History Of Semi Truck Lawsuit: The History Of Semi Truck Lawsuit
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A severe injury sustained in a crash with a semi truck accident attorneys truck can bury a person with medical expenses. It can also result in permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy.
It is vital to have a professional New York truck accident lawyer at your side following an accident. A lawyer with experience can help you prove your case with evidence like police reports or surveillance camera footage and much more.
Poorly maintained vehicles
Owner-operators and trucking companies often do not take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good shape. This causes an overwhelming number of preventable crashes every year.
Compared to passenger cars, tractor-trailers and semis need more frequent maintenance work due to their size and heavy load. Unfortunately, the pressure to meet deadlines and maximize profits is often more important than maintaining the fleet. Trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems that can cause catastrophes.
The brakes of a truck need to be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a moments notice. When brake pads, lines or return springs on a truck are worn out, it can lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries. These components should be regularly checked and repaired in order to keep them in good working condition.
Tires that are not maintained properly can be a major reason for truck accidents. Tires that are worn out could lose traction, causing the truck to roll over or skid. Tires that are defective because of an insufficient tread design or air pressure could fail catastrophically.
The inspections are routine for trucks along with regular maintenance to detect mechanical issues before they can cause an incident. If an inspection was performed incorrectly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's guidelines, it can cause a crash. In such cases, a company that commissioned the repair or maintenance company or who was responsible for its supervision could be held liable.
Another major cause of truck accidents is malfunctioning lights, signals and reflectors. These elements must function correctly in order for drivers to be able to detect and anticipate the movement of the truck especially in rural areas or at night. Trucking companies or drivers may fail to maintain and check these items, or may not perform daily safety inspections.
A Houston semi truck accident accident lawyer can investigate your case and determine who might be accountable for your damages in the event that you were injured by a deteriorated maintenance of a commercial truck. These investigations can reveal evidence proving the defendant's negligence and help you receive the compensation you're entitled to.
Distracted Drivers
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic. These huge vehicles can weigh up to 25 times more than your car and can cause more severe injuries when involved in an accident. While many factors contribute to accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most prevalent and risky. A truck driver who is distracted can lose control of their vehicle or fail to notice a hazard in the roadway, which could lead to life-threatening injuries.
Truck drivers must 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 adhere to the rules, they are still prone to be distracted and cause crashes. This can be a result of manual distractions such as taking their hands off the wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something else other than driving.
While most people understand that it's dangerous to text and drive, few realize that other activities like eating or changing the radio station or even talking to the other driver can also be deemed as distracting. When a trucker is distracted, they could drift into another lane or miss an obstruction in front of them. When a truck driver's attention is diverted, it will only take a split-second for a large vehicle to collide with a car.
It is crucial to gather details on any witnesses and take photos of the scene after an accident if a distracted driver causes an accident with a truck. It is also important to determine the name of the driver of the truck and the company they are employed by, as well and who owns the truck if they are an independent contractor. This could impact on who's responsible for the accident, since it is the responsibility of the trucking company to recruit competent and experienced truck drivers. If the trucking firm is found to be partly responsible for the accident, it could be held accountable to you for both economic as well as 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, such as at a red light or stop sign, when the trucker fails to look behind them for any traffic that is coming up. They may also occur when a car comes 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 the cause of rear-end collisions, since it's not always clear which vehicle caused the crash. However, an experienced attorney can help gather evidence that proves the driver behind caused the crash due to following too closely or driving distracted. This could include evidence such as photographs, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks in the road.
Sometimes the driver in front could be the one responsible for the accident in addition. This can happen when they cut someone off or fail to obey their turn signal as any reasonable person would, or put on the brakes at the last moment and cause the driver in the back to crash into the car directly in the front of them. This kind of situation is where modified comparative negligence laws can be applied, in which the jury assigns a percentage to each party and damages are reduced accordingly.
Bruises and Lacerations
In a rear-end crash the rear-end of the car is the area that receives the most force. This means that passengers are at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window. The force of the crash can cause broken bones when the occupants are thrown around the interior of the car. The severity of spinal injuries can be devastating. The spinal cord contains a lot of nerves that control the body, therefore any damage to the spinal column could cause permanent and significant issues for those affected.
In addition to these types of injuries, victims may also experience psychological and emotional trauma as a result of the trauma of a crash. They may experience difficulties in concentrating or sleeping, which could cause depression and anxiety. They may also face stress and financial strain if they are unable work due to an injury. An attorney can examine the possible causes of liability to assist the victim to receive fair compensation for their loss.
Problematic trailer hitches
All vehicles, whether they are a car or van, truck flatbed, van, or should be securely connected to their trailers. If a trailer is suddenly unhitched, it could lead to catastrophic accidents that cause serious injuries or death. If you've been injured in a vehicle accident caused by a truck that has run away get in touch with an experienced lawyer who is specialized in cases involving hitch failure to discuss your legal options.
A damaged trailer hitch could be the result of a variety of factors, ranging from inadequate securing to defective design. It can also be the result an issue with the manufacturer and, in this case, product liability laws may apply. The company or the person who is at the fault for a defective trailer can be held liable for the cost of medical bills and auto repair costs and other damages resulting from the incident.
For example, in a deadly crash that took place in January 2014 on an Ohio road that is locally referred to as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came off the truck and crashed directly into two cars in front of it. Initial investigations pointed out that the accident 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 began investigating the possibility that a defect in the hitch that was an Ultra LT manufactured Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama, was the reason for the crash.
Due to the defective hitch due to the hitch's failure, the trailer struck the sides of the vehicles, before colliding 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 found guilty of vehicular homicide. However experts believe that he could have avoided the crash if he'd performed an in-depth inspection of his trailer to make sure all connections were in good order. Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major accidents. These types of accidents are typically high-speed and can easily sidewipe motorcycles or smaller cars. In these instances the trailer could distort the car's frame and result in sharp metal fragments to impale any passengers.