Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck accident could cause a serious injury that can cost the victim a significant amount in medical bills. It can also result in permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.
It is crucial to have a professional New York truck accident lawyer to assist you after a crash. A skilled lawyer can you prove your case with evidence like police reports or surveillance camera footage and more.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
In a lot of cases trucking firms and owners-operators do not take proper steps to ensure their vehicles are in good working condition. This can lead to an astronomical number of preventable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their larger size and heavier load. However the pressure to meet deadlines and maximize profits can overtake maintaining the fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that can cause disastrous accidents.
The brakes on a truck have to be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a moments notice. If the pads of a truck's brakes lines, lines or return springs wear out they can result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is crucial that these components are regularly inspected and replaced as required to ensure that they remain in good working order.
Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major cause of truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues and cause the truck to skid or even rollover. If a tire is damaged in some way, such as having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it may fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks need regular inspections to identify mechanical issues before they can cause an accident. If an inspection is performed improperly or the repair shop doesn't adhere to the manufacturer's specifications, it can cause an accident. In these instances, the company that employed the repair or maintenance shop or managed it may be held accountable.
Another cause of truck accidents is defective signals, lights and reflectors. These devices must function properly to allow drivers to observe and anticipate the movement of the truck, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. Drivers or trucking companies may fail to maintain and inspect these items, or may not perform daily safety inspections.
A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer can examine your case to determine who is accountable for your injuries if you were injured in an accident with a poorly-maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence to prove the negligence of the defendant in your crash and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These massive vehicles can weigh up 25 times more than a car and cause a lot more injuries in accidents. Distracted driving is among the many causes of accidents. A distracted truck driver can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice a road hazard and cause serious and life-altering injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition on texting or using cell phones while driving. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they may be distracted and cause an accident. This could be the result of manual distractions such as dropping a hand off of the steering wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be risky, but many do not realize that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or chatting with passengers, can also be considered distracting. When a trucker is distracted the driver could drift off into another direction and not notice an impending traffic jam. It takes only a split second for a huge truck to crash into a vehicle when the driver's attention is diverted.
It is important to collect details on any witnesses and take photos of the scene of the crash when the driver is distracted, which can cause a truck crash. It is also beneficial to determine the name of the driver who is driving the truck and the company they work for, aswell the owner of the truck, if it's an independent contractor. This can have an influence on who is responsible for the accident, because it is the responsibility of the trucking company to recruit competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partially responsible for your accident, it could be liable to you for financial and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and often cause severe injuries. They can occur in a variety of situations for example, at an intersection, a stop sign when the trucker fails to observe the road ahead for traffic in the direction of oncoming traffic. They can also happen when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, forcing the driver to apply their brakes without warning. The trucker could then hit the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in rear-end collisions, since it's not always clear which vehicle caused the accident. An experienced attorney can gather evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the accident by following too closely, or driving distracted. This can include evidence like photos, police reports eyewitness testimony, and skid marks on the road.
The driver in front of the car may also be held responsible for the accident. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to make use of a turn signal, as would any reasonable person would do. In this type of scenario the modified comparative negligence laws may be used. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each party. Damages are then reduced accordingly.
Lacerations and Bruises
In a rear-end collision, the rear of the car is the area that receives the most force. This means that drivers are most at risk of serious injuries if they crash their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash may cause broken bones if the occupants are thrown about the interior of the vehicle. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. Injuries to the spine can cause serious and lasting effects on victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma as a result of being in a horrific crash. They might have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which could lead to depression and anxiety. They may also experience financial hardship and stress if they are unable work due to an injury. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability to ensure that the victim receives fair compensation for their loss.
Problematic Trailer Hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a vehicle, a car, a truck, van flatbed, van, or must be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally removing a trailer's hitch can cause catastrophic accidents that can lead to severe injuries, or even death. If sioux falls semi truck accident lawsuit 've been injured in an accident that involved the trailer that is running away, you should contact an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents specializing in hitch failure cases as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
A damaged trailer hitch could be caused by many different things, from improper securing to defective design. It could also be due to an error by the manufacturer, in which case product liability laws may apply. The person or company that is at responsible for the malfunction of a trailer could be held accountable for medical bills of victims and auto repair costs and other losses related to the incident.
For example the fatal crash that took place in January 2014 on an Ohio road referred to locally as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came free from the truck, and was thrown head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigation linked the accident to the truck driver's lapse in inspect and secure the hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a large proportion of times.
The trailer struck the side of the vehicles, and then crashed into them. This resulted in multiple fatalities and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles.
The truck driver involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular homicide. However, experts say he could have avoided the collision had he conducted an extensive inspection of his trailer to ensure all connections were in good order. The failure of a trailer's hitches can result in major catastrophes, since they typically require a significant amount of speed and can easily wipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In these situations, the trailer may distort the frame of a car and cause sharp metal fragments to impale any passengers.