Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained in an accident with a semi-truck can leave an individual in medical costs. It can also lead to 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 skilled lawyer can to prove your case using evidence like police reports and surveillance camera footage and more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Owner-operators and trucking companies often fail to take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good condition. This negligence results in a high percentage of preventable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their larger dimensions and larger load. However, the pressure of completing deadlines and maximizing profits often over maintaining the fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that could result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on a truck must be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a moments notice. When brake pads lines, return springs or lines on a truck wear out, it can lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These parts should be checked and repaired regularly in order to keep them in good working condition.
Tires that aren't maintained can also contribute to truck accidents. Tires that are worn-out can lose traction and cause the truck to rollover or skid. If a tire is defective in any way, like having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
The inspections are routine for trucks along with regular maintenance to detect mechanical problems before they cause an accident. However, if the inspection is not done correctly or the repair shop doesn't adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines the result could be a crash. In these cases the company that employed or directed the maintenance or the repair shop could be held responsible.
Another common cause of truck accidents is malfunctioning lights, signals and reflectors. These components must function properly so that drivers can observe and anticipate the movement of the truck particularly when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies may neglect to inspect and maintain these equipments or the driver could not be able to complete daily safety checks.
A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer will review your case and identify who might be responsible for your losses if you were injured in an accident caused by a faulty maintenance of a commercial truck. This investigation could uncover evidence proving the defendant's negligence and help you get 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 your car and can cause more severe injuries when involved in an accident. Distracted driving is among the many factors that contribute to accidents. A truck driver who is distracted may lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize the dangers on the road, which could lead to severe and life-changing injuries.
Truck drivers are required to 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. But even if truckers adhere to the rules, they may still be distracted and cause crash. This can be caused by manual distractions like taking your hand off the steering wheel or cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
While norman semi truck accident case are aware that it is risky to text while driving, a few are aware that other activities like eating or changing the radio station, and even conversing with a passenger can also be deemed as distracting. When a truck driver gets distracted, they might get lost in a lane or fail to notice a traffic jam in front of them. It only takes a fraction of a second for a large truck to collide with a vehicle when the trucker's focus is diverted.
It is crucial to gather information about any witnesses and take photos of the scene after an accident if an unintentionally distracted driver causes a crash of a truck. It is important to determine the name of the driver, the company that they work for and who is the owner of the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could affect who is liable for your accident, as the trucking company is responsible for securing skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partly responsible for your accident, they may be held responsible for your economic and non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are quite common and can result in serious injuries. They can occur in a variety situations like the stop or red light signal, where the trucker is unable to check behind them for traffic coming in. They can also occur when a car cuts in front of the truck, which forces the driver to apply their brakes without warning. The trucker may then slam the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in the event of rear-end collisions as it isn't always clear the vehicle that was at fault. However, an experienced attorney can gather evidence that proves the driver in the rear caused the crash by following too closely or driving while distracted. This could include evidence such as photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony, and skid marks on the road.
The driver in front of the car may be held accountable for the collision. This can happen if they cut off someone else or fail to make use of a turn signal, as would any other reasonable person would do. In this kind of situation, modified comparative negligence laws could be used. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each of the parties. Damages are then reduced according to.
Lacerations and Bruises
The rear of the vehicle experiences the most impact in a rear-end collision which means that the occupants could suffer serious injuries from hitting their head against the dashboard or the back window. The impact of the crash could cause broken bones when the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the vehicle's interior. Spinal injuries can be particularly severe. The spinal cord contains many nerves that regulate the body, so any injury to the spinal column can cause serious and lasting issues for the victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, the victim may suffer from emotional and psychological trauma from the trauma of a crash. They may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating. This can result in anxiety and depression. If they are unable to work due to the seriousness of their injury this could cause stress and financial burden. An attorney will investigate the possible sources of liability and help a victim receive fair compensation for their loss.
Faulty Trailer Hitches
All vehicles, whether they are a car, van, truck flatbed, van, or, need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it could result in catastrophic accidents that cause serious injuries or even death. If you've been injured in a collision involving an unhitched trailer, call a qualified vehicle accident attorney specializing in hitch failure cases as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
A malfunctioning trailer hitch may be caused by many different things, from improper secured to faulty design. It can also be due to a manufacturer's defect, in which case lawful product liability may apply. The person or company at the fault for a trailer that is defective is responsible for victims' medical bills as well as auto repair costs and other losses arising from the incident.
In a fatal crash on a road in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014 the trailer slid off of the truck. It then crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations linked the incident to the truck driver's negligence in failing to properly inspect and secure hitch. In June 2015, however the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a flaw in the hitch that was an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the cause of the crash.
Due to the malfunctioning hitch The trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before crashing into them head-on. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck that was involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However, experts believe he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he had done a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were tight. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause major disasters, as these types of incidents typically involve a large amount of speed and could easily wipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In such cases the trailer may distort the car's frame, and cause razor sharp metal fragments to strike the passengers inside.