Semi Truck Accident Law A semi-truck crash can result in serious injuries that could cause a person to pay a huge amount in medical bills It can also result in permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and ongoing physical therapy It is vital to have a skilled New York truck accident lawyer on your side following an accident A qualified lawyer will help you prove your case by using evidence such as police reports, surveillance footage, etc Vehicles that are not maintained properly In a lot of cases trucking companies as well as owner-operators don't take the appropriate steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition This leads to many accidents that could have been avoided every year Semis and tractor trailers require more frequent maintenance than cars for passengers due to their larger dimensions and larger load Unfortunately the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximizing profits is often prioritized over the maintenance of a fleet As a result, trucks are susceptible to mechanical failures that lead to devastating accidents The brakes of trucks are especially important because they have to be able to stop the vehicle and slow it down at the smallest of moments When https//vimeocom/709835085 , return springs, or lines on a truck fail they can cause serious accidents and fatal injuries These components must be regularly checked and repaired in order to keep them in good working condition Tires that aren't maintained can also contribute to truck accidents Tires that have worn out may lose traction and cause the truck to flip over or skid If a tire is not properly designed in any way, for example, having the wrong air pressure or improper tread design, it may fail catastrophically In addition to regular maintenance, trucks must undergo routine inspections to detect mechanical issues prior to causing an accident If an inspection is done improperly or the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's guidelines it could lead to an accident In these instances, the company that commissioned the repair or maintenance company or who was responsible for its supervision could be held responsible Another common cause of truck accidents is the failure of lights, signals and reflectors These elements must be properly functioning to allow drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas or after dark Drivers and trucking companies could not maintain and inspect these items, or may not perform daily safety checks A reputable Houston truck accident lawyer can review your case and determine who could be accountable for your injuries if you were injured in an accident with a poorly-maintained commercial truck These investigations can reveal evidence that demonstrates the negligence of the defendant in the accident and assist you get the compensation you're due Distracted Drivers There aren't many events more devastating than an incident with a commercial truck These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times more than your car and can cause a lot more injuries if they are involved in an accident Distracted driving is one of many factors that cause accidents A distracted truck driver can lose control of their vehicle or miss a road danger, which can lead to serious and life-altering injuries Truck drivers must adhere to strict rules and regulations that have been formulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration This includes a ban on texting or using cellular phones while driving Even if truckers follow the rules, they could be distracted and result in an accident This is often caused by manual distractions such as getting your hands off the steering wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something other than driving While most people are aware that it's dangerous to text and drive, many are aware that other activities, such as eating, changing the station on the radio, and even conversing with a passenger can also be deemed as distracting If the trucker is distracted, they may wander off into a different direction and not notice a traffic jam ahead It only takes a fraction of a second for a large truck to collide with a vehicle when the trucker's focus wanders If a truck crash is caused by distracted drivers, it is important to take photos of the scene of the accident as well as collect the contact details and name of any witnesses It is also beneficial to determine the name of the driver who is driving the truck and the company they are employed by, as as who owns the truck, 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 company to hire competent and skilled truck drivers If the trucking company is found to be partially at fault for your accident, they could be responsible for your economic as well as non-economic damages Rear-End Collisions Rear-end truck collisions are common and can cause serious injuries These accidents can happen in many different circumstances, including at an intersection or at a an intersection when the trucker fails to check the road ahead for oncoming traffic It can also happen when vehicles cross the truck's path, which forces the driver of the truck to brake abruptly without warning The trucker might then slam into the car from behind It can be hard to prove fault when there is rear-end collisions because it's not always certain who was at fault However, a skilled attorney can help gather evidence that proves that the driver at the rear was responsible for the crash due to following too closely or distracted driving This could include evidence such as photos, police reports, eyewitness testimony and skid marks on the road The driver in the front of the car could also be accountable for the incident This could occur if they cut off someone else or fail to utilize a turn signal in the same manner as any other reasonable person This is where modified comparative negligence laws could be in play, where the jury assigns a percentage of blame to each party and damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault Bruises amp; Lacerations In a rear-end crash the rear of the car is the area that experiences the most impact This means that the occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they strike their heads against the dashboard or the back window The impact of the crash could cause broken bones when the occupants are thrown about the interior of the vehicle The spine is a vulnerable area and injuries to it can be extremely severe The spinal cord is home to many nerves that control the body, therefore any injury to the spinal cord could cause permanent and significant issues for those affected In addition to these kinds of injuries, the victim may suffer from emotional and psychological trauma from the trauma of a crash They may have difficulty in concentrating or sleeping, which could lead them to depression and anxiety They may also experience stress and financial difficulties when they cannot work due to their injury An attorney can research the possible sources of liability and assist a victim in seeking an appropriate amount of compensation for their losses The trailer hitches are faulty All vehicles, whether they are a vehicle, a car, van, truck flatbed, van, or are required to be securely connected to their trailers If a trailer goes unhitched, it could cause catastrophic accidents that cause serious injuries or death If you've been injured in an accident involving a runaway trailer, contact an experienced lawyer for car accidents specializing in hitch failure cases immediately to discuss your legal options The reason for a malfunctioning trailer hitch can be a variety of things such as inadequate securement or design It could be due to an issue on the part of the manufacturer where case-by-case product liability law could be applicable The company or the person responsible for a trailer's defect is liable for the victim's medical costs along with auto repair expenses and other losses resulting from the incident For example the fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 along an Ohio road known locally as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came out of the truck and crashed directly into two cars in front of it The initial investigation blamed the accident to the driver's lapse in examine 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 involved in the crash -it was an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a significant number of occasions The trailer hit the side of the vehicles, and then crashed into them This resulted in multiple fatalities and serious injuries to drivers of the vehicles The truck driver who was involved in the accident was convicted of vehicular homicide However, experts say he could have avoided the collision in the event that he had conducted an in-depth inspection of his trailer to make sure that all connections were secure Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major accidents These incidents are often high-speed and can easily sidewipe motorbikes or smaller vehicles In these cases the trailer could distort the car's frame and create sharp metal fragments to entrap passengers