How did this happen?
Semi-truck operators, owners and manufacturers must follow a wide variety of state and federal regulations including how much weight the vehicle can haul, how long a driver can go without rest and quality control in repair. Often in truck accidents, the driver violated a statute or ordinance that caused the accident. Proof of this violation will drastically increase your odds of winning the case.
In addition, commercial trucks often have much higher minimum insurance requirements which requires the truck company to carry a larger policy umbrella resulting in a possibility of a better outcome for you in your settlement.
Some commonly violated truck regulations include a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) violation and a log book violation. CDL regulations are put in place in order to ensure that the truck driver is licensed and qualified to be driving a truck. In order to get this license, multiple tests must be passed. A log book regulation involves rules around how long a truck driver can drive before they must rest. It is each driver's responsibility to keep a record of how many hours they drive and then rest for.
Injuries an attorney can get you compensation for:
- T-bone collisions
- Blind spot accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Brake malfunctions
- Rollover or under accidents
- Other issues that can lead to accidents include lost loads, tire blowouts, driver distraction, drug use and drowsiness. Truck drivers have also been known to cause accidents due to texting or talking on the phone while driving.
If you are injured in a truck accident, the driver of the truck or the truck company may be liable for damages related to your injuries. Below are some of the most common injuries sustained in a truck incident:
- Head and Brain Injury: these kinds of injuries can have long-lasting effects depending on the severity of the incident. Head injuries can range from a concussion to traumatic brain injuries that can result in death.
- Broken Bones: The massive weight of a semi-truck compared to that of a normal vehicle on the road can result in extreme blunt force trauma in an accident that can shatter or fracture bones.
- Amputated Limbs: Arms, legs, hands, or feet may easily be severed in a freak accident or may have to be amputated due to being severely burned or crushed.
- Burns: Burns are more common in truck collisions than accidents involving two similar vehicles due to the fact that trucks are much larger and can cause much more damage. There is a greater risk of fuel tanks rupturing resulting in a vehicle fire which can cause extremely painful burns and disfigurement.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: The impact of a commercial truck striking you and your vehicle can damage the bones, muscles and nerves in the spinal cord leading to partial, temporary or permanent paralysis.
- Neck and Back Injuries: The jarring force that occurs after another vehicle is stricken is very common in all kinds of automobile accidents but the pain that can result from a much larger vehicle such as a truck striking you can be long lasting.
The lawsuit to recover compensation for injuries sustained during a truck accident will often be based on the driver's negligence including common indicators such as: lack of truck driving experience, overloading the truck, operating an oversized truck on a narrow road, failure to see vehicles due to a blind spot, failing to obey traffic laws, driving too long without taking a break, and not keeping the truck in a safe condition.
