Semi Truck Accident Law A semi-truck crash can result in serious injuries that could cost a person a fortune in medical expenses It can also cause permanent disabilities requiring expensive equipment and long-term physical therapy Following a collision, it is essential to have an experienced New York truck accident attorney to assist you A skilled attorney can establish your case through evidence such as police reports and surveillance camera footage and more Poorly maintained vehicles Trucking companies and owners-operators often do not take the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are in good shape This can lead to a large percentage of preventable crashes every year Comparatively to passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers and semis require more frequent maintenance work due to their size and weight loads Unfortunately the pressure of meeting deadlines and maximizing profits is often more important than maintaining the fleet As a result, trucks are more prone to mechanical failures that result in catastrophic accidents The brakes on a truck have to be able stop and slow down the vehicle at a moment's notice When brake pads lines, return springs, or lines on a truck fail and break, it could lead to serious accidents and fatal injuries These components should be checked and repaired regularly as necessary to maintain their good working condition Tires that aren't well maintained can also contribute to truck accidents Tires that are worn down can cause the tires to lose traction and cause the truck to slide or even flip over Tires that are defective because of improper tread design or air pressure, can fail catastrophically In addition to regular maintenance, trucks must undergo regular inspections in order to spot mechanical problems before they lead to an accident However, if the inspection is performed incorrectly or the repair shop does not follow the manufacturer's instructions this could result in a crash In such cases the company that hired or supervised the maintenance or repair shop could be held responsible Poorly functioning lights, signals and reflectors are another frequent reason for truck accidents These devices must function properly in order for drivers to be able to detect and anticipate the truck's movements particularly in rural areas or at night However, trucking companies could not inspect and maintain these elements or the driver might fail to perform daily safety inspections A Houston truck accident attorney will investigate your situation and determine who could be accountable for your damages in the event that you are injured by a badly maintained commercial truck These investigations can reveal evidence of the defendant's negligence and assist you in obtaining 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 the weight of your car and can cause more injuries when they are involved in collisions While many factors contribute to accidents and injuries, distracted driving is one of the most frequent and dangerous A truck driver who is distracted could lose control of their vehicle or fail to spot an issue on the road, which could lead to life-threatening injuries Truck drivers must follow strict rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration This includes a ban on texting and using cell phones while driving Even if truckers abide by the rules, they may still be distracted and cause an accident This could be because of distractions caused by manual actions like dropping a hand off of the steering wheel or mental distractions such as thinking about something other than driving Many people are aware that texting while driving is dangerous, but they are not aware that other activities, like eating or changing radio stations or conversing with passengers can also be considered distracting When a truck driver is distracted, they could wander off into another lane, or fail to see the traffic jam ahead of them It only takes a fraction of a second for a huge truck to hit a passenger vehicle if the trucker's mind wanders It is important to collect details on any witnesses and take photos of the scene after an accident if the driver is distracted and causes a truck crash It is important to determine the name of the driver, the company for which they work, and who owns the vehicle if it's an independent contractor This could have an influence on who is responsible for the accident, because it is the responsibility of the trucking company to employ competent and experienced truck drivers If the trucking company is found partially responsible for your accident, it may be liable to you for financial as well as non-economic losses Rear-End Collisions Rear-end collisions with trucks are quite common and can cause severe injuries They can happen in a variety of settings like an intersection, a stop sign, when the trucker fails to look behind them for traffic in the direction of oncoming traffic It can also happen when an automobile crosses the truck's route, causing the driver of the truck to brake suddenly and without warning The trucker could then smash the car from behind It can be difficult to prove the fault of a driver in a rear-end collision, because it's not always certain which vehicle was at fault An experienced lawyer can gather evidence to show that the driver in the back caused the crash by following too closely or driving with a distraction This can be evidence in the form of photos, police reports and eyewitness testimony as well being skid marks on the road The driver in the front of the car could also be held responsible for the accident This can happen when they cut someone off or fail to utilize their turn signal as a reasonable person would, or hit on the brakes at the last minute and cause the driver behind to crash into the car directly in the front of them This type of scenario is where modified comparative negligence laws could come into play, where the jury assigns a percentage of blame to each party, and damages are lowered accordingly Lacerations and Bruises In a rear-end crash the rear of the car is the part that takes the most impact This means that the occupants are at risk of serious injuries if they crash their heads against the dashboard or the back window They also may break bones after being scattered around the interior of the car as a result of the force of the collision The spine is a vulnerable area and injuries to it can be severe The spinal cord contains many nerves that control the body, so any injury to the spinal column may cause serious and lasting problems for victims In addition to these kinds of injuries, a victim may also be suffering from psychological and emotional trauma as a result of being in a horrific crash They may have difficulty getting enough sleep or concentrating, which can result in anxiety and depression They may also face stress and financial burdens when they cannot work because of an injury An attorney can examine all possible causes of liability and help a victim seek fair compensation for their losses The trailer is not working properly All vehicles, whether they are a vehicle, a car, a truck, van, flatbed, or van are required to be securely connected to their trailers Unintentionally unhitching a trailer could result in catastrophic accidents that lead to serious injuries or death If you've been injured in an accident involving a runaway trailer, contact an experienced attorney for vehicle accidents with a specialization in cases of hitch failure immediately to discuss your legal options A damaged trailer hitch could result from a variety things, from improper securement to a defective design It can also be due to an issue with the manufacturer or a manufacturing defect, in which case the laws governing product liability could apply The person or company responsible for a defective trailer can be held accountable for the victim's medical expenses or auto repair expenses, as well as other losses resulting from the incident For https//vimeocom/709353032 there was a fatal crash that occurred in January 2014 along an Ohio road locally known as "Devil's Backbone," a trailer came free from the truck and crashed head-on into two cars behind it Initial investigations suggested that the crash was due to the driver's negligence in failing to properly inspect and secure the hitch But in June 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to investigate the possibility that a manufacturing defect caused the hitch at the center of the crash -an Ultra LT manufactured by Fontaine Fifth Wheel in Trussville, Alabama -- to malfunction on a large number of occasions The trailer struck the sides 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 involved in the accident was found guilty of vehicular homicide However experts believe that he could have avoided the crash had he conducted an exhaustive inspection of his trailer to ensure all connections were tight The failure of a trailer's hitches can result in serious accidents, since these types of incidents typically involve a lot of speed, and they can hit smaller cars or motorcycles In these instances the trailer could deform the car's frame and result in sharp metal fragments to injure passengers