Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck accident can cause serious injuries that could cost the victim a significant amount in medical bills. It can also lead to permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy.
After a crash, it is essential to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A professional lawyer can assist you in proving your case by using evidence like police reports and surveillance footage, among others.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
Owner-operators and trucking companies typically fail to take the necessary steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good shape. This causes many accidents that could have been avoided every year.
Comparatively to passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavy load. Unfortunately, the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximizing profits often takes precedence over maintaining the fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that can cause disastrous accidents.
The brakes on a truck must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a single 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. It is essential that these parts are regularly checked and replaced as required to ensure that they remain in good working order.
Inadequately maintained tires can be a major contributor to truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction and cause the truck to slide or even tip over. 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 also require regular inspections to spot mechanical issues before they cause an accident. If an inspection was performed improperly or the repair shop does not adhere to the manufacturer's specifications it could cause a crash. In these situations the company that employed or directed the maintenance or the repair shop could be held responsible.
Another common cause of truck accidents is the failure of signals, lights and reflectors. These items must function properly to enable drivers to observe and anticipate the truck's movements, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies may fail to check and maintain these components or the driver might not be able to complete daily safety checks.
A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer can review your case and determine who could be responsible for your losses if you were injured in an accident caused by a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence proving the defendant's negligence and help you receive the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
The result of a collision involving commercial trucks could be devastating. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your vehicle and can cause much greater injuries when they are involved in collisions. Distracted driving is one of many factors that can cause accidents. 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.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using cellular phones while driving. Even if truckers follow the rules, they may still be distracted and cause an accident. This is often caused by mechanical distractions like getting your hands off the steering wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
While most people are aware the dangers of using text and drive, many are aware that other activities, such as eating or changing the radio station, and even conversing with the other driver can also be deemed as distracting. If compton semi truck accident lawyer is distracted, they may wander off into another lane, or fail to see a traffic jam up ahead of them. It only takes a split second for a huge truck to collide with a vehicle when the driver's attention is diverted.
If a car accident occurs due to distracted driving it is vital to capture photos of the scene of the accident and note down the name and contact details of witnesses. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the business that they work for and who owns the vehicle in case it's an independent contractor. This can have an effect on who is accountable for the accident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking company to hire competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partially responsible for the accident, they could be held responsible for your economic and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are quite common and can result in severe injuries. These accidents can happen in many different circumstances like at an intersection or at a an intersection when the trucker doesn't check ahead for traffic coming in. It can also happen when an automobile crosses the truck's path, forcing the driver of the truck to brake abruptly 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 because it isn't always certain which vehicle was at fault. An experienced attorney can gather evidence that proves that the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash through following too closely or driving distracted. The evidence can include photographs or police reports, eyewitness testimony as well being skid marks on the road.
Sometimes, the driver in the front could be found to be the one responsible for the accident also. This could happen if they cut someone off or fail to obey their turn signal as any reasonable person would, or decide to slam on the brakes at the last moment, causing the driver in the back to slam into the car directly in the front. This type of scenario is where modified comparative negligence laws could come into play, where the jury determines a percentage of the fault to each party, and damages are lowered accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
In a rear-end crash the rear end of the vehicle is the area that receives the most impact. This means that people in the car are at risk of serious injuries if they crash their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the collision can cause broken bones if the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the inside of the vehicle. Spinal injuries can be very serious. The spinal cord contains many nerves that control the body, so any damage to the spinal column can cause long-lasting and serious issues for the victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, the victim may also experience emotional and psychological trauma from the trauma of a crash. They may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating which can lead them to depression and anxiety. If they are unable to work due to the degree of their injury it can create anxiety and financial hardship. An attorney can examine all possible sources of liability and help a victim seek fair compensation for their expenses.
Troublesome trailer hitches
All vehicles, whether they are a vehicle, a car, a truck, van, flatbed, or van must be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally removing a trailer's hitch can cause catastrophic accidents that lead to serious injuries or death. If you've been injured in an accident involving an unhitched trailer, call an experienced vehicle accident lawyer with a specialization in cases of hitch failure immediately to discuss your legal options.
A faulty trailer hitch can be the result of a variety of things, from improper security to design flaws. It could be caused by an error on the part of the manufacturer, where case-by-case product liability law may apply. The company or person at fault for a faulty trailer is liable for victims' medical bills, auto repair costs, and other losses arising from the incident.
In an accident that killed a person on a road in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014 the trailer was detached from the truck. It crashed into two cars that were directly behind it. The initial investigation attributed the accident to the driver's negligence in failing to 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, an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was responsible for the crash.
The trailer hit the side of the vehicles and then crashed into them. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers.
The truck driver involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular homicide, but experts suggest that he could've avoided the collision in the event that he had conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were tight. A faulty hitch on a trailer can lead to major catastrophes, since they typically involve a lot of speed and can easily hit smaller cars or motorcycles. In such instances the trailer could distort the car's frame and push sharp metal pieces to sever the limbs of passengers in.