Semi Truck Accident Law
A severe injury sustained in the crash of a semi-truck can leave someone in medical bills. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is vital 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 and surveillance camera footage and much more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Owner-operators and companies that operate trucks often fail to take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good working order. This causes many accidents that could have been avoided every year.
In comparison to passenger cars, tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and weight. loads. However, meeting deadlines and maximising profits often take precedence over maintaining the fleet. In the end, trucks are susceptible to mechanical failures that could cause devastating accidents.
The brakes on trucks must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a single notice. When brake pads lines, return springs or lines on a truck wear out and become damaged, it can result in serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is vital that these components are regularly inspected and replaced when necessary to ensure they are in good condition.
Inadequately maintained tires can be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn down may lose traction and cause the truck to flip over or skid. If a tire is damaged in some way, such as having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it may fail catastrophically.
Regular inspections of trucks are required in addition to regular maintenance to identify mechanical problems before they cause an accident. If an inspection is conducted incorrectly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's instructions it could lead to a crash. In such cases, a company that hired the maintenance or repair shop or managed it may be held responsible.
Another cause of truck accidents is malfunctioning signals, lights, and reflectors. These devices must be correctly functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas and after dark. Trucking companies or drivers could fail to maintain and inspect these components, or they may not be able to conduct daily safety checks.
A reputable Houston truck accident lawyer can analyze your case to determine who could be responsible for your losses after you've been injured during an accident caused by a faulty maintenance of a commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence and assist you in obtaining the compensation you're due.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be devastating. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and could cause more injuries when they are involved in an accident. Distracted driving is just one of the many factors that can cause accidents. A driver who is distracted could lose control of the vehicle or miss an accident on the road and cause serious and life-changing injuries.
Truck drivers must adhere to strict rules and regulations that have been formulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition on texting and using cell phones while driving. Even if truckers follow the rules, they may be distracted and cause an accident. This is often caused by manual distractions such as not having your hands on the steering 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 chatting with passengers, are also considered to be distracting. If a truck driver is distracted, they could drift into another lane or miss an obstruction in front of them. When a trucker's attention is diverted, it's only just a few seconds for a huge vehicle to crash into a passenger car.
It is important to collect information about any witnesses and also take pictures of the scene of the accident when an unintentionally distracted driver causes a truck crash. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the company that they work for and who owns the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could have an impact on who's responsible for the accident, because it is the responsibility of the trucking business to recruit competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for your accident, they could be held accountable for your financial as well as non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. They can happen in a variety settings like an intersection or stop sign when the trucker fails to observe the road ahead for any traffic that is coming up. It can also happen if a car cuts across the truck's path, causing the driver of the truck to stop suddenly without warning. The trucker may then crash into the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove the fault of a driver in rear-end collisions, as it's not always evident which vehicle 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 could include evidence such as photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks in the road.
Sometimes the driver in front might 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 hit on the brakes at the last moment and causing the driver behind to slam into the car directly in front of them. In this kind of situation, modified comparative negligence laws could be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each party. The damages will be reduced accordingly.
Lacerations, Bruises and Bruises
In a rear-end crash the rear-end of the car is the part that takes the most impact. This means that the people in the car are at risk of serious injuries if hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They may also break bones due to being thrown around the interior of the car as a result of the force of the collision. The spine is a vulnerable area and injuries to it can be particularly severe. The damage to the spine could cause serious and lasting impacts on the victims.
A victim of a serious accident might also suffer emotional and psychological trauma. They may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating which can result in depression and anxiety. They may also experience stress and financial burdens in the event that they are unable to work due to an injury. An attorney can examine the possible sources of liability to ensure that the victim receives fair compensation for their loss.
Problematic Trailer Hitches
It doesn't matter if you're driving either a car, van, truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles must to be securely connected to their trailers. When a trailer becomes unexpectedly unhitched, it could cause a catastrophic accident that could result in severe injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in a collision involving the trailer that is running away, you should contact an experienced lawyer for car accidents with a specialization in cases of hitch failure immediately to discuss your legal options.
A faulty trailer hitch can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from inadequate securement to a defective design. It can also be the result of a manufacturer's defect or a manufacturing defect, in which case the product liability laws may apply. The company or the person responsible for a trailer that is defective can be held accountable for the victims' medical expenses or auto repair expenses, as well as other losses resulting from the incident.
In the fatal crash that took place on a road in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014, the trailer slid off of the truck. It crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the truck driver's negligence in failing to examine and secure the hitch. However, in chico semi truck accident case of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch at the center of the crash -an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a significant number of occasions.
The trailer struck the sides of the vehicles and crashed into them. The result was numerous deaths and serious injuries for the drivers.
The truck driver who was involved in the accident was convicted of vehicular homicide, but experts believe that he could have avoided the collision in the event that he had conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer to make sure 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 may wipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In these cases, the trailer may distort the frame of a car and cause sharp metal fragments to injure passengers.