Now That You've Purchased Semi Truck Lawsuit ... Now What?
Semi Truck Accident Law A serious injury resulting from an accident with trucks can result in the death of the victim with medical costs. It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy. It is vital to have a qualified New York truck accident lawyer at your side following a crash. A qualified lawyer will assist you in proving your case with evidence like police reports or surveillance footage, for instance. Poorly maintained vehicles In a majority of cases trucking companies and owner-operators don't take the appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This negligence leads to a large percentage of preventable crashes every year. Compared to passenger cars, semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavier load. However the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximizing profits is often prioritized over maintaining a fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical issues that could lead to catastrophic accidents. The brakes on trucks must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a moments notice. When brake pads lines, return springs, or lines on a truck wear out and become damaged, it can result in serious accidents and fatal injuries. These parts must be checked and repaired regularly when necessary to ensure they are in good condition. Poor-maintained tires can also be a major reason for truck accidents. Tires that are worn down could lose traction, causing the truck to rollover or skid. If a tire is damaged in any way, like having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it may fail catastrophically. In addition to regular maintenance, trucks must undergo routine inspections to detect mechanical issues before they can cause an accident. If an inspection is done incorrectly or the repair shop fails to adhere to the guidelines of the manufacturer this could result in a crash. In these cases the company that employed or oversees the maintenance or repair shop could be held accountable. Another major cause of truck accidents is the failure of lights, signals, and reflectors. These items must function properly to enable drivers to see and anticipate the movements of the truck particularly when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies could neglect to inspect and maintain these elements or the driver could fail to conduct regular safety inspections. A Houston truck accident lawyer will review your case and determine who might be responsible for your damages in the event that you are injured by a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence that shows the defendant's negligence in your crash and help you obtain the compensation you are entitled to. Distracted Drivers Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. seattle semi truck accident lawyer can weigh up 25-times more than your car and cause a lot more injuries when involved in an accident. Distracted driving is just one of the many factors that cause accidents. A distracted truck driver can lose control of the vehicle or miss a road hazard, which can lead to serious and life-threatening injuries. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while driving. However, even when truckers obey the rules they are still prone to be distracted and cause crash. This could be the result of manual distractions like taking their hands off the wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something else other than driving. Although most people know that it is risky to text and drive, many realize that other activities, such as eating, changing the radio station or even talking to a passenger could also be considered to be distracting. If a truck driver is distracted, they could drift into another lane or fail to notice an obstruction in front of them. If a truck driver's focus is diverted, it takes only an instant for a large vehicle to collide with a car. It is essential to collect information on witnesses and take photos of the scene of the accident when the driver is distracted and causes a crash of a truck. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the company that they work for and who owns the vehicle, if it's an independent contractor. This could affect who is accountable for your incident since the trucking company is responsible for securing skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partially responsible in your accident, it could be liable to you for financial as well as non-economic losses. Rear-End Collisions Rear-end collisions with trucks are quite common and can cause severe injuries. They can occur in a variety settings, such as at a red light or stop signal, where the trucker is unable to check their surroundings for traffic coming in. They may also occur when a car crashes into front of the truck, forcing the driver to apply their brakes without warning. The trucker may then crash into the car from behind. It can be hard to prove fault in the event of rear-end collisions as it's not always clear which vehicle was at fault. An experienced attorney can gather evidence to show that the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash by following too closely or driving while distracted. This evidence could include photos as well as police reports and eyewitness testimony, aswell as skid marks in the road. Sometimes the driver in front might be liable for the accident as well. This can happen when they cut someone off or fail to use their turn signal as a reasonable person would, or put on the brakes in the last second which causes the driver behind to slam into the car directly in front of them. In this scenario, modified comparative negligence laws can be applied. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each party. Damages are then lowered accordingly. Lacerations and Bruises The rear-end of the vehicle is the most impacted area in a rear-end collision which means that the occupants could suffer serious injuries when they hit their head against the dashboard or back window. They may also break bones as they are thrown around the interior of the car by the force of the crash. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. The spinal cord contains many nerves that control the body, and any injury to the spinal column may cause significant and permanent issues for those affected. A person who has been involved in a serious accident may also experience psychological and emotional trauma. They may have trouble sleeping or concentrating which can lead them to depression and anxiety. If they are unable work due to the severity of their injury, this can cause stress and financial hardship. An attorney can look into all possible sources of liability and help the victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their losses. Faulty Trailer Hitches All vehicles, whether they are a car or van, truck, flatbed, or van must be securely connected to their trailers. Unexpectedly unhitching a trailer can result in catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries, or even death. If you've suffered injuries by the trailer that is running away, you should contact an experienced vehicle accident lawyer with a specialization in cases of hitch failure immediately to discuss your legal options. The reason behind a defective trailer hitch could be due to a variety of factors such as inadequate security or design. It could be due to an error on the part of the manufacturer where case-by-case product liability law may apply. The person or company responsible for a trailer's defect can be held accountable for the victims' medical costs along with auto repair expenses and other losses resulting from the incident. For instance the fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road that is locally referred to as “Devil's Backbone,” a trailer came out of the truck, and was thrown through the air into two cars that were behind it. Initial investigations linked the incident to the truck driver’s negligence in failing to properly inspect and secure hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -one of the Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama — to fail on a significant proportion of times. As a result of the faulty hitch, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles, before colliding into them head-on. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles. The driver of the truck involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular murder, however experts suggest that he could've avoided the collision if he'd performed an extensive inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were tight. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause catastrophic accidents, as these incidents often involve a lot of speed and could easily hit smaller cars or motorcycles. In these situations the trailer can distort the car's frame and cause razor-sharp metal fragments to entrap passengers.