held liable for the medical bills of the victims and auto repair costs and other damages resulting from the incident.
In an accident that killed a person on a road in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014, a trailer detached from the truck. It crashed into two cars that were directly behind it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the truck driver's carelessness for not inspecting and secure hitch. However, in June 2015 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -one of the Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a significant number of occasions.
As a result of the hitch that was defective The trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before plunging into them head-on. The result was numerous fatalities and serious injuries to the drivers.
The driver of the truck involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, but experts say he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he completed a thorough inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were secure. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major catastrophes, since these incidents often involve a lot of speed and may cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In these cases the trailer could distort the car's frame and cause razor-sharp metal fragments to entrap passengers.