Are You Getting The Most From Your Semi Truck Lawsuit?
Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck crash can result in serious injuries that could cost a person a fortune in medical bills. It can also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
After a crash, it is crucial to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney at your side. A professional lawyer can help you prove your case by using evidence like police reports or surveillance footage, for instance.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Trucking companies and owners-operators often fail to take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good repair. This causes many avoidable accidents each year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars used for passenger transport because of their larger size and heavier weight. Unfortunately working to meet deadlines and maximizing profits may take precedence over the maintenance of a fleet. This is why trucks can be susceptible to mechanical breakdowns that can result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on trucks are crucial because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at an instant's notice. If the brake pads of a truck lines, lines, or return springs fail they could result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. These parts should be regularly inspected and repaired as necessary to maintain their good working condition.
Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major cause of truck accidents. Tires that are worn-out could lose traction, causing the truck to flip over or skid. If a tire is damaged in any way, such as having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks require regular inspections in order to spot mechanical problems before they lead to an accident. However, if the inspection is not done correctly or the repair shop doesn't adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines it could lead to a crash. In such cases the company that hired or oversees the maintenance or the repair shop could be held responsible.
Another major cause of truck accidents is defective signals, lights, and reflectors. These items must be properly working to enable drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers could not maintain and inspect these elements, or they might not conduct regular safety checks.
A Houston truck accident lawyer can review your case and determine who might be accountable for your losses in the event that you were injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence and help you obtain the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be devastating. These huge vehicles can weigh up 25 times more than a car and cause a lot more injuries in an accident. Distracted driving is among the many factors that can cause accidents. A driver who is distracted could lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice a road hazard that could result in life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition on texting and using cell phones while driving. Even when truckers adhere to the rules, they can be distracted and result in an accident. This could be the result of manual distractions such as getting off the wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
Although most people know the dangers of using text and drive, many realize that other activities, such as eating, changing the radio station, and even conversing with a passenger could also be deemed as distracting. When the trucker is distracted, the driver could drift off into another lane and fail to notice the traffic jam in front of him. When wichita semi truck accident attorney is diverted, it only takes an instant for a large vehicle to strike a passenger car.
It is crucial to gather information about any witnesses and to take photographs of the scene after an accident if a distracted driver causes a truck crash. It is also beneficial to know the name of the driver of the truck and the company they work for, as well in determining who owns the truck if they are an independent contractor. This can affect who is accountable for your accident since the trucking company is responsible for hiring skilled and competent truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partially responsible for the accident, they could be held responsible for your economic and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and can cause serious injuries. These accidents can occur in many different situations such as the stop sign or a red light, when the trucker fails to check behind him for oncoming traffic. They can also happen when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, which forces the driver to hit their brakes without warning. The trucker could then crash into the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove the fault of a driver in rear-end collisions, as it isn't always clear which vehicle was responsible. A skilled attorney can help find evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the accident because they followed too closely or driving erratically. This evidence can include photos of the scene, police reports, eyewitness testimony, as well markings from skids on the road.
Sometimes, the driver in the front might be the one responsible for the accident also. This can happen when they cut off someone else or fail to use their turn signal as any reasonable person would, or slam on the brakes at the very last minute, causing the driver behind to slam into the car directly in the front of them. This is where modified comparative negligence laws can be in play, where the jury assigns a percentage to each party and damages are reduced accordingly.
Bruises & Lacerations
The rear end of the vehicle has the greatest impact during a rear-end collision meaning that occupants can sustain serious injuries from hitting their head against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the collision can cause broken bones when the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the interior of the car. Spinal injuries can be serious. The spinal cord houses a number of nerves that control the body, therefore any damage to the spinal column can cause significant and permanent issues for the victims.

A person who is a victim of a fatal accident might also suffer psychological and emotional trauma. They may have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which could result in anxiety and depression. They may also experience stress and financial burdens when they cannot work due to an injury. An attorney can look into all possible causes of liability and help the victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their losses.
The trailer hitches are faulty.
No matter if you're driving the vehicle of a car, truck, a van or a flatbed, all vehicles must to be securely attached to their trailers. Unintentionally removing a trailer's hitch can cause catastrophic accidents that can lead to severe injuries or even death. If you've suffered injuries in an accident that involved an unhitched trailer, call an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents that specializes in cases of failure of the hitch promptly to discuss your legal options.
The reason behind a defective trailer hitch is many things that can be traced to improper security or design. It could also be due to an issue on the part of the manufacturer, in which case, product liability laws may apply. The person or company at responsible for the malfunction of a trailer is liable for medical bills of victims and auto repair expenses, 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, the trailer was detached from the truck. It crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations linked the incident to the truck driver's negligence for not inspecting and secure the hitch. However, in June 2015 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a large number of occasions.
Due to the malfunctioning hitch, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles, before colliding into them head-on. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers.
The driver of the truck involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular homicide. However, experts suggest that he could've avoided the collision by conducting an exhaustive inspection of his trailer to make sure that all connections were secure. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major catastrophes, since these incidents often involve a lot of speed and can easily hit smaller cars or motorcycles. In these cases the trailer can distort the car's frame and result in sharp metal fragments to entrap passengers.