Semi Truck Accident Law

A serious injury sustained during the crash of trucks can result in the death of a person with medical expenses. It can also lead to permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy.

After a collision, it is important to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney by your side. A skilled attorney can you prove your case with evidence such as police reports or surveillance camera footage and much more.

Poorly maintained vehicles

Trucking companies and owners-operators often fail to take the necessary steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good shape. This causes an overwhelming number of preventable accidents every year.

As compared to passenger cars tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavier loads. However, meeting deadlines and maximising profits often take precedence over the maintenance of a fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems that could lead to disastrous accidents.

The brakes on trucks are of particular importance since they have to stop the vehicle and slow it down at any moment. When a truck's brake pads lines, lines or return springs wear out they could cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is essential to have these parts regularly inspected and replaced as required to keep them in good working condition.

A poorly maintained tire can also be a major reason for truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can lose traction and cause the truck to overturn or slide. Tires that aren't working because of improper air pressure or tread design could fail catastrophically.

In addition to regular maintenance, trucks require regular inspections to identify mechanical problems before they lead to an accident. If an inspection is not done correctly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's guidelines it could lead to a crash. In these cases, a company that employed the repair or maintenance company or managed it may be held responsible.

Faulty lights, signals and reflectors are a common reason for truck accidents. These elements must function correctly in order for drivers to be able to be aware of and anticipate the speed of the truck particularly in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers may fail to maintain and inspect these elements, or they may not perform daily safety checks.

A Houston truck accident attorney will review your situation and determine who could be responsible for your damages in the event that you are injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence proving the defendant's negligence and help you obtain the compensation you are entitled to.

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 may cause more serious injuries when they are involved in a collision. Distracted driving is among the many factors that can cause accidents. A distracted semi truck accident lawsuits driver can lose control of their vehicle or overlook a road danger that could result in life-threatening injuries.

semi truck accidents drivers must adhere to strict rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while driving. However, even when truckers abide by the rules, they may still be distracted and cause crash. This can be the result of distractions caused by manual actions like getting off the wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something else other than driving.

While the majority of people are aware that it is dangerous to text and drive, few realize that other activities, such as eating or changing the station on the radio, and even conversing with a passenger can also be considered distracting. If a trucker is distracted, it is possible that he will drift into a different direction and not notice the traffic jam in front of him. It only takes a split second for a huge truck to collide with a vehicle when the trucker's focus is diverted.

It is important to gather details on any witnesses and take photos of the accident scene when the driver is distracted and causes the truck to crash. It is also important to determine the name of the truck driver and the company they work for, aswell the owner of the truck if they are an independent contractor. This will affect who is accountable for your accident as the trucking company is responsible for hiring skilled and competent truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially responsible for your accident, it could be liable to you for economic and non-economic injuries.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and can result in serious injuries. These accidents can happen in many different circumstances like at the stop sign or a red light, when the trucker doesn't check behind him for any traffic that is coming up. They can also happen when a car crashes into front of the truck, which forces the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker could then crash into the car from behind.

It can be difficult to prove the cause of a rear-end crash, as it is not always obvious which vehicle caused the crash. An experienced lawyer can collect evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the crash by following too closely, or driving with a distraction. This evidence can include photos, police reports and eyewitness testimony, aswell markings from skids on the road.

Sometimes, the driver in the front may be found to be at fault for the crash in addition. This can happen when they cut off someone else, fail to use their turn signal in the way that a reasonable person would, or decide to slam on the brakes at the last moment which causes the driver behind to slam into the car directly in the front of them. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws can be used, in which the jury assigns a percentage of fault to each party, and damages are 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 occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The impact of the crash could also cause broken bones if the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the interior of the car. Spinal injuries can be severe. Spinal injuries can have long-lasting and serious impacts on the victims.

In addition to these types of injuries, a victim may also experience psychological and emotional traumas as a result of having been involved in a terrible crash. They may have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, semi truck accident which may lead to depression and anxiety. If they're unable work due to the seriousness of their injury this can cause anxiety and financial hardship. An attorney can look into all possible causes of liability and help a victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their losses.

Faulty trailer hitches

All vehicles, whether they're a car or a truck, van flatbed, van, or should be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer becomes unhitched, it can result in catastrophic accidents that cause serious injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in an accident that involved the trailer that is running away, you should contact a qualified vehicle accident attorney who specializes in cases involving hitch failure as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.

The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch is many things such as inadequate security or design. It could also be due to an error on the part of the manufacturer, in which case product liability law could be applicable. The person or company that is at fault for a faulty trailer is liable for medical bills of victims and auto repair costs and other losses arising from the incident.

For example in a fatal crash that was reported in January 2014 on an Ohio road referred to locally as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came loose from the truck and slid directly into two cars in front of it. Initial investigation linked the crash to the truck driver's lapse in inspect and secure the hitch. However, 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 of Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a significant proportion of times.

The trailer slammed into the side of the vehicles and then crashed into them. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers.

The truck driver who was involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular homicide. However, experts say he could have avoided the crash by conducting an exhaustive inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were tight. The failure of a trailer's hitches can result in serious accidents, since these incidents often require a significant amount of speed and can easily wipe smaller cars or motorcycles. In these situations the trailer could deform the frame of a car and create sharp metal fragments to impale any passengers.