semi truck accident law firm Truck Accident Law

A Semi Truck Accident Law Firm-truck accident could cause serious injuries that could cause a person to pay a huge amount in medical expenses. It can also result in 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 at your side. A lawyer with experience can help to prove your case using evidence such as police reports and surveillance camera footage and much more.

Poorly maintained vehicles

Owner-operators and trucking companies typically do not take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good working order. This leads to a high percentage of preventable accidents every year.

In comparison to passenger cars, tractor-trailers and semis need more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavier loads. However, meeting deadlines and maximising profits is often prioritized over the maintenance of the fleet. This is why trucks are more prone to mechanical problems that can could cause devastating 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. When the brake pads on a truck, lines, or return springs wear out they could result in serious collisions and fatal injuries. It is essential to have these parts regularly inspected and replaced when required to ensure that they remain in good working condition.

Inadequately maintained tires can be a major factor in truck accidents. Tires that have worn out could lose traction, causing the truck to roll over or slide. Tires that aren't working or damaged, whether due to inadequate tread design or air pressure may fail catastrophically.

In addition to regular maintenance, trucks need routine inspections to detect mechanical problems before they lead to an accident. However, if the inspection is not done correctly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's instructions this could result in a crash. In these instances the company that employed or supervised the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible.

Incorrect lights, signals and reflectors are also a frequent reason for truck accidents. These components must function properly in order for drivers to be able to observe and anticipate the truck's movements particularly when driving in rural areas or at night. Drivers and trucking companies could fail to maintain and check these elements, or they may not be able to conduct daily safety inspections.

A Houston truck accident attorney will review your case and determine who could be accountable for your losses in the event you were injured by a badly maintained commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence of negligence by the defendant and help you get the compensation you're due.

Distracted Drivers

Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These huge vehicles can weigh as much as 25 times more than a vehicle and cause far more injuries in accidents. Distracted driving is one of many factors that contribute to accidents. A semi truck accident attorney driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to recognize the dangers on the road, leading to life-changing injuries.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules and regulations for truck drivers. This includes a prohibition on texting and using cell phones while operating their vehicles. However, even when truckers adhere to the rules, they may still be distracted and cause an accident. This can be caused by manual distractions like taking your hand off the steering wheel or cognitive distractions such as thinking about something other than driving.

While the majority of people are aware that it is dangerous to text and drive, very few are aware that other activities, such as eating or changing the station on the radio, and even conversing with a passenger could also be deemed as distracting. If a truck driver is distracted, they may wander off into a different lane or miss the traffic jam ahead of them. It takes only a split second for a huge truck to collide with a vehicle when the driver's attention wanders.

If a truck crash is caused by distracted driving it is vital to capture photos of the scene of the accident and gather the contact details and name of any witnesses. It is crucial to know the name of the driver, the company for which they work, and who owns the vehicle if it's an independent contractor. This could impact who is liable for your accident as the trucking company is responsible for securing competent and skilled truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found partially responsible for your accident, they could be held accountable to you for any economic and non-economic injuries.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and can cause serious injuries. They can happen in a variety of settings like an intersection, a stop signal, where the trucker is unable to observe the road ahead for any traffic that is coming up. It can also happen when an automobile crosses the truck's route, causing the driver of the truck to brake abruptly without warning. The trucker could then hit the car from behind.

It is often difficult to prove the cause of rear-end crashes, as it's not always clear which vehicle caused the crash. A skilled attorney can help collect evidence to prove that the driver behind caused the crash because they followed too closely or driving with a distraction. This could include evidence such as photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks on the road.

The driver in front of the car may also be liable for the incident. This can happen when they cut off someone else or fail to use their turn signal as a reasonable person would, or put on the brakes at the last minute and causing the driver in the back to crash into the car directly in the front. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws come into play, where the jury assigns a percentage to each party, and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault.

Lacerations and Bruises

In a rear-end crash, the rear-end of the car is the area that receives the most impact. This means that passengers are at risk of serious injuries if hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the collision can cause broken bones when the occupants of the vehicle are thrown around the inside of the vehicle. Spinal injuries can be serious. The spinal cord contains many nerves that regulate the body, therefore any injury to the spinal cord could cause serious and lasting issues for the victims.

In addition to these kinds of injuries, victims may also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma as a result of being in a horrific crash. They may experience difficulty sleeping or concentrating which can cause depression and anxiety. They could also be facing stress and financial difficulties when they are unable to work due to an injury. An attorney can look into all possible sources of liability and help the victim seek fair compensation for their losses.

Problematic trailer hitches

Whatever vehicle you're driving, an automobile, a truck, a van, or a flatbed, all cars need to be securely attached to their trailers. If a trailer goes unhitched, it could result in catastrophic accidents that result in severe injuries or even death. If you've suffered injuries in an accident involving an unhitched trailer, call a qualified vehicle accident attorney with a specialization in cases of hitch failure as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.

A damaged trailer hitch could be the result of a variety of factors, ranging from inadequate securement to a defective design. It could be the result of a manufacturer's defect and in that case, products liability laws could apply. The company or the person responsible for a defective trailer could be held responsible for the victims' medical expenses along with auto repair expenses and other losses resulting from the incident.

For example the fatal crash that took place in January 2014 on an Ohio road known locally as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came off the truck and crashed through the air into two cars that were behind it. Initial investigations pointed out that the accident was due to the truck driver's negligence in failing to check and secure the hitch. However, in June of 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect had caused the hitch in the crash -an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a high proportion of times.

The trailer hit the side of the vehicles and then 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 the crash was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter. However experts believe that he could have avoided the collision with other vehicles if he completed a thorough inspection of his trailer and made sure that all connections were secure. Incorrect trailer hitches could cause major problems. These types of accidents are typically high-speed and are able to sidewipe motorcycles or other smaller vehicles. In these instances, the trailer may distort the frame of a car and result in sharp metal fragments to injure passengers.