Semi Truck Accident Law
A severe injury sustained in an accident with trucks can result in the death of someone with medical expenses. It can also lead to permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy.
After a crash, it is essential to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney on your side. A skilled lawyer can to prove your case using evidence like police reports, surveillance camera footage, and more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
In many instances, trucking companies and owner-operators do not take the appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. This causes many preventable accidents every year.
As compared to passenger cars tractor-trailers and semis require more frequent maintenance due to their size and weight. loads. However the pressure of completing deadlines and maximizing profits is often more important than maintaining the fleet. As a result, trucks are susceptible to mechanical failures that lead to devastating accidents.
The brakes on a truck must be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a single notice. When a truck's brake pads lines, lines, or return springs wear out, they can cause serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is vital to have these parts regularly inspected and replaced as necessary to ensure they are in good working condition.
Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major reason for truck accidents. Tires that are worn out can cause traction issues, which causes the truck to skid or even rollover. Tires that are defective, whether it's due to incorrect tread design or air pressure may fail catastrophically.
Regular inspections of trucks are required in addition to regular maintenance to detect mechanical problems before they cause an accident. If an inspection is performed improperly or the repair shop doesn't follow the manufacturer's instructions it could cause an accident. In such cases the company that employed or supervising the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible.
Faulty lights, signals and reflectors are also a frequent reason for truck accidents. These elements must function correctly so that drivers can observe and anticipate the speed of the truck, especially when driving in rural areas or at night. However, trucking companies might fail to maintain and inspect these elements or the driver may fail to conduct regular safety inspections.
A Houston truck accident attorney can review your case and determine who may be responsible for your damages in the event that you are injured by a poorly maintained commercial truck. The investigation can uncover evidence that demonstrates the negligence of the defendant in the crash and help you get the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
There are few things more damaging than an accident that involves a commercial truck. These huge vehicles can weigh as much as 25 times more than a vehicle and cause far more injuries in a crash. While many factors contribute to accidents but distracted driving is among of the most prevalent and dangerous. A truck driver who is distracted may lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize an accident on the roadway, which could lead to life-changing injuries.
Truck drivers must adhere to strict rules and regulations formulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This includes a prohibition on texting and using cell phones while driving. However, even when truckers obey the rules they are still prone to be distracted and cause a crash. This is often caused by manual distractions like taking your hand off the steering wheel or by cognitive distractions like thinking about something other than driving.
Many people are aware that texting while driving can be risky, but not many know that other activities, like eating, changing radio stations, or talking to passengers, are also considered to be distracting. When a truck driver is distracted, they may get lost in a lane or not be able to see a traffic jam in front of them. When a trucker's attention is diverted, it only takes a split-second for a large vehicle to strike a passenger car.
syracuse semi truck accident case is important to gather details on any witnesses and also take pictures of the accident scene when the driver is distracted and causes a truck crash. It is important to determine the name of the driver, the business that they work for and who owns the vehicle in case it's an independent contractor. This could influence on who is responsible for the accident, as it is the responsibility of the trucking firm to employ competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partly responsible for the accident, it could be liable to you for financial as well as non-economic losses.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions between trucks are not uncommon and can result in serious injuries. These accidents can happen in many different situations, including at the stop sign or red light when a trucker doesn't check the road ahead for oncoming traffic. It can also happen if vehicles cross the truck's path, which forces the driver of the truck to stop suddenly without warning. The trucker could then smash the car from behind.
It can be difficult to prove the cause of rear-end crashes, as it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash. An experienced attorney can help gather evidence that proves that the driver behind caused the crash due to following too closely or driving distracted. This can be evidence in the form of photos of the scene, police reports, eyewitness testimony, as well markings from skids on the road.
The driver in front of the car may also be liable for the collision. This could happen if they cut off someone else or fail to use their turn signal in the way that a reasonable person would, or decide to slam on the brakes at the last minute and cause the driver behind to crash into the car directly in front of them. In this scenario, modified comparative negligence laws can be applied. The jury will determine a percentage of the blame to each party. Damages are then reduced according to.
Lacerations and Bruises
The rear-end of the car has the greatest impact during a rear-end collision so occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries when they hit their head against the dashboard or back windows. The force of the crash can also cause broken bones if the occupants are thrown about the interior of the car. Spinal injuries can be serious. The spinal cord contains many nerves that regulate the body. Therefore, any damage to the spinal column can cause significant and permanent issues for those affected.
In addition to these types of injuries, victims may also experience psychological and emotional trauma as a result of being involved in a devastating crash. They might have trouble getting enough sleep or concentrating, which can cause anxiety and depression. They may also face stress and financial difficulties when they cannot work because of an injury. An attorney can investigate the potential sources of liability to assist the victim to receive an appropriate amount of compensation for their loss.
Problematic trailer hitches
All vehicles, regardless of whether they are a vehicle, a car, van, truck flatbed, van, need to be securely connected to their trailers. When a trailer becomes unexpectedly unhitched, it can lead to catastrophic accidents that result in severe injuries or death. If you've suffered injuries in a vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck and you are in need of an experienced attorney who is specialized in cases involving hitch failure to discuss your legal options.
The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch could be due to a variety of factors such as inadequate securement or design. It could be caused by a defect 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 trailer that is defective is liable for victims' medical bills and auto repair costs and other losses arising from the incident.
For example, in a deadly crash that occurred in January 2014 along an Ohio road locally known as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came free from the truck, and was thrown head-on into two cars behind it. Initial investigations attributed the accident to the driver's negligence for failing to inspect and secure the hitch. However, in June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch that was involved in the crash -it was an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a large proportion of times.
Due to the hitch that was defective due to the hitch's failure, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles before plunging into them head-on. This led to numerous deaths and serious injuries to the drivers of the vehicles.
The truck driver who was involved in the incident was found guilty of vehicular homicide. However experts believe that he could have avoided the collision if he'd performed an in-depth inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were tight. Faulty trailer hitsches can cause catastrophic accidents, as these types of incidents typically involve a large amount of speed, and they can hit smaller cars or motorcycles. In these instances the trailer could deform the frame of a car and cause razor-sharp metal fragments that can impale passengers.