15 Shocking Facts About Semi Truck Lawsuit
Semi Truck Accident Law A serious injury sustained in a crash with trucks can result in the death of the victim in medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy. It is important to have a reputable New York truck accident lawyer on your side following an accident. A qualified attorney can help establish your case through evidence like police reports and surveillance camera footage and more. Poorly maintained vehicles In many cases trucking companies as well as owner-operators do not take the proper steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good working condition. This can lead to an overwhelming number of avoidable accidents each year. Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their size and heavier weight. However the pressure to meet deadlines and maximize profits can overtake maintaining the fleet. Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems which could cause catastrophes. The brakes on trucks must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a moments notice. When the brake pads on a truck lines, lines, or return springs wear out they can result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is crucial that these components are regularly checked and replaced as required to keep them in good working order. Tires that aren't properly maintained may be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues, which causes the truck to skid or even roll over. Tires that are defective, whether it's due to improper tread design or air pressure, can fail catastrophically. Regular inspections of trucks are required along with regular maintenance to detect mechanical problems before they cause an incident. However, if the inspection is performed incorrectly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's guidelines, it could cause a crash. In these cases the company that hired or supervised the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible. Another major cause of truck accidents is malfunctioning signals, lights and reflectors. These items must be properly functioning to allow drivers to see the truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas and after dark. However, trucking companies could neglect to inspect and maintain these items or the driver may fail to conduct regular safety checks. A Houston truck accident lawyer will review your case and determine who may be responsible for your damages in the event you were injured by a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence to prove the defendant's negligence in your crash and help you receive the compensation you are entitled to. Distracted Drivers The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be devastating. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your vehicle and may cause much greater injuries when they are involved in an accident. Distracted driving is just one of the many factors that contribute to accidents. A truck driver who is distracted may lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize the dangers on the roadway, which could lead to serious and life-threatening injuries. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and rules for truck drivers. This includes a ban on texting or using cell phones while driving. However, even when truckers obey the rules they are still prone to be distracted and cause an accident. This could be due to manual distractions like getting your hands off the steering wheel, or by cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving. Many people are aware that texting while driving can be dangerous, but they are not aware that other activities, like eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers are also considered to be distracting. When a trucker gets distracted, the driver could drift off into another track and not see an impending traffic jam. If a truck driver's focus is diverted, it only takes a split-second for a large vehicle to hit a motorist car. It is important to collect information on witnesses and to take photographs of the scene of the accident when the driver is distracted and causes a truck crash. It is also helpful to find out the name of the driver of the truck and the company they work for, as well as who owns the truck, 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 firm is found partially responsible for the accident, it could be liable to you for both economic and non-economic damages. Rear-End Collisions Rear-end truck collisions are common and can cause serious injuries. They can happen in a variety of situations like an intersection, a stop sign, when the trucker fails to observe the road ahead for traffic coming in. It could also happen when vehicles cross the truck's path, causing the driver of the truck to brake suddenly and without warning. The trucker might then slam into the car from behind. ontario semi truck accident case is often difficult to prove the cause of a rear-end crash, as it's not always clear which vehicle caused the accident. An experienced attorney can gather evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the crash due to following too closely or driving in a distracted manner. This can include evidence such as photos, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks in the road. The driver in the front of the car could also be accountable for the accident. This could happen if they cut someone off or fail to obey their turn signal as a reasonable person would, or hit on the brakes at the very last minute and cause the driver behind to crash into the car directly in front of them. This is where modified comparative negligence laws can come into play, where the jury assigns a percentage of blame to each party and damages are lowered accordingly. Bruises and Lacerations In a rear-end crash, the rear-end of the car is the area that experiences the most impact. This means that people in the car are at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They can also suffer broken bones due to being thrown around the interior of the car by the force of the collision. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that regulate the body, and any damage to the spinal column may cause significant and permanent issues for the victims. In addition to these types of injuries, victims might also suffer from emotional and psychological trauma from being in a horrific crash. They may experience difficulty sleeping or concentrating, which could lead to depression and anxiety. They may also experience stress and financial burdens when they cannot work because of an injury. An attorney can examine all possible sources of liability and help a victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their expenses. A problem with trailer hitches It doesn't matter if you're driving the vehicle of a car, truck, a van, or a flatbed, all vehicles must to be securely attached to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it can lead to catastrophic accidents that cause serious injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in a collision involving a runaway trailer, contact an experienced lawyer for car accidents specializing in hitch failure cases as soon as you can to discuss your legal options. A faulty trailer hitch can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from inadequate security to design flaws. It could also be due to a defect on the part of the manufacturer where case-by-case product liability laws may apply. The company or the person responsible for a trailer that is defective is liable for the victim's medical expenses as well as auto repair costs and other losses that result from the incident. In a fatal crash 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 that were directly behind it. The initial investigation attributed the crash to the truck driver's lapse in examine and secure the hitch. In June 2015, however the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a flaw in the hitch, an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason for the crash. As a result of the malfunctioning hitch The trailer struck the sides of the vehicles and then crashed into them head-on. The result was multiple deaths and serious injuries for the drivers. The driver of the truck involved in the accident was convicted of vehicular homicide, but experts believe that he could have avoided the crash if he'd performed an extensive inspection of his trailer to ensure all connections were tight. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major accidents. These kinds of incidents are usually high-speed and can easily sidewipe motorcycles or other smaller vehicles. In such instances, the trailer can distort a car's frame and force the metal to sever the limbs of passengers in.