15 Reasons You Shouldn't Overlook Semi Truck Lawsuit

Semi Truck Accident Law A serious injury sustained in collision with semi-trucks can cost an individual in medical bills. It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy. After a collision is important to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A skilled attorney can establish your case through evidence such as police reports and surveillance camera footage and much more. Vehicles that aren't maintained properly In a lot of cases, trucking companies and owner-operators fail to take the proper steps to ensure their vehicles are in good condition. This causes many avoidable accidents each year. Comparatively to passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavy load. Unfortunately the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximizing profits is often prioritized over the maintenance of a fleet. As a result, trucks are more prone to mechanical failures that cause catastrophic accidents. The brakes on trucks are especially important as they must be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at an instant's notice. When a truck's brake pads lines, lines, or return springs wear out they could cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. These components should be checked and repaired regularly as necessary to maintain their good working condition. Tires that aren't properly maintained can also contribute to truck accidents. Tires that are worn out could lose traction, causing the truck to rollover or skid. If a tire is deficient in some way, for example, having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it could fail catastrophically. Trucks need routine inspections in addition to regular maintenance in order to spot mechanical problems before they cause an incident. If an inspection is performed incorrectly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's recommendations it could cause an accident. In these cases, a company that employed the repair or maintenance company or was the one who supervised it could be held responsible. Another cause of truck accidents is faulty signals, lights and reflectors. These components must be in good functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas or after dark. However, trucking firms may fail to maintain and inspect these elements or the driver may fail to conduct regular safety inspections. A Houston truck accident attorney can investigate your case and determine who may be accountable for your losses in the event that you are injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence of negligence by the defendant and help you get the compensation you deserve. Distracted Drivers The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These massive trucks can weigh up to 25-times more than your car and cause a lot more injuries in accidents. While a variety of factors can contribute to accidents that result from distracted driving, it is one of the most common and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize a hazard in the road, leading to life-threatening injuries. Truck drivers must follow strict rules and regulations formulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition on texting and using cell phones while operating their vehicles. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they can still be distracted, causing an accident. This can be caused by accidental distractions, such as turning your back on the steering wheel, or by cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving. While most people understand that it's dangerous to text and drive, few are aware that other activities like eating, changing the radio station or even talking to passengers can be deemed to be distracting. If a truck driver is distracted, they might wander off into another lane, or fail to notice a traffic jam up ahead of them. It only takes a fraction of a second for a large truck to strike a passenger vehicle if the trucker's mind is diverted. It is important to collect information on witnesses and also take pictures of the scene of the accident when an unintentionally distracted driver causes a truck crash. It is essential to know the name of the driver, the business for which they work and who is the owner of the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This can have an impact on who is liable for the accident, as it is the responsibility of the trucking company to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partially responsible in your accident, it could be held accountable to you for economic and non-economic damage. Rear-End Collisions Rear-end collisions between trucks are not uncommon and can cause severe injuries. They can occur in a variety of settings, such as at a red light or stop signal, where the trucker is unable to check behind them for any traffic that is coming up. It can also happen when an automobile crosses the truck's path, which forces the driver of the truck to brake suddenly without warning. The trucker may then slam the car from behind. It can be difficult to prove the cause of a rear-end crash, as it is not always obvious which vehicle caused the crash. A skilled attorney can help find evidence to prove that the driver in the back caused the crash by following too closely, or driving distracted. This can include evidence such as photos, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks on the road. The driver in the front of the car could also be liable for the incident. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to use their turn signal as any reasonable person would, or slam on the brakes at the last minute, causing the driver in the back to crash into the car directly in the front. In this scenario modified comparative negligence laws could be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each party. The damages are then lowered accordingly. north charleston semi truck accident settlement & Lacerations In a rear-end crash the rear-end of the car is the area that experiences the most force. This means that the passengers are at risk of serious injuries if they strike their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They can also suffer broken bones from being bounced around the interior of the vehicle by the force of the crash. Spinal injuries can be severe. The damage to the spine could be serious and have long-lasting consequences for victims. A person who is the victim of a serious accident could also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma. They might have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which may cause anxiety and depression. They could also be facing stress and financial strain if they are unable work due to an injury. An attorney can look into potential sources of liability to assist the victim to receive an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss. Problematic Trailer Hitches Regardless of whether you're driving the vehicle of a car, van, a truck, or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it could cause a catastrophic accident that could result in serious injuries or even death. If you've been injured in an accident involving an unhitched trailer, call an experienced lawyer for car accidents with a specialization in cases of hitch failure as soon as you can to discuss your legal options. The reason behind a defective trailer hitch can be caused by a variety such as inadequate security or design. It could also be due to an issue on the part of the manufacturer, in which case, product liability laws could apply. The company or the person who is at the fault for a trailer that is defective is liable for victims' medical bills and auto repair expenses, and other losses related to the incident. In the fatal crash that took place on a highway in Ohio known as “Devil's Backbone” in January 2014 an unattached trailer was spotted on the truck. It then crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations attributed the crash to the truck driver's lapse in examine and secure the hitch. But in June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect 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 proportion of occasions. The trailer struck the side of the vehicle and crashed into them. This led to numerous deaths and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles. The driver of the truck involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular murder, however experts say that he could've avoided the collision in the event that he had conducted an exhaustive inspection of his trailer to ensure that all connections were secure. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause serious accidents, since these types of incidents typically involve a large amount of speed and may cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In such instances the trailer can deform the car's frame, and cause razor sharp metal fragments to crush passengers inside.