Semi Truck Accident Law A semi-truck accident can cause a serious injury that can cost a person a fortune in medical expenses It could also cause permanent disabilities that require expensive equipment and long-term therapy Following a collision, it is essential to retain an experienced New York truck accident attorney by your side A professional lawyer can assist you in proving your case by using evidence such as police reports and surveillance footage, among others Poorly maintained vehicles Owner-operators and companies that operate trucks often don't take the necessary steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good repair This leads to an astronomical number of avoidable accidents every year As compared to passenger cars semis and tractor-trailers require more frequent maintenance due to their size and heavy loads Unfortunately the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximizing profits often take precedence over maintaining a fleet Trucks can be prone to mechanical problems that can result in disastrous accidents The brakes of a truck need to be able to stop and slow down the vehicle at a minute's notice If the pads of a truck's brakes, lines or return springs wear out they could result in serious collisions and fatal injuries It is essential that these parts are regularly checked and replaced as required to keep them in good condition Tires that aren't properly maintained may be a major factor in truck accidents https//vimeocom/709881598 that are worn out may lose traction, which causes the truck to slide or even roll over Tires that aren't working because of incorrect tread design or air pressure may fail catastrophically The inspections are routine for trucks in addition to regular maintenance to identify mechanical issues prior to causing an incident However, if an inspection is done incorrectly or the repair shop fails to follow the manufacturer's instructions this could result in a crash In such cases the company that hired or directed the maintenance or the repair shop could be held accountable Another cause of truck accidents is faulty lights, signals and reflectors These elements must be properly working to enable drivers to see their truck and anticipate its movements, particularly in rural areas and after dark However, trucking companies could fail to check and maintain these components or the driver may not perform regular safety inspections A reliable Houston truck accident lawyer will analyze your case to determine which parties may be responsible for your losses when you've been injured in an accident involving a badly maintained commercial truck These investigations can reveal evidence that shows the defendant's negligence in the accident and help you get the compensation you're entitled to Distracted Drivers The consequences of collisions with commercial trucks can be catastrophic These huge vehicles weigh up to 25 times more than your car and could cause more injuries when they are involved in an accident While many factors contribute to accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most common and dangerous A driver who is distracted can lose control of the vehicle or fail to notice an opportunity to avoid a road accident that could result in serious and life-threatening injuries Truck drivers are required to adhere to strict rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration This includes a prohibition against texting or using cell phones while driving However, even when truckers adhere to the rules, they are still prone to be distracted and cause an accident This can be caused by manual distractions such as turning your back on the steering wheel or mental distractions like thinking about something other than driving Many people are aware that texting while driving can be risky, but many do not realize that other activities, such as eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers, could also be considered to be distracting When the trucker is distracted, they may wander off into a different direction and not notice an impending traffic jam It only takes a split second for a big truck to hit a passenger vehicle when the trucker's attention is diverted It is important to gather information about any witnesses and take photos of the accident scene when the driver is distracted and causes an accident with a truck It is also helpful to know the name of the driver who is driving the truck and the company they work for, aswell the owner of the truck if it's an independent contractor This could impact who is accountable for your incident since the trucking company is responsible for hiring skilled and experienced truck drivers If the trucking company is found to be partially at fault for the accident, they could be responsible for your economic and non-economic injuries Rear-End Collisions Rear-end collisions with trucks are common and often cause serious injuries They can happen in a variety of settings for example, at an intersection, a stop sign when the trucker fails to check behind them for traffic coming in It can also happen when an automobile crosses the truck's path, causing the driver of the truck to stop suddenly without warning The trucker could then hit the car from behind It can be difficult to prove fault in rear-end collisions, since it is not always obvious which vehicle was responsible for the crash However, an experienced attorney can gather evidence that shows the driver behind caused the crash through following too closely or driving while distracted The evidence can include photographs or police reports, eyewitness testimony as well being skid marks on the road Sometimes the driver in front might be the one responsible for the accident also This could occur if they cut someone off or fail to make use of a turn signal, as would any reasonable person would do This type of scenario 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 Bruises and Lacerations In a rear-end collision, the rear end of the vehicle is the one that suffers the most impact This means that people in the car are at risk of serious injuries if they hit their heads against the dashboard or the back window The impact of the crash could cause broken bones if the occupants are thrown about the interior of the vehicle Spinal injuries can be extremely severe Damage to the spine can be serious and have long-lasting impacts on the victims A victim of a serious accident may also experience emotional and psychological trauma They may have trouble sleeping or concentrating, which could result in anxiety and depression They may also experience stress and financial difficulties when they cannot work due to their injury An attorney can investigate all possible causes of liability and help the victim seek an appropriate amount of compensation for their expenses Troublesome trailer hitches It doesn't matter if you're driving an automobile, a truck, a van or a flatbed, all vehicles must to be securely attached to their trailers Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could result in catastrophic accidents that lead to severe injuries or even death If you've been injured in an accident involving the trailer that has run away, contact an experienced attorney for vehicle 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 also be due to a defect on the part of the manufacturer, in which case product liability law may apply The company or person at responsible for the malfunction of a trailer could be held accountable for the cost of medical bills and auto repair costs as well as other losses that result from the incident For instance there was a fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 on an Ohio road that is locally referred to as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came out of the truck and slid over two cars ahead of it Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the truck driver's negligence in failing to properly inspect 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 at the center of the crash -an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel of Trussville, Alabama -- to fail on a large proportion of occasions The trailer hit the side of the vehicles and crashed into them The result was numerous deaths and serious injuries for the drivers The driver of the truck involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular murder, however experts say that he could have avoided the collision with the other vehicles if he had performed a thorough visual inspection of his trailer and ensured that all connections were tight Incorrect trailer hitches can cause major catastrophes These accidents are typically fast and can easily smack motorbikes or small cars In these cases the trailer can distort the frame of a car and cause sharp metal fragments to injure passengers