Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck crash can result in a serious injury that can cause a person to pay a huge amount in medical expenses. It can also lead to permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
It is crucial to have a professional New York truck accident lawyer at your side following an accident. A skilled lawyer can prove your case by using evidence such as police reports and surveillance camera footage and more.
Vehicles that are not maintained properly
Owner-operators and trucking companies typically fail to take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good repair. This leads to many preventable crashes every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars for passengers due to their dimensions and larger weight. However, the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximising profits often takes precedence over maintaining the fleet. In the end, trucks can become prone to mechanical failures that could cause devastating accidents.
The brakes of trucks are of particular importance because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at any moment. When brake pads, lines or return springs on a truck get worn out they can cause serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is vital that these parts are regularly inspected and replaced as needed to keep them in good working order.
A poorly maintained tire can also be a major contributor to truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues and cause the truck to slide or even tip over. Tires that aren't working or damaged, whether due to inadequate air pressure or tread design could fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks need regular inspections in order to spot mechanical problems before they lead to an accident. If an inspection is conducted incorrectly or the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's guidelines, it could cause an accident. In these cases the company that employed or supervised the maintenance or repair shop could be held accountable.
Another cause of truck accidents is the failure of lights, signals, and reflectors. These elements must be properly working to enable drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas or after dark. Trucking companies or drivers could not maintain and inspect these components, or they may not perform daily safety checks.
A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer can analyze your case to determine who is responsible for your losses after you've been injured during an accident with a poorly-maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence of negligence by the defendant and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Drivers
The result of a collision involving commercial trucks could be catastrophic. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your vehicle and can cause a lot more injuries if they are involved in collisions. Distracted driving is among the many factors that cause accidents. A driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or overlook an accident on the road which could lead to life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting and the use of cell phones while operating their vehicles. Even if truckers follow the rules, they may still be distracted, causing an accident. This can be a result of manual distractions, such as taking their hands off the wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something else other than driving.
Although most people know that it's dangerous to text and drive, few realize that other activities, such as eating, changing the station on the radio or even talking to passengers can be considered distracting. When a truck driver is distracted, they might wander off into a different lane or not be able to see a traffic jam up ahead of them. When a truck driver's attention is diverted, it will only take a split-second for a large vehicle to strike a passenger car.
When a truck collision occurs due to a distracted driver it is crucial to snap photos of the scene of the crash and note down the name and contact information of witnesses. It is important 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 accident as the trucking company is responsible for hiring skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partly responsible for your accident, they may be held accountable for your financial and non-economic damages.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. They can occur in a variety of settings like at a red light or stop signal when the trucker fails to observe the road ahead for traffic coming in. It can also happen if cars cross the truck's path, which forces the driver of the truck to brake suddenly and without warning. The trucker may then slam the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions as it's not always evident which vehicle was responsible. However, a skilled lawyer can assist in gathering evidence to show that the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash because they followed too closely or driving while distracted. This evidence could include photos of the scene, police reports, eyewitness testimony, aswell as skid marks on the road.
Sometimes, the driver in the front might be at fault for the crash in addition. This can happen when they cut someone off, fail to use their turn signal as a reasonable person would, or slam on the brakes at the very last minute which causes the driver behind to crash into the vehicle directly in the front. In this scenario, modified comparative negligence laws may be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each of the parties. Damages will be reduced accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
The rear end of the vehicle is the one that is most affected during a rear-end collision which means that the occupants could suffer serious injuries as they smash their head against the dashboard or the back window. They may also break bones after being bounced around the interior of the car due to the force of the collision. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that control the body, therefore any injury to the spinal cord could cause significant and permanent problems for victims.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may also experience psychological and emotional trauma as a result of the trauma of a crash. They may have difficulty getting enough sleep or concentrating, which may cause anxiety and depression. They could also be facing stress and financial difficulties in the event that they are unable to work due to an injury. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability and help a victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their expenses.
Faulty trailer hitches
It doesn't matter if you're driving an automobile, a van, a 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 san marcos semi truck accident attorney 've been injured in an accident that involved an unhitched trailer, call an experienced lawyer for car accidents who specializes in cases involving hitch failure as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
A faulty trailer hitch can be caused by a variety of things, from improper securement to a defective design. It could also be the result a manufacturer's defect or a manufacturing defect, in which case the product liability laws may apply. The person or company responsible for a trailer's defect could be held responsible for the victim's medical expenses or auto repair expenses, as well as other losses that result from the incident.
For instance there was a fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 along an Ohio road locally known as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came out of the truck, and was thrown directly into two cars in front of it. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the truck driver’s negligence in failing to check and secure the hitch. In June 2015, however the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a defect in the hitch the Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason behind the crash.
As a result of the defective hitch The trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before plunging into them head-on. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries for the drivers.
The truck driver involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular homicide. However experts say he could have avoided the crash had he conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer to ensure all connections were in good order. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major disasters, as these accidents typically require a significant amount of speed and can easily wipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In such cases, the trailer can distort the frame of a vehicle and force the metal to strike the passengers inside.