Semi Truck Accident Law
A semi-truck accident can cause serious injuries that could cause a person to pay a huge amount in medical bills. It can also lead to permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
After a collision is crucial to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A skilled attorney can establish your case through evidence such as police reports and surveillance camera footage and more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In many instances trucking firms and owner-operators do not take the appropriate steps to make sure their vehicles are in good condition. This negligence leads to an overwhelming number of preventable accidents every year.
Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their larger size and heavier weight. Unfortunately, the pressure of completing deadlines and maximizing profits is often more important than maintaining the fleet. In the end, trucks are susceptible to mechanical failures that cause catastrophic accidents.
The brakes on a truck are particularly important because they must be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at any moment. When brake pads lines, return springs, or lines on a truck get worn out they can cause serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components must be regularly inspected and repaired as needed to ensure their good working condition.
Poor-maintained tires can also be a major contributor to truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues, which causes the truck to skid or even tip over. Tires that are defective, whether it's due to inadequate air pressure or tread design can fail catastrophically.
Trucks require regular inspections in addition to regular maintenance to spot mechanical problems before they cause an incident. However, if the inspection is done incorrectly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's guidelines the result could be a crash. In such cases the company that hired or oversees the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible.
Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are another frequent cause of truck accident. These devices must function properly to enable drivers to observe and anticipate the speed of the truck, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies might fail to check and maintain these elements or the driver may fail to perform daily safety checks.
A Houston truck accident attorney can investigate your case and determine who may be responsible for your injuries in the event you were injured by a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence that demonstrates the negligence of the defendant in the accident and assist you recover the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
There aren't many things more devastating than an accident that involves a commercial truck. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your vehicle and may cause a lot more injuries if they are involved in a collision. While a variety of factors can contribute to accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most frequent and dangerous. A driver who is distracted can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice an accident on the road which could lead to life-threatening injuries.
Truck drivers are required to follow strict rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while driving. Even if truckers follow the rules, they might be distracted and cause an accident. This could be due to accidental distractions, such as turning your back on the steering wheel, or by cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
While most people understand the dangers of using text and drive, very few are aware that other activities such as eating, changing the radio station or conversing with the other driver can also be deemed to be distracting. When a trucker is distracted, they may drift into another lane or not be able to see an obstruction in front of them. When a truck driver's attention is diverted, it's only a split-second for a large vehicle to hit a motorist car.
It is crucial to gather details on any witnesses and take photos of the scene after an accident if an unintentionally distracted driver causes a truck crash. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the business for which they work and who owns the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This can affect who is accountable for your incident since the trucking company is responsible for securing competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partly responsible for your accident, they could be held responsible for your economic and non-economic injuries.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are quite common and can result in serious injuries. These accidents can occur in a variety of situations like at the stop sign or a red light, when the trucker fails to check behind him for oncoming traffic. They can also happen when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, which forces the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker could then smash the car from behind.
It can be hard to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions, as it isn't always evident the vehicle that was at fault. An experienced lawyer can gather evidence to show that the driver in the back caused the accident due to following too closely or driving distracted. This could include evidence like photos, police reports eyewitness testimony, and skid marks left on the roadway.
Sometimes, the driver in the front could be found to be responsible for the accident as well. This can happen when they cut someone off or fail to obey their turn signal as any reasonable person would, or decide to slam on the brakes in the last second which causes the driver in the back to slam into the car directly in front of them. This is where modified comparative negligence laws be used, in which the jury determines a percentage of the fault to each party, and damages are reduced accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
In a rear-end accident, the rear of the car is the part that takes the most force. This means that drivers are most at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash may also cause broken bones if the occupants are thrown around the inside of the vehicle. The injuries to the spine can be severe. The spinal cord contains a lot of nerves that regulate the body, so any damage to the spinal cord could cause serious and lasting issues for those affected.
In addition to these kinds of injuries, victims might also suffer from psychological and emotional traumas as a result of having been involved in a terrible crash. They may experience difficulty in concentrating or sleeping, which could cause depression and anxiety. If they're unable to work due to the seriousness of their injury this can add anxiety and financial hardship. An attorney can examine all possible sources of liability and help a victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their losses.
corona semi truck accident lawyer are faulty.
Whatever vehicle you're driving, either a car, van, a truck, or a flatbed, all vehicles need to be securely attached to their trailers. Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could cause catastrophic accidents, leading to severe injuries, or even death. If you've suffered injuries in an accident involving the trailer that has run away, contact an experienced lawyer for car accidents who specializes in cases involving hitch failure as soon as you can to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch is many things, ranging from improper security or design. It could be due to an error on the part of the manufacturer, in which case the product liability laws may apply. The company or the person who is at the fault for a defective trailer is liable for victims' medical bills and auto repair costs and other damages resulting from the incident.
In the fatal crash that took place on a road in Ohio known as "Devil's Backbone" in January 2014, an unattached trailer was spotted on the truck. It then crashed into two cars directly behind it. Initial investigations linked the incident to the truck driver's negligence in failing to properly inspect and secure the hitch. However, in June 2015 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch in the crash -an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a high number of occasions.
The trailer hit the side of the vehicles, and then crashed into them. This resulted in multiple fatalities and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles.
The driver of the truck involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However, experts believe that he could have prevented the collision with other vehicles if he done a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were secure. A faulty trailer hitch can lead to major disasters. These accidents are typically high-speed and are able to sidewipe motorbikes or smaller vehicles. In these cases the trailer can distort the car's frame and create sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.