Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained in collision with trucks can result in the death of the victim with medical expenses. It can also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
After a crash, it is essential to retain an experienced New York truck accident attorney by your side. A lawyer with experience can help prove your case by using evidence like police reports and surveillance camera footage and more.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
Owner-operators and trucking companies typically don't take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good shape. This causes an overwhelming number of preventable accidents every year.
Compared to passenger cars, tractor-trailers and semis need more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavy loads. However, baldwin park semi truck accident law firm of completing deadlines and maximizing profits can overtake maintaining the fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems which could lead to disastrous accidents.
The brakes of trucks are of particular importance as they must be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at the smallest of moments. When brake pads lines, return springs or lines on a truck fail and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is crucial to have these parts regularly checked and replaced as necessary to ensure they are in good working order.
Tires that aren't well maintained may be a major factor in truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction, which causes the truck to skid or even tip over. 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 in addition to regular maintenance to identify mechanical issues prior to causing an incident. If an inspection was performed incorrectly or the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's recommendations, it can cause a crash. In these instances the company that employed or supervised the maintenance or the repair shop could be held responsible.
Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are another common cause of truck accident. These devices must function properly to allow drivers to detect and anticipate the speed of the truck particularly when driving in rural areas or at night. Drivers or trucking companies may fail to maintain and inspect these items, or may not carry out regular safety checks.
A Houston truck accident lawyer can investigate your case and determine who could be responsible for your damages in the event you were injured by a badly maintained commercial truck. This investigation could uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence and help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
There aren't many things that can be more devastating than an incident that involves a commercial truck. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times more than your car and could cause more injuries when they are involved in a collision. While many factors cause accidents, distracted driving is one of the most common and risky. A distracted driver of a truck can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice an accident on the road which could lead to life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while driving. But even if truckers abide by the rules, they can still become distracted and cause crashes. This can be the result of manual distractions, such as taking a hand off the steering wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving is risky, but many do not realize that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or chatting with passengers, could also be considered to be distracting. When a trucker is distracted, they might wander off into another lane, or miss an obstruction in front of them. When a truck driver's eye is diverted, it takes only just a few seconds for a huge vehicle to hit a motorist car.
It is essential to collect details on any witnesses and also take pictures of the scene of the crash when an unintentionally distracted driver causes a crash of a truck. It is essential to know the name of the driver, the business for which they work, and who owns the vehicle in case it's an independent contractor. This could have an impact on who's responsible for the accident, because it is the trucking company's responsibility to hire competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for your accident, they may be responsible for your economic and non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are quite common and can cause serious injuries. They can occur in a variety situations for example, at a red light or stop signal when the trucker fails to observe the road ahead for any traffic that is coming up. It can also happen when cars cross the truck's path, which forces the driver of the truck to brake abruptly without warning. The trucker could then hit the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault when there is a rear-end collision, because it's not always evident the vehicle that was at fault. An experienced lawyer can find evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the crash by following too closely or driving with a distraction. The evidence can include photographs or police reports, eyewitness testimony as well markings from skids on the road.
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 use a turn signal as any other reasonable person. In these situations 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 & Bruises
In a rear-end crash the rear end of the vehicle is the part that takes the most impact. This means that the occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they crash their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the collision can also cause broken bones if the occupants are thrown around the vehicle's interior. Spinal injuries can be serious. The damage to the spine could be serious and have long-lasting effects on victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may suffer from psychological and emotional traumas as a result of the trauma of a crash. They may have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating. This can result in anxiety and depression. They may also face stress and financial strain in the event that they are unable to work due to an injury. An attorney can examine the possible causes of liability to ensure that the victim receives fair compensation for their loss.
Troublesome trailer hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they're a car or a truck, van flatbed, van, need to be securely connected to their trailers. Unexpectedly unhitching a trailer can cause catastrophic accidents that can lead to serious injuries or death. If you've been injured by a runaway trailer, contact an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents that specializes in cases of failure of the hitch promptly to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch could be due to a variety of factors that can be traced to improper securement or design. It could be caused by a defect on the part of the manufacturer, in which case product liability law may apply. The company or the person responsible for a trailer's defect could be held responsible for the victim's medical costs or auto repair expenses, as well as other losses resulting from the incident.
In a fatal crash that occurred on a road 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 inattention to inspect and secure the hitch. In June 2015, however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a defect in the hitch the Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the cause of the crash.
As a result of the malfunctioning hitch, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before crashing into them head-on. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers.
The driver of the truck involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular murder, however experts believe he could have prevented the collision with other vehicles had he performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were secure. A faulty hitch on a trailer can lead to major catastrophes, since these accidents typically require a significant amount of speed and may cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In these cases, the trailer may distort the frame of a car and create sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.