Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck crash can result in an injury of a serious nature that could cost the victim a significant amount in medical expenses. It can also lead to permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
After a crash, it is essential to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A qualified attorney can assist you in proving your case with evidence such as police reports and surveillance footage.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In many instances trucking companies and owners-operators do not take proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good working condition. This can lead to a high percentage of preventable accidents occurring every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their dimensions and larger load. However, the pressure of completing deadlines and maximizing profits often takes precedence over maintaining the fleet. In the end, trucks can become prone to mechanical problems that can could cause devastating accidents.
The brakes on a truck are particularly 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 fail, they can cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. These parts must be regularly checked and repaired as necessary to maintain their good working condition.
Tires that are not properly maintained can play a significant role in truck accidents. Tires that are worn down can cause the tires to lose traction and cause the truck to slide or even flip over. If a tire is defective in some way, for example, having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it may fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks must undergo regular inspections to identify mechanical issues before they cause an accident. However, if an inspection is performed incorrectly or the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's instructions it could lead to a crash. In these cases, the company that hired or supervising the maintenance or repair shop could be held accountable.
Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are also a frequent cause of truck accident. These elements must be properly functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers could fail to maintain and inspect these elements, or they may not perform daily safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident lawyer will investigate your case and determine who could be responsible for your damages in the event that you were injured by a deteriorated maintenance of a commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence that demonstrates the defendant's negligence in the crash and help you get the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These massive vehicles can weigh up 25 times the weight of your vehicle and cause far more injuries in an accident. Distracted driving is one of many factors that can cause accidents. A distracted truck driver can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice an opportunity to avoid a road accident which could lead to serious and life-threatening injuries.
Truck drivers are required to adhere to strict rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition against texting or using cellular phones while driving. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they can be distracted and result in an accident. This could be due to manual distractions such as getting your hands off 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 they are not aware that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers, can also be considered distracting. When a trucker is distracted, they could wander off into a different lane or not be able to see an obstruction in front of them. It only takes a split second for a huge truck to collide with a vehicle when the driver's attention is diverted.
It is essential to collect details about witnesses and take photos of the scene of the accident when a distracted driver causes a crash of a truck. It is also important to find out the name of the driver of the truck and the company they work for, aswell the owner of the truck 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 employ competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible in your accident, it could be held accountable to you for any economic as well as non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are not uncommon and can cause serious injuries. These accidents can happen in a variety of situations such as a stop sign or an intersection when the trucker doesn't check ahead for traffic coming in. It could also happen when cars cross the truck's path, forcing the driver of the truck to stop suddenly without warning. The trucker could then smash the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove fault in the event of rear-end collisions, as it isn't always evident which vehicle was responsible. An experienced attorney can help gather evidence that shows the driver behind caused the crash through following too closely or driving distracted. This could include evidence such as photos, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks on the roadway.
The driver in front of the car may also be held responsible for the collision. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to utilize their turn signal in the way that a reasonable person would, or slam on the brakes at the last minute and causing the driver behind to crash into the car directly in the front of them. This is where modified comparative negligence laws could be in play, where the jury assigns a percentage to each party, and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.
Lacerations & Bruises
In a rear-end crash the rear-end of the car is the area that receives the most impact. This means that the passengers are at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They can also suffer broken bones due to being bounced around the interior of the car due to the force of the collision. Injuries to the spine can be extremely severe. The spinal cord contains many nerves that regulate the body, and 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 could also be suffering from emotional and psychological trauma. They may experience difficulty sleeping or concentrating which can result in depression and anxiety. They may also experience stress and financial difficulties in the event that they are unable to work because of an injury. An attorney can investigate the possible causes of liability to assist a victim in receiving fair compensation for their loss.
A problem with trailer hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a car or van, truck, flatbed, or van, need to be securely connected to their trailers. Unexpectedly unhitching a trailer can cause catastrophic accidents, leading to severe injuries, or even death. If you've been injured in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck, contact an experienced attorney who is skilled in cases involving the failure of a hitch to discuss your legal options.
A faulty trailer hitch can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from inadequate security to design flaws. It could be caused by an error on the part of the manufacturer, where case-by-case product liability laws may apply. The company or person at the fault for a trailer that is defective could be held accountable for the medical bills of the victims and auto repair costs and other losses arising from the incident.
In alexandria semi truck accident claim that occurred 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 that were directly behind it. Initial investigations attributed the crash to the truck driver's negligence in failing examine and secure the hitch. In June 2015 however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started 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 faulty hitch caused by the defective hitch, the trailer smashed into the sides of the vehicles, before colliding into them head-on. This resulted in multiple fatalities and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The truck driver in the accident was convicted of vehicular homicide, but experts say he could have avoided the collision by conducting an extensive inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were tight. A faulty trailer hitch could cause major problems. These incidents are often high-speed, and they can easily cause a collision with motorcycles or other smaller vehicles. In such cases the trailer can deform the car's frame and push razor sharp metal fragments to impale passengers inside.