Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury resulting from an accident with semi-trucks can cost an individual in medical bills. It can also lead to permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy.
After a collision, it is essential to retain an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A professional lawyer can help you prove your case with evidence like police reports or surveillance footage, for instance.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
In a lot of cases trucking companies as well as owners-operators do not take appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This leads to a large percentage of preventable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars because of their larger size and heavier load. However, meeting deadlines and maximising profits often take precedence over maintaining a fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems that could lead to disastrous accidents.
The brakes on trucks are crucial because they must be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at an instant's notice. When the brake pads on a truck, lines or return springs wear out, they can cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is crucial to have these parts regularly inspected and replaced when required to keep them in good working order.
Poor-maintained tires can also be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn-out can lose traction and cause the truck to flip over or slide. If a tire is defective in some way, like having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it may fail catastrophically.
Trucks need routine inspections along with regular maintenance in order to spot mechanical problems before they cause an accident. If an inspection is done incorrectly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's guidelines, it could cause an accident. In these instances, the company that hired or directed the maintenance or repair shop could be held accountable.
Another cause of truck accidents is the failure of lights, signals and reflectors. These elements must be properly working to enable drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers could not be able to maintain and inspect these elements, or they might not conduct regular safety checks.
A Houston truck accident lawyer can investigate your case and determine who might be accountable for your losses in the event that you were injured by a poorly maintained commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence that proves the negligence of the defendant in the crash and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
There are few things more damaging than an accident which involves a commercial vehicle. These huge trucks can weigh up to 25-times more than your car and cause a lot more injuries in an accident. While a variety of factors can cause accidents, distracted driving is one of the most prevalent and dangerous. A distracted truck driver can lose control of their vehicle or overlook an opportunity to avoid a road accident 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 operating their vehicles. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they can still become distracted and cause a crash. This could be because of distractions caused by manual actions like taking a hand off the wheel or cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
While the majority of people are aware that it is dangerous to text and drive, very few are aware that other activities such as eating or changing the station on the radio or conversing with a passenger could also be considered to be distracting. When a trucker is distracted the driver could drift off into another lane and fail to notice the traffic jam in front of him. It only takes a split second for a big truck to collide with a vehicle when the driver's attention wanders.
It is important to gather information on witnesses and to take photographs of the accident scene when the driver is distracted, which can cause an accident with a truck. It is essential to know the name of the driver, the business that they work for, and who owns the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could affect the person who is responsible for your accident as the trucking company is responsible for hiring competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partly responsible for your accident, they could be held accountable for your financial and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and often result in serious injuries. These accidents can occur in many different circumstances like at the stop sign or a an intersection when the trucker fails to check behind him for any traffic that is coming up. 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 can then slam into the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in the event of rear-end collisions, as it's not always evident who was at fault. However, a skilled attorney can gather evidence that proves that the driver behind caused the crash due to following too closely or being distracted while driving. The evidence can include photographs as well as police reports and eyewitness testimony, aswell as skid marks on the road.
Sometimes the driver in front could be responsible for the accident in addition. This can happen if they cut someone off or fail to make use of a turn signal, as would any other reasonable person would do. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws could be in play, where the jury determines a percentage of the fault to each party, and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.
Bruises & Lacerations
The rear end of the vehicle experiences the most impact during a rear-end collision which means that the occupants could suffer serious injuries as they smash their head against the dashboard or back windows. 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 severe. Spinal injuries can be serious and have long-lasting effects on the victims.
In addition to these types of injuries, a victim may also be suffering from emotional and psychological trauma from the trauma of a crash. They may have trouble in concentrating or sleeping, which could result in anxiety and depression. They may also face stress and financial burdens when they cannot work due to an injury. An attorney can investigate any possible liability sources and help the victim seek fair compensation for their expenses.
Problematic trailer hitches
Whatever vehicle you're driving, a car, a truck, a van, or a flatbed, all vehicles have to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it can cause catastrophic accidents that result in severe injuries or even death. If you've been injured by an unhitched trailer, call a qualified vehicle accident attorney who specializes in cases involving hitch failure promptly to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch is many things which can range from inadequate secured or defective design. It could be caused by an error on the part of the manufacturer, in which case, product liability laws could apply. The person or company at the fault for a defective trailer is liable for the medical bills of the victims, auto repair costs, and other losses related to the incident.
In a fatal crash that occurred 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 that were directly behind it. Initial investigations pointed out that the accident was due to the driver's negligence in failing to properly inspect and secure the hitch. However, in June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -- an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a significant number of occasions.
The trailer slammed into the side of the vehicles, and then crashed into them. omaha semi truck accident attorney was numerous fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers.
The truck driver who was involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular murder, however experts say he could have avoided the collision if he'd performed an exhaustive inspection of his trailer to make sure that all connections were secure. Faulty trailer hitches can cause major accidents. These kinds of incidents are usually high-speed and can easily sidewipe motorbikes or small cars. In these situations, the trailer can distort the frame of a vehicle and force sharp metal pieces to strike the passengers inside.