Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained during the crash of semi-trucks can cost an individual with medical bills. It can also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is essential to have a qualified New York truck accident lawyer to assist you after a crash. A qualified lawyer will help you prove your case by using evidence such as police reports or surveillance footage, for instance.
Poorly-Maintained Vehicles
In many instances trucking companies as well as owner-operators do not take the appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This causes a large percentage of preventable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars for passengers because of their larger size and heavier weight. Unfortunately, the pressure of completing deadlines and maximizing profits often takes precedence over maintaining the fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that can result in catastrophes.
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 lines on a truck fail, it can lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components should be checked regularly and repaired as necessary to maintain their good condition.
Tires that are not properly maintained can also be a major factor in truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction, which causes the truck to slide or even rollover. Tires that aren't working, whether it's due to inadequate air pressure or tread design, can fail catastrophically.
Trucks need routine inspections in addition to regular maintenance to identify mechanical issues before they lead to an accident. However, if the inspection is conducted incorrectly or the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's instructions, it could cause a crash. In these situations, a company that employed the maintenance or repair shop or managed it may be held responsible.
Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are also a frequent cause of truck accident. These components must function properly to enable drivers to observe and anticipate the movements of the truck especially in rural areas or at night. However, trucking firms may fail to maintain and inspect these equipments or the driver may fail to conduct regular safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your case and determine who may be accountable for your damages in the event you were injured by a deteriorated maintenance of a commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence to prove the negligence of the defendant in your crash and help you receive the compensation you're due.
Distracted Drivers
The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be catastrophic. south gate semi truck accident attorney can weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and cause much worse injuries in an accident. While many factors cause accidents that result from distracted driving, it is one of the most common and risky. A driver who is distracted can lose control of the vehicle or miss a road danger that could result in serious and life-changing injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and regulations for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition against texting or using mobile phones while driving. However, even when truckers obey the rules they could still get distracted and cause a crash. This could be due to manual distractions such as turning your back on the steering wheel, or by cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving is dangerous, but they are not aware that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or chatting with passengers, are also considered to be distracting. If a trucker gets distracted, he may drift into another track and not see an impending traffic jam. If a truck driver's focus is diverted, it only takes just a few seconds for a huge vehicle to hit a motorist car.
When a truck accident is caused by distracted drivers it is vital to capture photos of the scene of the crash and gather the contact details and name of witnesses. It is important 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 have an impact on who's 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 partly responsible for the accident, it could be liable to you for both economic and non-economic damage.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are quite common and can cause serious injuries. These accidents can happen in many different circumstances such as the stop sign or red light when a trucker does not check the road ahead for oncoming traffic. It can also happen if an automobile crosses the truck's route, causing the driver of the truck to brake abruptly without warning. The trucker could then hit the car from behind.
It is often difficult to prove the cause of rear-end crashes, as it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash. However, a skilled attorney can gather evidence that proves the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash through following too closely or distracted driving. This could include evidence such as photos, police reports, eyewitness testimony, and skid marks on the road.
The driver in the front of the car could also be accountable for the accident. This can happen when they cut off someone else, fail to use their turn signal as any reasonable person would, or hit on the brakes in the last second and causing the driver behind to crash into the car directly in the front of them. This is where modified comparative negligence laws come into play, where the jury assigns a percentage of fault to each party and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.
Lacerations and Bruises
The rear of the vehicle is the one that is most affected in a rear-end collision meaning that occupants can sustain serious injuries after hitting their head against the back window or dashboard. They could also break bones due to being bounced around the interior of the vehicle by the force of the crash. Spinal injuries can be severe. Damage to the spine can have long-lasting and serious effects on the victims.
A person who is a victim of a fatal accident might also suffer psychological and emotional trauma. They may have difficulty getting enough sleep or concentrating, which can cause anxiety and depression. They may also experience stress and financial difficulties when they are unable to work because of an injury. An attorney can look into potential sources of liability to assist a victim in receiving the right amount of compensation for their loss.
A problem with trailer hitches
No matter if you're driving an automobile, a truck, a van or a flatbed, all vehicles must to be securely attached to their trailers. Unintentionally removing a trailer's hitch can cause catastrophic accidents that can lead to severe injuries, or even death. If you've been injured in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck and you are in need of an experienced attorney who is skilled in cases involving the failure of a hitch to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch is many things that can be traced to improper securement or design. It could also be the result an error by the manufacturer or a manufacturing defect, in which case the laws governing product liability could apply. The person or company that is at the fault for a defective trailer is responsible for medical bills of victims and auto repair expenses, and other losses related to the incident.
In a fatal crash that occurred on a highway in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014 the trailer was detached from the truck. It crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations pointed out that the accident was due to the truck driver’s negligence for failing to inspect and secure hitch. In June 2015, however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a defect in the hitch the Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason for the crash.
As a result of the malfunctioning hitch caused by the defective hitch, the trailer smashed into the sides of the vehicles before plunging into them head-on. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, but experts believe he could have prevented the collision with other vehicles had he done a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were tight. Incorrect trailer hitches could cause major problems. These accidents are typically high-speed, and they can easily cause a collision with motorbikes or smaller vehicles. In such instances the trailer could distort the car's frame, and cause sharp metal pieces to strike the passengers inside.