edgerton semi truck accident lawyer Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck accident can cause serious injuries that could cost the victim a significant amount in medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.
After a crash, it is crucial to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney at your side. A qualified attorney will help you prove your case with evidence such as police reports and surveillance footage.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In many instances, trucking companies and owners-operators do not take appropriate steps to make sure their vehicles are in good working condition. This leads to a high percentage 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 maximizing profits can overtake maintaining the fleet. This is why trucks are susceptible to mechanical failures that cause catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on trucks must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a minute’s notice. When brake pads, lines or return coral springs semi truck accident lawyer on a truck wear out, it can lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is essential to have these parts regularly checked and replaced as necessary to ensure they are in good condition.
Tires that aren’t maintained may play a significant role in truck accidents. Tires that are worn out may lose traction, which causes the truck to skid or even tip over. Tires that aren’t working because of an insufficient tread design or air pressure can fail catastrophically.
In addition to regular maintenance, trucks need regular inspections to spot mechanical issues before they cause an accident. If an inspection is conducted incorrectly or if the repair shop doesn’t follow the manufacturer’s guidelines it could lead to an accident. In these cases, the company that hired or oversees the maintenance or the repair shop could be held accountable.
The malfunctioning of signals, lights and reflectors are another frequent cause of truck accident. These devices must function properly so that drivers can see and anticipate the movements of the truck, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers may not maintain and inspect these elements, or they might not conduct regular safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident lawyer will investigate your case and determine who may be responsible for your injuries in the event that you were injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence that proves the defendant’s negligence and help you receive the compensation you are entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
There aren’t many things more devastating than an incident which involves a commercial vehicle. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and could cause much greater injuries when they are involved in a collision. Distracted driving is just one of the many factors that can cause accidents. A distracted truck driver can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice a road danger which could lead to serious and life-altering injuries.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and guidelines for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting and using mobile phones while driving. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they could still be distracted, causing an accident. This could be the result of manual distractions such as getting off the wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be risky, but many do not realize that other activities, such as eating, changing radio stations, or chatting with passengers, can also be considered distracting. When the trucker is distracted, the driver could drift off into another direction and not notice the traffic jam ahead. When a truck driver’s eye is diverted, it will only take an instant for a large vehicle to strike a passenger car.
It is essential to collect information on witnesses and take photos of the scene after an accident if an unintentionally distracted driver causes a crash of a truck. It is also beneficial to find out the name of the truck driver and the company they work for, as well the owner of the truck if it’s an independent contractor. This could have an impact on who’s responsible for the accident, since it is the trucking company’s responsibility to hire competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible in the accident, it could be liable to you for any economic as well as non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck collisions are quite common and can result in serious injuries. These accidents can happen in many different situations, including at an intersection or at a an intersection when the trucker fails to check the road ahead for oncoming traffic. It can also happen if an automobile crosses the truck’s route, causing the driver of the truck to stop suddenly without warning. The trucker can then slam into the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove fault in a rear-end crash, as it is not always obvious which vehicle caused the crash. However, an experienced attorney can gather evidence that proves the driver behind caused the crash because they followed too closely or being distracted while driving. This can include evidence like photos, police reports, eyewitness testimony, and skid marks in the road.
Sometimes the driver in front may be found to be liable for the accident also. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail use a turn signal as any reasonable person would do. In these situations modified comparative negligence laws could be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each party. Damages are then lowered accordingly.
Lacerations and Bruises
In a rear-end crash the rear of the car is the part that takes the most impact. This means that the drivers are most at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They also may break bones as they are torn around inside the car by the force of the crash. Spinal injuries can be particularly severe. The spinal cord houses a number of nerves that regulate the body. Therefore, any damage to the spinal column could cause significant and permanent problems for victims.
A person who has been involved in a serious accident might also suffer psychological and emotional trauma. They may experience difficulties in concentrating or sleeping, which could lead them to anxiety and depression. They may also experience financial hardship and stress in the event that they are unable to work due to their injury. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability and assist a victim in receiving fair compensation for their loss.
Faulty Trailer Hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a car, van, truck, flatbed, or van are required to be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally pulling a trailer off can cause catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries, or even death. If you’ve suffered injuries by a runaway trailer, contact a qualified vehicle accident attorney that specializes in cases of failure of the hitch immediately to discuss your legal options.
The cause of a faulty trailer hitch can be a variety of things, ranging from improper securing or defective design. It could also be due to an error on the part of the manufacturer in which case product liability laws may apply. The company or person accountable for a defective trailer is liable for the victims’ medical costs, auto repair costs and other losses that result from the incident.
In the fatal crash that took place on a road in Ohio known as “Devil’s Backbone” in January 2014 the trailer slid off of the truck. It crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the truck driver’s negligence for failing to inspect and secure hitch. However, in June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch at the center of the crash -it was an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama — to fail on a large number of occasions.
As a result of the malfunctioning hitch caused by the defective hitch, the trailer smashed into 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 completed a thorough inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were tight. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause serious accidents, since these accidents typically involve a large amount of speed and may sidewipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In these situations the trailer can distort the car’s frame and create sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.