Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury resulting from the crash of semi-trucks can cost an individual with medical expenses. It can also cause permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy.
After a collision is essential to retain an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A skilled attorney can you prove your case with evidence such as police reports, surveillance camera footage, and much more.
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 causes a large percentage of accidents that could have been avoided every year.
As compared to passenger cars semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and weight. load. Unfortunately the pressure to meet deadlines and maximize profits can overtake maintaining the fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems which could lead to catastrophic accidents.
The brakes of a truck are particularly important since they have to stop the vehicle and slow it down at the smallest of moments. When brake pads lines, return springs or return lines on a truck wear out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is crucial that these components are regularly inspected and replaced as required to ensure that they remain in good working condition.
Tires that are not properly maintained can also contribute to truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues and cause the truck to slide or even tip over. Tires that are defective either because of improper air pressure or tread design can fail catastrophically.
Trucks need routine inspections in addition to regular maintenance in order to spot mechanical problems before they cause an incident. However, if an inspection is done incorrectly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's instructions it could lead to an accident. In these cases, a company that employed the maintenance or repair shop or supervised it could be held liable.
Another major cause of truck accidents is faulty lights, signals and reflectors. These components must be in good functioning to allow drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas and after dark. san jose semi truck accident settlement or trucking companies may fail to maintain and check these components, or they may not carry out regular safety checks.
A reputable Houston truck accident lawyer will investigate your case to determine who is liable for your damages if you were injured in an accident with a poorly-maintained commercial truck. This investigation could uncover evidence that proves the defendant's negligence and assist you in obtaining the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be devastating. These massive vehicles can weigh up 25 times the weight of your vehicle and cause far more injuries in an accident. Distracted driving is among the many factors that cause accidents. A truck driver who is distracted might lose control of their vehicle or fail to spot an issue on the road, which can lead to life-changing 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 and using mobile phones while driving. Even when truckers adhere to the rules, they could be distracted and result in an accident. This can be the result of manual distractions such as taking a hand off the wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be dangerous, but they are not aware that other activities, like eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers, are also considered to be distracting. If the trucker is distracted, he may drift into another area and not be aware of the traffic jam in front of him. It takes only a split second for a big truck to crash into a vehicle when the trucker's focus wanders.
If a car accident is caused by distracted driving It is essential to take photographs of the crash scene and note down the name and contact details of any witnesses. It is also helpful to know the name of the truck driver and the company they are employed by, as and who owns the truck if it is an independent contractor. This can have an impact on who is liable for the accident, because it is the trucking company's responsibility to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found partially responsible for your accident, it may be held accountable to you for any economic and non-economic damage.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and often result in serious injuries. They can happen in a variety of situations like the stop or red light signal, where the trucker is unable to check their surroundings for oncoming traffic. They can also occur when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, causing the driver to slam on their brakes without warning. The trucker might then slam the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove the cause of an accident that occurs at the rear, as it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash. An experienced lawyer can gather evidence to show that the driver behind caused the accident by following too closely, or driving with a distraction. The evidence can include photographs, police reports and eyewitness testimony as well as skid marks in the road.
Sometimes the driver in front may be found to be responsible for the accident in addition. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to utilize their turn signal in the manner that a reasonable person would, or decide to slam on the brakes at the last moment which causes the driver in the back to crash into the car directly in the front. This type of scenario is where modified comparative negligence laws be applied, in which the jury assigns a percentage to each party and damages are reduced accordingly.
Lacerations and Bruises
In a rear-end crash, the rear of the car is the area that receives the most force. This means that the passengers are at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash can cause broken bones if the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the inside of the vehicle. Injuries to the spine can be severe. Damage to the spine can have long-lasting and serious effects on the victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, the victim might also suffer from emotional and psychological trauma from the trauma of a crash. They may have difficulty getting enough sleep or concentrating, which could result in anxiety and depression. If they're unable to work due to the severity of their injury, this could cause stress and financial hardship. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability and help the victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their expenses.
The trailer hitches are faulty.
All vehicles, whether they are a car, van, truck flatbed, van, or should be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could cause catastrophic accidents that lead to serious injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck, contact an experienced attorney who is specialized in cases involving hitch failure to discuss your legal options.
The cause of a faulty trailer hitch can be caused by a variety such as inadequate securement or design. It could be due to a defect on the part of the manufacturer, in which case product liability law may apply. The company or person responsible for a defective trailer could be held responsible for the victim's medical expenses, 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 crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations linked the incident to the truck driver's carelessness in failing to check and secure the hitch. However, in June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch involved in the crash -it was an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a high proportion of times.
The trailer hit the side of the vehicles and then crashed into them. The result was numerous fatalities and serious injuries to the drivers.
The driver of the truck involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However experts believe he could have avoided the collision with the other vehicles if he had performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were secure. Incorrect trailer hitches could cause major problems. These accidents are typically high-speed and can easily sidewipe motorcycles or smaller cars. In these cases, the trailer may distort the car's frame and cause razor-sharp metal fragments to impale any passengers.