Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck accident can cause a serious injury that can cost a person a lot in medical bills. It can also lead to permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.
After a collision is essential to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney to assist you. A qualified attorney can assist you in proving your case using evidence like police reports, surveillance footage, etc.
Vehicles that aren't maintained properly
Owner-operators and trucking companies often do not take the proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This can lead to an overwhelming number of accidents that could have been avoided every year.
Comparatively to passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers and semis require more frequent maintenance due to their size and weight. loads. Unfortunately keeping alaska semi truck accident case and increasing profits is often prioritized over maintaining the fleet. As a result, trucks are susceptible to mechanical failures that lead to devastating accidents.
The brakes of a truck need to be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a moments notice. When a truck's brake pads lines, lines, or return springs fail they could cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. These parts must be checked and repaired regularly as needed to ensure their good working condition.
Tires that aren't properly maintained can play a significant role in truck accidents. Tires that are worn out may lose traction and cause the truck to skid or even rollover. Tires that are defective or damaged, whether due to inadequate tread design or air pressure could fail catastrophically.
Regular inspections of trucks are required in addition to regular maintenance in order to spot mechanical issues before they lead to an incident. If an inspection is done incorrectly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's guidelines it could lead to an accident. In these instances, the firm that hired the repair or maintenance company or managed it may be held liable.
Another cause of truck accidents is faulty lights, signals and reflectors. These items must function properly in order for drivers to be able to detect and anticipate the movements of the truck, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies could fail to check and maintain these components or the driver could fail to perform daily safety checks.
A Houston truck accident attorney can review your case and determine who may be accountable for your damages in the event that you are injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence of negligence by the defendant and assist you in obtaining the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
There are few things more devastating than an incident which involves a commercial vehicle. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times more than your car and could cause much greater injuries when they are involved in a collision. While many factors contribute to accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most frequent and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted may lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize an accident on the road, which could lead to severe and life-changing injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using mobile phones while driving. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they can still be distracted, causing an accident. This could be the result of manual distractions such as dropping a hand off of the wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something else other than driving.
While most people understand the dangers of using text while driving, a few are aware that other activities, such as eating, changing the station on the radio or even talking to the other driver can also be deemed to be distracting. When a truck driver is distracted, they might drift into another lane or not be able to see the traffic jam ahead of them. It takes only a split second for a large truck to hit a passenger vehicle if the trucker's mind is diverted.
When a truck collision is caused by distracted driving it is crucial to take photographs of the scene of the accident and collect the name and contact details of witnesses. It is essential to know the name of the driver, the company for which they work, and who owns the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could affect who is accountable for your incident since the trucking company is responsible for securing skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partially responsible in your accident, they could be liable to you for economic and non-economic damage.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are common and can result in serious injuries. They can happen in a variety of settings for example, at an intersection, a stop sign, when the trucker fails to check their surroundings for traffic coming in. It could also happen when an automobile crosses the truck's path, causing the driver of the truck to brake abruptly without warning. The trucker may then crash into the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in the event of rear-end collisions because it's not always clear which vehicle was at fault. A knowledgeable attorney can gather evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the accident by following too closely, or driving in a distracted manner. This could include evidence like photos, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks on the road.
The driver in front of the car may also be held responsible for the collision. This can happen if they cut off someone else or fail to use a turn signal like any other reasonable person would do. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws can be in play, where the jury assigns a percentage of fault to each party and damages are lowered accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
In a rear-end accident, the rear-end of the car is the one that suffers the most force. This means that occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they crash their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash may also cause broken bones if the occupants are thrown about the inside of the vehicle. Spinal injuries can be severe. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that control the body. Therefore, any damage to the spinal cord could cause serious and lasting issues for those affected.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may also experience psychological and emotional trauma as a result of being involved in a devastating crash. They may experience difficulties being able to sleep or concentrate, which can cause depression and anxiety. If they are unable work due to the severity of their injury, it can create anxiety and financial hardship. An attorney can examine any possible liability sources and help the victim seek fair compensation for their losses.
Problematic trailer hitches
All vehicles, whether they are a vehicle, a car, van, truck flatbed, van should be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could cause catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries or even death. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a runaway truck or trailer, consult an experienced attorney who is experienced in cases of hitch failure to discuss your legal options.
A damaged trailer hitch could be caused by many different things, from improper securement to a defective design. It could also be due to a manufacturer's defect 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 could be held accountable for the medical bills of the victims and auto repair costs and other losses related to the incident.
For example the fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road that is locally referred to as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came loose from the truck and slid head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the truck driver's negligence for not inspecting and secure hitch. But in June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -- an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a large number of occasions.
Due to the faulty hitch, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles, before colliding into them head-on. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck involved in the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However, experts believe that he could have prevented the collision with other vehicles if he had done a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were tight. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause serious accidents, since these accidents typically require a significant amount of speed and can easily hit smaller cars or motorcycles. In these cases the trailer can distort the frame of a car and cause sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.