Semi Truck Accident Law
A serious injury sustained in an accident with a semi-truck can leave someone in medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
After a collision is essential to retain an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A skilled attorney can establish your case through evidence like police reports, surveillance camera footage, and much more.
Poorly-Maintained Vehicles
In many instances trucking companies and owners-operators do not take appropriate steps to make sure their vehicles are in good condition. This negligence results in an increase in the number of avoidable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars used for passenger transport because of their larger dimensions and larger load. Unfortunately, the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximising profits is often more important than maintaining the fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems that could result in catastrophes.
The brakes on trucks are of particular importance because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at a moment's notice. When brake pads lines, return springs or return lines on a truck are worn out and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is vital to have these parts regularly inspected and replaced as required to keep them in good condition.
Poor-maintained tires can also be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues and cause the truck to skid or even rollover. Tires that aren't working, whether it's due to incorrect air pressure or tread design may fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks must undergo regular inspections in order to spot mechanical issues prior to causing an accident. If an inspection is done in a way that is not correct or if the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's recommendations, it can cause a crash. In these instances, the company that hired or oversees the maintenance or the repair shop could be held accountable.
Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are a common reason for truck accidents. These devices must be correctly functioning to allow drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas or after dark. However, trucking companies may fail to maintain and inspect these equipments or the driver might not be able to complete daily safety inspections.
A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer can review your case and determine who is liable for your damages when you've been injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence that shows the negligence of the defendant in the crash and help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be devastating. These massive vehicles can weigh up 25-times more than your car and cause much worse injuries when involved in an accident. Distracted driving is among the many causes of accidents. A distracted truck driver can lose control of their vehicle or fail to notice an opportunity to avoid a road accident that could result in life-threatening injuries.
Truck drivers must follow strict rules and regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting or using mobile phones while driving. Even if truckers obey the rules they may still be distracted and cause a crash. This could be due to mechanical distractions like turning your back on the steering wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Although most people know that it is risky to text and drive, very few are aware that other activities such as eating or changing the station on the radio or conversing with a passenger can also be considered to be distracting. When the trucker is distracted, he may drift into another area and not be aware of a traffic jam ahead. It takes only a split second for a huge truck to collide with a vehicle when the trucker's attention is diverted.
It is essential to collect details on any witnesses and also take pictures of the scene of the accident when an unintentionally distracted driver causes a crash of a truck. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the company for which they work, and who owns the vehicle in case it's an independent contractor. This could impact who is accountable for your incident since the trucking company is responsible for hiring competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible in the accident, it could be held accountable to you for financial and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are frequent and frequently cause serious injuries. They can occur in a variety situations like a red light or stop sign when the trucker fails to look behind them for traffic in the direction of oncoming traffic. They can also happen when a car cuts in front of the truck, causing the driver to slam on their brakes without warning. The trucker could then smash the car from behind.
It is often difficult to prove fault in a rear-end crash, as it's not always clear which vehicle caused the crash. However, an experienced attorney can help gather evidence that proves the driver in the rear caused the crash due to following too closely or distracted driving. This evidence could include photos as well as police reports and eyewitness testimony, as well as skid marks on the road.
Sometimes, the driver in the front might be at fault for the crash also. This can happen when they cut off someone else, fail to use their turn signal in the way that a reasonable person would, or hit on the brakes at the very last minute, causing the driver behind to crash into the vehicle directly in the front. In these situations modified comparative negligence laws may be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each party. Damages are then reduced according to.
Bruises and Lacerations
The rear-end of the car is the most impacted area during a rear-end collision which means that occupants may suffer serious injuries after hitting their head against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash can cause broken bones when the occupants are thrown around the interior of the car. Spinal injuries are often severe. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that control the body, and any injury to the spinal column can cause long-lasting and serious problems for victims.
In addition to these types of injuries, the victim may suffer from psychological and emotional trauma from being in a horrific crash. They may have difficulty getting enough sleep or concentrating, which may lead to depression and anxiety. They may also experience stress and financial strain in the event that they are unable to work due to their injury. An attorney can investigate the potential sources of liability to help a victim receive the right amount of compensation for their loss.
Faulty trailer hitches
It doesn't matter if you're driving either a car, van, truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles need 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 suffered injuries in an accident involving a runaway trailer, contact an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents who specializes in cases involving hitch failure as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
A damaged trailer hitch could result from a variety things, from improper secured to faulty design. It could also be the result of a defect in the manufacturing process and in that case, products liability laws could apply. The company or individual accountable for a defective trailer can be held accountable for the victim's medical costs as well as auto repair costs and other losses that result from the incident.
For example, in a deadly crash that took place in January 2014 on an Ohio road referred to locally as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came loose from the truck and careened head-on into two cars behind it. The initial investigation blamed the crash to the truck driver's negligence in failing examine and secure the hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch involved in the crash -one of the Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a high number of occasions.
As a result of the malfunctioning hitch due to the hitch's failure, 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 that was involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However experts believe that he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he done a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were in good order. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause catastrophic accidents, as these incidents often involve a large amount of speed and could easily sidewipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In santa clara semi truck accident attorney can deform the car's frame, and cause steel fragments that are razor-sharp to sever the limbs of passengers in.