Trucking Accident Lawyer

Trucking Accident Attorneys

Truck statistics are a serious concern in the United States, especially because commercial trucks and delivery trucks are on the roads at an increasingly high rate fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. With almost everyone now resorting to online purchases, the need for delivery trucks has been at an all-time high.

There are around 5,000 fatalities that result from truck accidents each year in the United States. This is a record-high amount compared to any other year, and many experts have stated that this number could be much more since not all truck accidents are reported to each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

There are 150,000 injuries that result from truck accidents each year in the United States. Truck accidents could cause serious injuries, sometimes even death.

If you or a loved one have been severely injured in a truck accident, look no further, and contact our experienced truck accident attorneys today. If you have lost a loved one in a truck accident, our professional team of trucking accident lawyers will help you get the compensation you need. 

Trucking accidents could get very difficult and complex to piece together and figure out the cause. Every factor, including the time of day and the truck driver’s hours that day could play a key factor in the trucking accident.

Our qualified truck accident attorneys will help you get the compensation you deserve. Going through an accident is not easy, especially if it is a large big rig accident. A truck company will try to downplay their liability as much as possible to avoid having to pay anything. Trucking companies have liability insurance, and an experienced truck accident attorney will not settle for a lesser amount for you. Our attorneys will fight for maximum compensation for you, regardless of whether it’s an individual trucker or a trucking company.

Why should I hire a trucking accident attorney?

•  A trucking accident attorney will better piece together what the cause of the accident is
•  They will negotiate and communicate with the other parties involved in the lawsuit
•  In the event that there needs to be a claim filed with the insurance company, it could be much stronger to have an experienced attorney on your side

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Trucking Accident?

In many cases, the trucking companies are held liable for negligence in a trucking accident. The trucking firm that hired the driver can be held liable for negligent hiring, failing to inspect driving logs, failing to train their drivers, etc. This is established by asserting a negligence claim against the trucking company.

The trucking company may be able to be held liable through something called vicarious liability. Vicarious liability holds the employer liable for the actions of their employees, but the truck drivers themselves could also be held liable for failing to prevent the accident.

Besides the trucking firm, other parties like the truck’s maintenance company could also be held responsible in the event that the truck has not properly been maintained, and that caused the accident.

The truck manufacturing company could also be held responsible in a product liability lawsuit if there was a defect that caused the accident. Product liability lawsuits hold manufacturers and retailers accountable for manufacturing a product that has either a design defect, manufacturing defect, or warning defect. For more information, contact our product liability attorneys today.

What Causes Trucking Accidents?

• Driver inexperience with commercial trucks
• Speeding or careless driving
• Truck driver fatigue
• Poor vehicle maintenance
• Mechanical failure
• Drunk driving 
• Driving under the influence
• Equipment failure
• Equipment defects
• Loading cargo improperly 
• Poor weather
• Poor road conditions
• Distracted or inattentive driving
• Inadequate training on how to drive and& handle commercial trucks
• Operating a commercial truck under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Failure to spot a vehicle in the blind spot
• Having too much or an imbalanced trailer load
• Other third-party drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, etc.

Fatigue and Distracted Driving Can Play a Huge Role in Truck Accidents

Driver fatigue is a huge issue in the trucking industry and for drivers on the road as a whole. According to a national study conducted in the United States, many truck drivers across the country average less than 5 hours of sleep a day. This puts them at risk for feeling drowsy at the wheel, increasing the likelihood of causing an accident. Another study comparing over 100,000 truck accidents concluded that over 10% of the truck drivers involved in the accidents were fatigued.

To combat this issue, the government has implemented a number of laws to limit the hours which truck drivers can drive. These regulations require commercial truck drivers to:

• Take a 30-minute break after driving for eight hours straight;
• Only drive 11 hours of any 14-hour period and take 10 hours to break after 11 hours on the road has been reached;
• Operate a commercial truck no more than 60 hours in a 7-day period;
• And drive no more than 70 hours in an 8-day period and take a 34-hour break before starting their next work week after hitting that limit.

How Do Truck Accidents Differ from Car Accidents?

With larger average loads and longer operation hours, commercial trucking vehicles can create accidents that create more property damage, cost more in medical bills, and have higher chances of death for those involved when compared to a typical car accident.

• More Property Damage in Truck Accidents – Since commercial loads can sometimes range up to 100,000 pounds in weight, these vehicles can slam into other objects with tons of force behind them. 18-wheelers are also less agile in slowing down and turning when compared to normal cars, so commercial truck collisions often involve large amounts of momentous force with little warning beforehand. With millions at stake in a typical truck accident, the insurance policies for commercial truck drivers tend to be much higher in premium and payout amounts. Compared to standard vehicle insurance plans, truck coverage policies can be over 40x larger to cover the risks.
• Severity of Injuries in Trucking Accidents – Commercial trucking vehicles are much larger & heavier than average cars are. This difference can create disastrous crashes for other vehicles that are lower to the ground, leaving them crushed or mangled and occupants severely injured or dead. Death, paralysis, and serious injuries of the spine & brain are the most common injuries suffered from trucking accidents.
• Cost of Medical Bills – With injuries in these types of accidents being more severe on average, the cost of medical care for survivors also tends to be higher than with normal vehicle accidents. Drivers of other vehicles involved in trucking accidents often suffer crippling injuries that require care for the rest of their life, costing thousands or even millions in care in the long run.

Common Trucking Accident Injuries

•  traumatic brain injuries
•  broken bones
•  spinal cord injuries
•  organ damage
•  internal bleeding