Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained during collision with a semi-truck can leave the victim with medical expenses. It can also lead to permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is crucial to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer on your side following an accident. A qualified attorney can help you prove your case using evidence like police reports, surveillance footage, etc.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Trucking companies and owners-operators often do not take the proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This can lead to an overwhelming number of preventable crashes every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars for passengers due to their larger size and heavier weight. Unfortunately working to meet deadlines and maximizing profits may take precedence over the maintenance of a fleet. This is why trucks are more prone to mechanical malfunctions that can cause catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on trucks are of particular importance as they must be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at a moment's notice. 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 that these parts are regularly inspected and replaced when needed to keep them in good working condition.
Tires that aren't well maintained may play a significant role in truck accidents. Tires that are worn-out can lose traction and cause the truck to roll over or slide. If a tire is damaged in some way, such as having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
Trucks need routine inspections along with regular maintenance to detect mechanical issues before they can cause an accident. If an inspection is not done correctly or the repair shop does not adhere to the guidelines of the manufacturer, it could cause an accident. In these instances, the company that employed the maintenance or repair shop or was the one who supervised it could be held accountable.
Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are a common reason for truck accidents. These items must function properly to allow drivers to detect and anticipate the truck's movements, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers could fail to maintain and inspect these items, or may not carry out regular safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident lawyer can investigate your case and determine who might be accountable for your damages in the event you were injured by a badly maintained commercial truck. Investigating your case can uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence in the accident and assist you receive the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be devastating. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times more than your vehicle and may cause much greater injuries when they are involved in an accident. While a variety of factors can cause accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most prevalent and dangerous. A distracted truck driver can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice an accident on the road and cause life-threatening injuries.
Truck drivers are required to follow strict rules and regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while driving. But even if truckers adhere to the rules, they are still prone to be distracted and cause crashes. santa barbara semi truck accident lawsuit can be the result of distractions caused by manual actions like taking their hands off the wheel or cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
While the majority of people are aware that it's dangerous to text and drive, many realize that other activities like eating, changing the radio station or even talking to passengers can be considered distracting. When a truck driver gets distracted, they might get lost in a lane or miss an obstruction in front of them. It takes only a split second for a huge truck to crash into a vehicle if the trucker's mind is diverted.
It is important to gather details on any witnesses and also take pictures of the scene after an accident if the driver is distracted and causes the truck to crash. It is also beneficial to determine the name of the truck driver and the company they are employed by, as and who owns the truck if it's an independent contractor. This could influence on who is responsible for the incident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking business to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partly responsible for your accident, they may be liable for your economic and non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. They can occur in a variety situations like a red light or stop signal when the trucker fails to check behind them for traffic coming in. They can also occur when a car cuts in front of the truck, causing the driver to apply their brakes without warning. The trucker might then slam into the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in the event of a rear-end collision, because it isn't always certain the vehicle that was at fault. However, an experienced lawyer can assist in gathering evidence that proves the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash through following too closely or driving distracted. This evidence can include photos as well as police reports and eyewitness testimony as well markings from skids on the road.
The driver in front of the car may be held accountable for the accident. This can happen when they cut someone off or fail to use their turn signal in the way that a reasonable person would, or put on the brakes in the last second which causes the driver in the back to slam into the car directly in the front of them. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws be used, in which the jury determines a percentage of the fault to each party, and damages are lowered accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
The rear end of the vehicle is the most impacted area in a rear-end collision, so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries as they smash their head against the dashboard or back window. The force of the crash can cause broken bones when the occupants are thrown about the interior of the vehicle. Spinal injuries can be serious. The damage to the spine could have serious and long-lasting effects on victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma from being involved in a devastating crash. They may experience difficulties being able to sleep or concentrate, which can lead them to depression and anxiety. If they're unable to work due to the degree of their injury this could cause pressure and financial hardship. An attorney can examine the potential sources of liability to ensure that the victim receives fair compensation for their loss.
Troublesome trailer hitches
Regardless of whether you're driving a car, a truck, a van or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it could cause catastrophic accidents that cause serious injuries or even death. If you've suffered injuries in an accident that involved an unhitched trailer, call an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents with a specialization in cases of hitch failure as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
A damaged trailer hitch could result from a variety things, from improper securing to defective design. It could be caused by an error on the part of the manufacturer in which case the product liability laws could apply. The company or the person responsible for a trailer that is defective is liable for the victims' medical costs as well as auto repair costs and other losses that result from the incident.
In a fatal crash on a highway 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 pointed out that the accident was due to the truck driver's carelessness for failing to inspect and secure the hitch. In June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started investigating the possibility that a defect in the hitch and an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason behind the crash.
The trailer struck the side of the vehicles and then crashed into them. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries for the drivers.
The driver of the truck that was involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However, experts believe that he could have avoided the collision with the other vehicles if he had conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were tight. The failure of a trailer's hitches can result in major catastrophes, since they typically involve a substantial amount of speed and could easily wipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In such cases the trailer could distort the car's frame and push razor sharp metal fragments to impale passengers inside.