How To Resolve Issues With 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers

What Is 18 Wheeler Law?

18 wheeler accidents wheeler law protects against accidents which involve commercial truck drivers as well as their rigs. These huge vehicles must be subject to strict federal guidelines for maintenance, safety, and training.

Companies that transport trucks often force their drivers to work longer and alter logbooks. This can cause catastrophic trucking crashes.

Weight Regulations

Knowing the weight limits for semi trucks is essential. Many states have single axle and group axle limits on weight that must be adhered to. It is not uncommon to find weigh stations along interstates where truckers are weighed in order to confirm that they do not exceed the maximum weight limit for their vehicle and load. If a trucker is caught in violation of these limits and is fined, they could be penalized and even sent to jail depending on their criminal history and the state.

Axle groups have a higher limit of weight since the vehicle is safer when the weight is spread over more axles. This also permits the carriage of more cargo. A single tire on an wheel is only weighed up to 700 pounds per inch, however, when two tires are on the same axle, it can be weighed to 1300 pounds.

There are limitations on the types of trailers that can be used in conjunction with a tractor. Some states allow only one trailer, while others only permit twin or triple trailers. Some states also require a fifth-wheel on the trailer, which is a plate which sits above the drive wheels and couples (hooks up) the trailer to the tractor unit. There are both day cabtractors as well as sleeper cabs that have sleeping areas inside the tractor unit and are designed to haul over the road.

Lane Restrictions

Truck drivers must abide by speed limits and traffic signals in addition to the lane limitations. Trucks cannot drive at the same speed as passenger vehicles. If they do, accidents could occur. In most instances, it's the driver of the truck that is the one to blame. This is because truck drivers often drive longer than the limit or violate the hours-of-service regulations, or become tired or distracted behind the driving.

Truck drivers are also barred from driving in the left lane. This is because trucks take a lot longer trucks to stop than passenger vehicles. This can be a very dangerous situation, particularly for smaller cars that may be stranded behind trucks when they suddenly slow down or stop.

Some states specifically exclude big trucks and block them from using the left lane. However, others limit the use of the lane under specific situations. These laws can be based on weight or axel limits. In other instances they may be solely based on the vehicle's description.

Even if there's no state-wide law regarding lane restrictions you must still review the local rules and follow the rules. Also, you should move to the left if you see trucks passing in the lane in order to not block faster cars from taking over.

Ownership

The 18-wheeler and trucking firms have a wealth of resources to use in order to force accident victims to accept less than what they are entitled to. They have teams of lawyers, insurance adjusters engineers, experts, and lawyers that work on their behalf even before they know if the victim of an accident is going to seek legal relief.

In the event of an accident 18-wheelers are usually responsible for catastrophic injuries and extensive property damage because they are able to carry heavy load and are so massive when compared to passenger cars. This is especially the case when they collide into other motor vehicles. It is important to have a skilled attorney fight for your rights and get you justice against these powerful, massive corporations.

Large-scale accidents require a thorough understanding of complex concepts in the fields of physics and biology, chemistry and federal regulations for trucking, medicine, driving standards and other related fields. Our attorneys have the expertise to find violations of these laws, and then show the jury the circumstances that led to your accident.

Multiple parties could be accountable for 18-wheeler truck accidents. Our NY 18 wheeler accident lawyer will investigate all of the accountable parties and ensure they are paid their fair part of your current and expected expenses. This includes owners of trucking companies, trucking companies, maintenance contractors, and even drivers themselves. Our team will also investigate the weather conditions that could have played a part in the accident.

Insurance

Trucking companies can put together large teams of adjusters, lawyers engineers, and experts quickly. They begin this process before they know whether you'll be seeking legal recourse. This is why it is so important to immediately retain an experienced lawyer who can match their resources and bring them down to size.

An experienced 18 wheeler crash lawyer can alleviate the burden of dealing with these big corporations off your hands and concentrate on getting you the compensation you're entitled to. The money could be used to pay for expenses such as high medical bills, vehicle damage, loss of wages due to absence from work, as well as non-economic damages like pain and suffering.

18-wheelers are highly complex vehicles that require high-level, systematic maintenance to keep them on the road. Failure to do this maintenance and keep accurate records can result in devastating accidents.

Tractor-trailers often carry hazardous material, which requires special training and special licensing for transport. The material may be explosive, flammable, radiological or poisonous, and all of these present significant dangers for other drivers on American roads. A fatal accident could occur if the load was not properly labeled and secured.

A skilled 18-wheeler crash lawyer can determine the cause of the accident and pinpoint any parties who are responsible. These could include the truck driver as well as the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, and the company that manufactures the truck or its components. This is referred to as vicarious responsibility.