davison semi truck accident law firm Truck Accident Law
A middletown semi truck Accident Attorney-truck crash can result in an injury that is serious enough to cost the victim a significant amount in medical bills. It could also cause permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.
It is important to have a qualified New York truck accident lawyer at your side following an accident. A qualified attorney will help you prove your case with evidence like police reports and surveillance footage, among others.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In a lot of cases trucking companies and owner-operators do not take the proper steps to ensure their vehicles are in good working condition. This negligence leads to an overwhelming number of preventable crashes every year.
Comparatively to passenger vehicles, semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavier load. However working to meet deadlines and maximizing profits may take precedence over the maintenance of the fleet. This is why trucks can be susceptible to mechanical breakdowns that can cause catastrophic accidents.
The brakes of trucks are of particular importance because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at the smallest of moments. When brake pads lines, return springs, or lines on a truck fail they can cause serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is vital that these components are regularly inspected and replaced as required to keep them in good working condition.
Poor-maintained tires can also be a major reason for truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction, which causes the truck to skid or even tip over. Tires that are defective because of an insufficient tread design or air pressure, can fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks also require regular inspections in order to spot mechanical issues before they cause an accident. If an inspection is conducted incorrectly or the repair shop doesn’t follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, it can cause a crash. In these situations, a firm that hired the maintenance or repair shop or who was responsible for its supervision could be held responsible.
The malfunctioning of signals, lights and reflectors are another common cause of truck accident. These components must function properly so that drivers can see and anticipate the speed of the keller semi truck accident law firm particularly when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking firms may not inspect and maintain these items or the driver might not be able to complete daily safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident lawyer can review your case and determine who might be responsible for your damages in the event that you were injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence of the defendant’s negligence and help you get the compensation you’re entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
The result of a collision involving commercial trucks could be devastating. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times more than your vehicle and can cause a lot more injuries if they are involved in an accident. While a variety of factors can contribute to accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most frequent and risky. A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to notice an accident on the roadway, which could lead to serious and life-threatening injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition against texting or using cell phones while driving. Even if truckers obey the rules they can still become distracted and cause crash. This can be a result of manual distractions such as dropping a hand off of the wheel or cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be dangerous, but few know that other activities, such as eating, changing radio stations, or talking to passengers, are also considered to be distracting. If a truck driver is distracted, they could drift into another lane or miss a traffic jam up ahead of them. It only takes a fraction of a second for a large truck to collide with a vehicle when the trucker’s attention is diverted.
If a truck crash is caused by an unintentionally distracted driver, it is important to take photos of the scene of collision and note down the contact details and name of any witnesses. It is also important to find out the name of the driver who is driving the truck and the company they are employed by, as well the owner of the truck if it’s an independent contractor. This can affect who is accountable for your accident as the trucking company is responsible for securing skilled and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partially responsible for your accident, it could be liable to you for financial and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions with trucks are frequent and frequently result in serious injuries. They can happen in a variety situations like at the stop or red light sign when the trucker fails to look behind them for any traffic that is coming up. They can also occur when a car crashes into front of the truck, causing the driver to hit their brakes without warning. The trucker can then slam into the car from behind.
It is often difficult to prove the cause of an accident that occurs at the rear, as it’s not always clear what vehicle caused the accident. An experienced lawyer can gather evidence to show that the driver in the back caused the accident by following too closely or driving with a distraction. This could include evidence such as photos, police reports eyewitness testimony and skid marks on the roadway.
The driver in front of the car may be held accountable for the incident. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail use a turn signal like any other reasonable person. In this type of scenario an amended comparative negligence law can be applied. The jury will assign a percentage of blame to each party. The damages are then reduced accordingly.
Lacerations and Bruises
In a rear-end crash, the rear of the car is the area that receives the most impact. This means that drivers are most 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 interior of the vehicle. Injuries to the spine can be severe. The spinal cord contains a lot of nerves that regulate the body, therefore any injury to the spinal column may cause significant and permanent problems for victims.
A person who is the victim of a serious accident may also suffer from psychological and emotional trauma. They might have trouble sleeping or concentrating, which could result in anxiety and depression. If they’re unable work due to the extent of their injury, it can create stress and financial burden. An attorney can examine the possible sources of liability and assist the victim in seeking an appropriate amount of compensation for their expenses.
Problematic Trailer Hitches
It doesn’t matter if you’re driving either a car, truck, a van or a flatbed, all vehicles need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer becomes unhitched, it can lead to catastrophic accidents that cause serious injuries or death. If you’ve suffered injuries by the trailer that has run away, contact a qualified vehicle accident attorney that specializes in cases of failure of the hitch promptly to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch could be due to a variety of factors, ranging from improper securing or defective design. It could be the result of a defect in the manufacturing process, in which case product liability laws may apply. The company or the person who is at fault for a faulty trailer is responsible for the medical bills of the victims and auto repair expenses, and other losses related to the incident.
For example there was a fatal crash that was reported in January 2014 on an Ohio road locally known as “Devil’s Backbone,” a trailer came free from the truck and crashed head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the truck driver’s negligence in failing to check and secure hitch. In June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch in the crash -one of the Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama — to malfunction on a high percentage of occasions.
As a result of the faulty hitch The trailer struck the sides of the vehicles and then crashed into them head-on. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers.
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 conducted a thorough inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were in good order. Faulty trailer hitches can cause major accidents. These types of accidents are typically fast and can easily smack motorbikes or smaller vehicles. In these situations the trailer can deform the frame of a vehicle and force the metal to strike the passengers inside.