Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck collision can result in a serious injury that can cause a person to pay a huge amount in medical expenses. It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
Following a collision, it is essential to retain an experienced New York truck accident attorney at your side. A skilled attorney can to prove your case using evidence like police reports, surveillance camera footage, and much more.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
Owner-operators and companies that operate trucks often do not take the necessary steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This leads to a high percentage of preventable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars for passengers due to their larger size and heavier load. Unfortunately the pressure to meet deadlines and maximize profits often over maintaining the fleet. As a result, trucks are more prone to mechanical breakdowns that can cause catastrophic accidents.
The brakes of trucks are especially important since they have to stop the vehicle and slow it down at the smallest of moments. If the pads of a truck's brakes, lines or return springs wear out they could cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. These parts must be checked and repaired regularly as necessary to maintain their good working condition.
Tires that aren't properly maintained can also be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn down can cause the tires to lose traction and cause the truck to skid or even roll over. Tires that are defective because of inadequate tread design or air pressure can fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks must undergo routine inspections to detect mechanical issues before they can cause an accident. If an inspection is conducted in a way that is not correct or if the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's recommendations this could result in a crash. In these instances, the company that employed the repair or maintenance shop or was the one who supervised it could be held liable.
Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are another frequent cause of truck accident. These devices must function properly in order for drivers to be able to observe and anticipate the speed of the truck especially in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies could fail to check and maintain these components or the driver might not perform regular safety checks.
A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your case and determine who may be responsible for your injuries in the event that you are injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence that proves the negligence of the defendant in the accident and help you get the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and can cause a lot more injuries if they are involved in collisions. Distracted driving is just one of the many factors that can cause accidents. A distracted driver of a truck can lose control of their vehicle or fail to notice a road hazard which could lead to serious and life-altering injuries.
Truck drivers are required to adhere to strict rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while driving. But even if truckers abide by the rules, they may still be distracted and cause an accident. This can be a result of manual distractions, such as taking their hands off the steering wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something else other than driving.
While the majority of people are aware that it is dangerous to text and drive, very few realize that other activities like eating, changing the station on the radio or conversing with the other driver can also be considered distracting. When a trucker is distracted, they could drift into another lane or not be able to see the traffic jam ahead of them. It only takes a fraction of a second for a large truck to crash into a vehicle when the trucker's attention is diverted.
west valley city semi truck accident attorney is important to gather information on witnesses and take photos of the scene of the accident when the driver is distracted, which can cause an accident with a truck. It is also important to know the name of the truck driver and the company they work for, as well in determining who owns the truck if they are an independent contractor. This will affect who is accountable for your accident as the trucking company is responsible for securing skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partly responsible for your accident, they could be held accountable to you for economic and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and often cause severe injuries. These accidents can happen in a variety of situations like at an intersection or at a red light when the trucker doesn't check behind him for oncoming traffic. It can also happen if vehicles cross the truck's path, which forces the driver of the truck to brake abruptly without warning. The trucker might then slam into the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions because it isn't always certain who was at fault. An experienced attorney can gather evidence to show that the driver behind caused the crash by following too closely or driving distracted. This evidence can include photos or police reports, eyewitness testimony, as well being skid marks on the road.
The driver in the front of the car could be held accountable for the accident. 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 slam on the brakes at the last moment and cause the driver behind to crash into the car directly in the front of them. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws can be used, in which the jury determines a percentage of the fault to each party and damages are reduced accordingly.
Lacerations, Bruises and Bruises
The rear end of the vehicle has the greatest impact during a rear-end collision so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries from hitting their head against the back window or dashboard. They can also suffer broken bones due to being bounced around the interior of the car due to the force of the crash. Spinal injuries can be severe. Injuries to the spine can have serious and long-lasting effects on the victims.
A person who is the victim of a serious accident may also suffer from psychological and emotional trauma. They may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating, which could result in anxiety and depression. They may also face stress and financial strain when they are unable to work due to an injury. An attorney can investigate all possible sources of liability and help a victim seek fair compensation for their losses.
Troublesome trailer hitches
Whatever vehicle you're driving, either a car, van, truck, or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it can cause a catastrophic accident that could cause serious injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in an accident involving the trailer that is running away, you should contact a qualified vehicle accident attorney who specializes in cases involving hitch failure promptly to discuss your legal options.
The cause of a faulty trailer hitch can be a variety of things that can be traced to improper security or design. It could also be the result an error by the manufacturer, in which case laws governing product liability could apply. The person or company that is at responsible for the malfunction of a trailer is responsible for medical bills of victims and auto repair costs as well as other losses that result from the incident.
In a fatal crash on a highway in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014 a trailer detached from the truck. It crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations pointed out that the accident was due to the truck driver’s negligence in failing to check and secure hitch. However, in June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch in the crash -one of the Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a high proportion of occasions.
The trailer slammed into the side of the vehicles and crashed into them. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The truck driver in the accident was convicted of vehicular homicide. However, experts suggest that he could've avoided the collision in the event that he had conducted an extensive inspection of his trailer to ensure that all connections were secure. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause serious accidents, since they typically involve a lot of speed and could easily sidewipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In these instances the trailer could distort the frame of a vehicle and force razor sharp metal fragments to crush passengers inside.