Semi Truck Accident Law

A serious injury resulting from an accident with semi truck accident-trucks can cost the victim in medical costs. It could also cause permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy.

After a collision is essential to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney at your side. A qualified attorney will help you prove your case by using evidence like police reports and surveillance footage.

Poorly maintained vehicles

In a lot of cases, trucking companies and owners-operators do not take appropriate steps to make sure their vehicles are in good working condition. This can lead to an astronomical number of avoidable accidents every year.

Compared to passenger cars, semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and weight. load. Unfortunately, the pressure of completing deadlines and maximizing profits can overtake maintaining the fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems which could result in catastrophic accidents.

The brakes of a truck need to be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a minute's notice. If the pads of a truck's brakes lines, lines, or return springs wear out they can result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. These parts must be regularly checked and repaired when necessary to ensure they are in good working condition.

Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major cause of truck accidents. Tires that are worn down could lose traction, causing the truck to overturn or slide. If a tire is deficient in some way, such as having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it may fail catastrophically.

In addition to regular maintenance, trucks require regular inspections to identify mechanical issues before they can cause an accident. If an inspection is conducted incorrectly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's recommendations it could lead to an accident. In these situations, a company that employed the repair or maintenance company or managed it may be held liable.

Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are another common cause of truck accident. These elements must function correctly to allow drivers to observe and anticipate the movements of the truck particularly when driving in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers may not be able to maintain and inspect these equipment, or might not conduct regular safety inspections.

A Houston truck accident lawyer will investigate your case and determine who might be responsible for your injuries in the event that you were injured by a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence to prove the negligence of the defendant in the accident and help you recover the compensation you're entitled to.

Distracted Drivers

Accidents involving commercial trucks can be devastating. These massive vehicles can weigh up to 25 times more than your vehicle and cause far more injuries when involved in an accident. Distracted driving is among the many causes of accidents. A truck driver who is distracted can lose control of their vehicle or fail to spot an accident on the road, which could lead to severe and life-changing injuries.

Truck drivers must adhere to strict rules and regulations formulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition against texting or using cellular phones while driving. Even if truckers obey the rules they can still become distracted and cause crash. This could be because of manual distractions like dropping a hand off of the wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something else other than driving.

While the majority of people are aware that it's dangerous to text while driving, a few realize that other activities, such as eating, changing the radio station or conversing with the other driver can also be deemed as distracting. When a trucker is distracted, they may drift into another lane or fail to notice an obstruction in front of them. If a truck driver's focus is diverted, it only takes one second for a massive vehicle to crash into a passenger car.

If a car accident is caused by a distracted driver it is vital to snap photos of the scene of the accident as well as collect the name and contact information of witnesses. It is important to determine the name of the driver, the company that they work for, and who is the owner of the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could have an influence on who is responsible for the incident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking firm to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partly responsible for the accident, they may be held responsible for your economic and non-economic damages.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. They can happen in a variety situations like the stop or red light signal, where the trucker is unable to observe the road ahead for traffic in the direction of oncoming traffic. It can also happen when an automobile crosses the truck's path, causing the driver of the truck to stop suddenly and without warning. The trucker may then slam the car from behind.

It can be hard to prove the fault of a driver in rear-end collisions, as it isn't always clear who was at fault. A skilled attorney can help gather evidence to show that the driver behind caused the accident because they followed too closely or driving with a distraction. This can include evidence such as photographs, Semi Truck Accident police reports, eyewitness testimony, and skid marks left on the roadway.

Sometimes, the driver in the front could be found to be responsible for the accident in addition. This can happen when they cut someone off or fail use a turn signal as any reasonable person. This is where modified comparative negligence laws can be used, in which the jury assigns a percentage to each party, and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.

Bruises & Lacerations

The rear-end of the car has the greatest impact 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. The force of the crash can also cause broken bones if the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the inside of the vehicle. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. Damage to the spine can be serious and have long-lasting consequences for victims.

A victim of a serious accident may also experience emotional and psychological trauma. They may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating, which can cause anxiety and depression. If they're unable to work due to the extent of their injury, this can add stress and financial burden. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability to ensure that the victim receives fair compensation for their loss.

Problematic Trailer Hitches

All vehicles, regardless of whether they're a car or a truck, van flatbed, van, or should be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally pulling a trailer off can cause catastrophic accidents that can lead to severe injuries, Semi truck accident or even death. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a runaway truck get in touch with an experienced lawyer who is specialized in cases involving hitch failure to discuss your legal options.

The cause of a faulty trailer hitch can be a variety of things which can range from inadequate security or design. It can also be the result of a defect in the manufacturing process and in that case, lawful product liability may apply. The person or company at the fault for a defective trailer could be held accountable for medical bills of victims, auto repair costs, and other losses arising from the incident.

For example, in a deadly crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road locally known as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came free from the truck, and was thrown directly into two cars in front of it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the 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 that was an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the cause of the crash.

As a result of the hitch that was defective due to the hitch's failure, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before plunging into them head-on. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.

The driver of the truck that was involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However, experts say that he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were secure. The failure of a trailer's hitches can result in major disasters, as they typically require a significant amount of speed, and they can cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In these instances the trailer could deform the frame of a car and result in sharp metal fragments to entrap passengers.