Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck crash can result in a serious injury that can cost a person a fortune in medical bills. It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
davenport semi truck accident lawsuit is essential to have a reputable New York truck accident lawyer at your side following a crash. A lawyer with experience can help prove your case by using evidence like police reports or surveillance camera footage and more.
Vehicles that are poorly maintained
Owner-operators and companies that operate trucks often don't take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good working order. This can lead to a high percentage of preventable accidents each year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars for passengers because of their larger dimensions and larger weight. However, meeting deadlines and maximising profits often take precedence over maintaining the fleet. In the end, trucks can be susceptible to mechanical breakdowns that can result in catastrophic accidents.
The brakes of trucks are especially important because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at a moment's notice. When the brake pads on a truck lines, lines, or return springs wear out they could cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is crucial that these components are regularly inspected and replaced when needed to keep them in good working order.
Tires that aren't properly maintained can also contribute to truck accidents. Tires that are worn down may lose traction and cause the truck to flip over or skid. If a tire is defective in any way, like having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it could fail catastrophically.
Trucks need routine inspections in addition to regular maintenance in order to spot mechanical issues before they lead to an incident. However, if the inspection is conducted incorrectly or the repair shop does not adhere to the guidelines of the manufacturer the result could be a crash. In these cases, a company that commissioned the repair or maintenance shop or managed it may be held liable.
Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are another 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 and after dark. Drivers and trucking companies could fail to maintain and inspect these components, or they might not conduct regular safety inspections.
A reputable Houston truck accident lawyer can analyze your case to determine which parties may be responsible for your losses after you've been injured during an accident with a poorly-maintained commercial truck. This investigation could uncover evidence of the defendant's negligence and help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
There aren't many things that can be as devastating as an accident which involves a commercial vehicle. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and could cause a lot more injuries if they are involved in an accident. While many factors contribute to accidents that result from distracted driving, it is one of the most common and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to notice a hazard in the road, which could lead to serious and life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and regulations for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting and using mobile phones while driving. Even if truckers obey the rules, they can still be distracted, causing an accident. This can be a result of manual distractions like taking their hands off the wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving is risky, but not many know that other activities, like eating, changing radio stations, or talking to passengers, are also considered to be distracting. If a trucker gets distracted, they may wander off into a different track and not see a traffic jam ahead. When a truck driver's attention is diverted, it takes only an instant for a large vehicle to strike a passenger car.
It is important to collect information on witnesses and take photos of the scene of the accident when an unintentionally distracted driver causes a crash of a truck. It is also helpful to determine the name of the truck driver and the company they are employed by, as and who owns the truck if they are an independent contractor. This could impact who is liable for your accident, as the trucking company is responsible for securing skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found partially responsible for the accident, it could be held accountable to you for economic and non-economic damage.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. They can happen in a variety situations, such as at an intersection or stop signal, where the trucker is unable to check behind them for traffic coming in. They can also happen when a car comes in front of the truck, causing the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker might then slam the car from behind.
It is often difficult to prove fault in a rear-end crash, as it's not always clear what vehicle caused the accident. A skilled attorney can help gather evidence to show that the driver in the back caused the crash by following too closely or driving with a distraction. This could include evidence such as photos, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks in the road.
The driver in front of the car may also be liable for the accident. This can happen if they cut someone off or fail to utilize a turn signal in the same manner as any reasonable person would do. In these situations the modified comparative negligence laws can be applied. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each party. The damages are then reduced accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
In a rear-end crash the rear-end of the car is the area that receives the most force. This means that the drivers are most at risk of serious injuries if hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They can also suffer broken bones as they are thrown around the interior of the car due to the force of the crash. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. Injuries to the spine can have serious and long-lasting consequences for victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, victims may suffer from psychological and emotional trauma from the trauma of a crash. They may have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating. This can lead to depression and anxiety. If they're unable work due to the seriousness of their injury this could cause pressure and financial hardship. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability and help the victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss.
The trailer hitches are faulty.
It doesn't matter if you're driving the vehicle of a car, truck, a van or a flatbed, all vehicles must to be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally removing a trailer's hitch can result in catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries, or even death. If you've been injured in an accident involving a runaway trailer, contact an experienced vehicle accident lawyer specializing in hitch failure cases immediately to discuss your legal options.
The reason behind a defective trailer hitch can be a variety of things such as inadequate securement or design. It could be caused by an error on the part of the manufacturer in which case, product liability law may apply. The company or the person responsible for a trailer that is defective could be held responsible for the victims' medical expenses, auto repair costs and other losses that result from the incident.
For example there was a fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road that is locally referred to as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came out of the truck and slid through the air into two cars that were behind it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash 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 that was an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was responsible for the crash.
As a result of the defective hitch, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before crashing into them head-on. This led to multiple deaths and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles.
The truck driver involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular homicide, but experts believe that he could have avoided the crash by conducting an in-depth inspection of his trailer to make sure that all connections were secure. The failure of a trailer's hitches can result in catastrophic accidents, as these incidents often involve a lot of speed, and they can cause a collision with smaller vehicles or motorcycles. In these situations the trailer can distort the car's frame and result in sharp metal fragments to entrap passengers.