10 Myths Your Boss Is Spreading About 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 result in permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy. It is crucial to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer on your side following a crash. A professional lawyer can assist you in proving your case by using evidence like police reports and surveillance footage, among others. Poorly-Maintained Vehicles In many cases trucking firms and owner-operators fail to take the proper steps to ensure their vehicles are in good working condition. This negligence results in many avoidable accidents every year. Comparatively to passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers and semis will require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavier load. Unfortunately, the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximising profits can overtake maintaining the fleet. This is why trucks are more prone to mechanical breakdowns that can result in catastrophic accidents. The brakes of trucks are crucial as they must be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at the smallest of moments. If the pads of a truck's brakes lines, lines or return springs fail they could result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. These components should be regularly checked and repaired when necessary to ensure they are in good working condition. Tires that aren't well maintained can also contribute to truck accidents. Worn tires can lose traction and cause the truck to slide or even roll over. If a tire is damaged in any way, such as having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it may fail catastrophically. In addition to regular maintenance, trucks must undergo regular inspections to spot mechanical issues prior to causing an accident. If an inspection is performed in a way that is not correct or if the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's recommendations, it can cause a crash. In these instances, the firm that hired the maintenance or repair shop or supervised it could be held responsible. Another cause of truck accidents is malfunctioning lights, signals, and reflectors. These devices must function properly to enable drivers to observe and anticipate the speed of the truck particularly in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies might not inspect and maintain these equipments or the driver could fail to perform daily safety inspections. A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer will analyze your case to determine who is accountable for your injuries should you be injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can uncover evidence to prove the defendant's negligence in the accident and assist you get the compensation you're entitled to. Distracted Drivers There aren't many things that can be as devastating as an accident involving a commercial truck. These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times the weight of your car and can cause more serious injuries when they are involved in an accident. While many factors cause accidents but distracted driving is among of the most common and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to notice an issue on the road, leading to life-changing injuries. Truck drivers are required to follow strict rules and regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition against texting or using cell phones while driving. Even if truckers follow the rules, they could be distracted and cause an accident. sterling heights semi truck accident attorney can be caused by manual distractions such as taking your hand off the steering wheel or cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving. Although most people know that it's dangerous to text and drive, few realize that other activities like eating or changing the station on the radio or conversing with the other driver can also be considered to be distracting. If a truck driver is distracted, they might get lost in a lane or fail to see an obstruction in front of them. It only takes a split second for a big truck to strike a passenger vehicle if the trucker's mind wanders. When a truck collision occurs due to distracted drivers It is essential to take photos of the scene of collision and collect the name and contact information of any witnesses. It is essential to know the name of the driver, the company that they work for, and who owns the vehicle, if it's an independent contractor. This can have an effect on who is accountable for the incident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking firm to find competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking company is found be partly responsible for your accident, they could be responsible for your economic and non-economic losses. Rear-End Collisions Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and often cause severe injuries. These accidents can happen in a variety of situations, including at a stop sign or red light when a trucker fails to check the road ahead for oncoming traffic. It can also happen when a car cuts across the truck's path, forcing the driver of the truck to brake at a rapid pace without warning. The trucker could then smash the car from behind. It is often difficult to prove fault in a rear-end crash, as it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash. However, a skilled lawyer can assist in gathering evidence that proves that the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash through following too closely or being distracted while driving. This could include evidence like photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks left on the roadway. Sometimes, the driver in the front may be found to be liable for the accident also. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to obey their turn signal as any reasonable person would, or put on the brakes at the last minute, causing the driver behind to crash into the car directly in the front. In this type of scenario, modified comparative negligence laws may be used. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each of the parties. Damages will be reduced accordingly. Lacerations and Bruises In a rear-end crash, the rear-end of the car is the one that suffers the most force. This means that passengers are at risk of serious injuries if they strike their heads against the dashboard or the back window. They also may break bones as they are scattered around the interior of the car due to the force of the crash. The spine is a vulnerable area and injuries to it can be severe. The spinal cord is home to many nerves that regulate the body, so any damage to the spinal column may cause permanent and significant problems for victims. In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may suffer from psychological and emotional trauma as a result of the trauma of a crash. They may have difficulty getting enough sleep or concentrating. This can lead to depression and anxiety. They could also be facing stress and financial strain if they are unable work due to their injury. An attorney can examine the possible sources of liability to assist the victim to receive an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss. Troublesome trailer hitches All vehicles, whether they are a car or a truck, van flatbed, van, need to be securely connected to their trailers. Unintentionally pulling a trailer off can result in catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries or even death. If you've been injured in an accident involving the trailer that is running away, you should 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 behind a defective trailer hitch can be a variety of things which can range from inadequate securement or design. It can also be the result of an issue with the manufacturer and in that case, products liability laws could apply. The company or the person responsible for a trailer's defect could be held responsible for the victims' medical expenses along with auto repair expenses and other losses that result from the incident. For instance there was a fatal crash that was reported in January 2014 on an Ohio road known locally as “Devil's Backbone,” a trailer came out of the truck and careened directly into two cars in front of it. Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the truck driver's carelessness in failing to properly inspect and secure the hitch. In June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started 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. The trailer struck the side of the vehicles and crashed into them. This led to numerous deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles. The driver of the truck that was involved in this accident was convicted of vehicular manslaughter. However experts say he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles had he performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were tight. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause serious accidents, since these types of incidents typically require a significant amount of speed and can easily hit smaller cars or motorcycles. In these situations the trailer could distort the car's frame and result in sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.