This Is The History Of Semi Truck Lawsuit
Semi Truck Accident Law A semi-truck collision can result in serious injuries that could cost a person a fortune in medical bills. It can also lead to permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy. After a collision, it is important to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney by your side. A skilled lawyer can establish your case through evidence like police reports and surveillance camera footage and more. Vehicles that are poorly maintained Trucking companies and owners-operators often fail to take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good condition. This causes a large percentage of avoidable accidents each year. Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than passenger cars due to their larger size and heavier weight. However, the pressure to meet deadlines and maximize profits is often more important than maintaining the fleet. This is why trucks can be susceptible to mechanical breakdowns that can cause catastrophic accidents. The brakes on trucks are crucial because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at an instant's notice. When brake pads lines, return springs or lines on a truck are worn out and become damaged, it can result in serious accidents and fatal injuries. It is crucial that these parts are regularly inspected and replaced when needed to keep them in good working order. Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major reason for truck accidents. Tires that are worn down can cause the tires to lose traction, which causes the truck to skid or even flip over. If a tire is deficient in some way, like having the incorrect air pressure or tread design, it could fail catastrophically. In addition to regular maintenance, trucks require regular inspections to spot mechanical problems before they lead to an accident. However, if an inspection is performed incorrectly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's instructions this could result in a crash. In these cases the company that hired or supervised the maintenance or the repair shop could be held accountable. Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are another frequent cause of truck accident. These components must be in good functioning to allow drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, especially in rural areas or at night. Drivers or trucking companies may fail to maintain and check these items, or may not perform daily safety checks. A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your situation and determine who could be responsible for your damages in the event that you are injured from a poorly maintained commercial truck. Investigating your case can uncover evidence that shows the negligence of the defendant in the crash and help you recover the compensation you're entitled to. Distracted Drivers The result of a collision involving commercial trucks could be catastrophic. These massive vehicles weigh up to 25 times more than your car and could cause much greater injuries when they are involved in collisions. Distracted driving is among the many factors that can cause accidents. A driver who is distracted can lose control of their vehicle or miss an opportunity to avoid a road accident, which can lead to serious and life-altering injuries. Truck 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. Even if truckers abide by the rules, they could still get distracted and cause an accident. This can be caused by accidental distractions, such as getting your hands off the steering wheel, or by cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving. Many people are aware that texting while driving is dangerous, but they are not aware that other activities, such as eating, changing radio stations, or chatting with passengers, can also be considered distracting. When a truck driver gets distracted, they could wander off into a different lane or not be able to see an obstruction in front of them. It only takes a fraction of a second for a large truck to strike a passenger vehicle when the trucker's focus wanders. It is important to gather information about any witnesses and also take pictures of the accident scene when the driver is distracted, which can cause the truck to crash. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the company for which they work, and who is the owner of the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This will affect the person who is responsible for your incident since the trucking company is responsible for securing skilled and competent truck drivers. If the trucking company is found to be partially at fault for the accident, they could be responsible for your economic and non-economic losses. Rear-End Collisions Rear-end collisions between trucks are common and can cause serious injuries. They can occur in a variety settings like at a red light or stop signal when the trucker fails to check behind them for oncoming traffic. They may also occur when a car is able to cut in front of the truck, which forces the driver to use their brakes without warning. The trucker may then crash 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 accident. An experienced lawyer can find evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the crash by following too closely, or driving distracted. This could include evidence like photos, police reports eyewitness testimony, and skid marks in the road. Sometimes, the driver in the front may be found to be liable for the accident in addition. This can happen when they cut off someone else or fail to use their turn signal as a reasonable person would, or decide to slam on the brakes at the last minute which causes the driver in the back to crash into the car directly in the front of them. This type of scenario is where modified comparative negligence laws can be applied, in which the jury assigns a percentage of blame to each party, and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault. Bruises & Lacerations In a rear-end accident, the rear of the car is the area that experiences 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. The force of the collision can cause broken bones when the occupants are thrown around the vehicle's interior. Spinal injuries can be severe. The damage to the spine could be serious and have long-lasting effects on the victims. In addition to these types of injuries, the victim may also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma from having been involved in a terrible crash. They may have trouble sleeping or concentrating, which can lead to depression and anxiety. They may also experience stress and financial difficulties when they cannot work due to an injury. An attorney can investigate the possible sources of liability and assist the victim to receive an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss. Faulty trailer hitches All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a vehicle, a car, a truck, van flatbed, van, need to be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it could result in catastrophic accidents that result in serious injuries or death. If you've been injured in an accident involving a runaway trailer, contact an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents that specializes in cases of failure of the hitch immediately to discuss your legal options. scottsdale semi truck accident lawsuit damaged trailer hitch could result from a variety things, from improper securement to a defective design. It could be due to an issue on the part of the manufacturer, in which case product liability laws may apply. The person or company at responsible for the malfunction of a trailer can be held liable for the medical bills of the victims and auto repair costs and other losses related to the incident. For instance in a fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road locally known as “Devil's Backbone,” a trailer came free from the truck and careened through the air into two cars that were behind it. Initial investigations attributed the crash to the truck driver's negligence in failing to examine and secure the hitch. But in June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate 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 of Trussville, Alabama — to malfunction on a large proportion of times. Due to the malfunctioning hitch The trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before plunging into them head-on. The result was multiple fatalities and serious injuries for the drivers. The driver of the truck that was involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However, experts believe he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he had completed a thorough inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were secure. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause major catastrophes, since these accidents typically involve a lot of speed and can easily hit smaller cars or motorcycles. In these situations, the trailer may distort the frame of a car and result in sharp metal fragments to injure passengers.