Wednesday, November 12, 2014

5 Common Reasons Behind Deadly Truck Accidents!

Behind every truck accident, there is an irresponsible driver’- that is what most of the people believe. While that generally is the case; there are some other reasons behind sometimes fatal truck accidents.

Here are 5 most common reasons behind most of the truck accidents-

1. Irresponsible Driver: Irresponsible drivers are the number one reason behind most of the gruesome truck accidents on road. Fatigue, distraction, negligence, and substance abuse are few of the most common causes that lead to mistakes by truck drivers.

2. Equipment Failure: Equipment failure is another common cause of truck crashes. It includes conditions such as defective tires or mechanical issues like brake failure. Every commercial vehicle requires regular maintenance and inspection. Skipping pre-trip inspection has been found as the cause in many truck mishaps. Time spent staying safe before a trip is time well spent.

3. Inexperienced Drivers: Sometimes logistics companies hire drivers without enough experience to cut costs. The more inexperienced a driver is with the route, the load, and the truck the more likelihood that the driver will not have the experience to deal with the deadly situations as they manifest.

4. Weather Conditions: For commercial vehicles, weather conditions matter more. In harsh weather condition, not only does it become challenging for the truck drivers to maintain grip on roads, the possibility of other drivers committing mistakes also increases and its more difficult to stop.

5. Improper Loading: When a truck is not loaded properly, it can be disastrous. Improperly loaded trucks can lead to the most horrific accidents.

If you or your loved one has been the victim of an unfortunate accident, you should consider filing a lawsuit and a claim for appropriate compensation. For this, you should consult with truck accident attorneys, as firms that routinely deal with truck accident matters can look to find the different level of policies, enhance the proofs, and facilitate the investigations.. They will explain you candidly about your chances for compensation, and likelihood of success.

Many accident attorneys will only charge you a fee if they win your case, so even though the truck accident injury or fatality may be an economic burden on you and your family, the cost of the attorney will not be.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Common Factors That Often Become Reasons Of Truck Accidents

The difference between the size of a truck and other vehicles on the road is huge. This difference in size and momentum makes truck accidents fatal in nature.

If a truck collides with a smaller vehicle, chances are high that the truck driver will to get out safe; whereas, the other party may sustain deep and incurable disabilities and injuries.

To safeguard the victims of such unfortunate accidents financially, there is a provision in law, according to which, the sufferer can claim compensation by filing a case against the wrongdoer.

If the driver believes that some manufacturing defect or lack of maintenance of the trailer caused the accident, he can also file a lawsuit against his employer or the maker of components.

Clause related to driver’s safety is often included in the contract drawn between the driver and the trucking company. The contract can be used by trucking accident lawyer to help him earn compensation, if he can prove the other party guilty.

In most of the cases, negligence leads to road accidents. Negligence is when a person fails to take appropriate actions to avoid a foreseeable mishap that is likely to harm others. It often happens when person in charge of a vehicle does not follow the rules properly.

Sometimes truck drivers are made to work for extra hours, depriving them of proper physical rest. This can result in fatigue and tiredness, which leads to lack of focus while driving.

If during the lawsuit it is concluded that driver’s fatigue or driving beyond legal hours caused the accident, trucking company will have to reimburse the victim with demanded amount.

Other common reasons that lead to these mishaps include use of drugs, over-speeding, carrying out illegal maneuvers, or simply not taking enough precautions to avoid accidents.

If you or your beloved has suffered a truck accident, file a lawsuit against the trucking company as soon as possible to get the justice you deserve.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Factors That Are Often Deemed Responsible For Truck Accidents

We all have experienced that fearsome moment when a large truck goes barreling by on the road, sometimes in less than desirable weather conditions. That is one of the moments that can make even the most experience drivers tense jittery and sweaty. This fear is justified in more than one way considering the humongous size of trucks and trailers, and the power these vehicles have.

These vehicles are capable of causing perilous situations upon colliding with some other vehicle on the road. This is the reason why the department of transportation has set out rules to exercise control over trucking companies in a way that ensures the safety of others on the road. This government body regulates the commercial vehicles including trucks.

There are hours of service specifically mentioned in the law which states that a truck weighing more than 10,000 pounds can be driven during given hours only. Even during those hours, no driver can operate one such vehicle beyond 14 hours of consistent driving to theoretically ensure a well rested driver.

This duration must be followed by 10 hours of off-duty. The driving history of off-duty and on-duty hours must be maintained in the log books.

Ensuring compliance with these rules is essential because fatigue is often deemed a big reason behind truck accidents. If the driver is proven to be a factor behind the mishap, the trucking company may have to pay the victim compensation for their truck related injuries according to the law.

Not just the hours, many other protocols are also associated with lawsuits, such as whether the truck was undergoing regular maintenance, and what material it was carrying. All these factors are analyzed during the lawsuit by victim’s attorney.

These law cases are often complicated because most of the times, it is not just the negligence of either party that causes such unfortunate situations to occur, but ensuring that there was compliance with the DOT requirements comes into play. Proving the trucking company is liable may be a challenging affair.

That is when a truck accident law firm comes in. These firms work on the behalf of victims and their family and devise a strategy aimed at obtaining their clients compensation from the trucking company.

Lawyers obtain the necessary documents such as log books of the driving history to find out the faulty areas that could be used against the wrongdoers. They know how to approach the matter and attack the lawsuit from a variety of angles to ensure that every path for compensation is fully examined.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Appropriate Compensation Is Your Right If You’re A Truck Accident Victim!

It is not possible to know when an accident is going to happen, nor is it plausible to undo it, especially if the accident happens to involve something as big as a truck. However, the law does have provisions aimed at safeguarding the sufferers financially, so that the family of the victim does not suffer from financial crisis due to huge hospital bills that follow the treatment.

Victims of truck accidents must file a lawsuit against those accountable for the mishap. The lawsuit may bring some justice to the victim, by at least getting the individual injured by the truck accident and their family some financial compensation.

All the trucking companies are legally required to maintain logs of their truck’s driving history. The records are however destroyed after some time. Delayed action against the company or the driver of the vehicle can result in the company destroying the records leaving behind no proof that could be used in the favor of those injured by truck.

Truck owners are required to maintain such records because these giant vehicles are capable of setting into motion a series of catastrophic events. While the driver itself is not likely to get injured because of the height and massive size of the truck, other people can sustain incurable wounds and injuries, and even wind up losing lives.

If you hire a truck accident Injury Lawyer, the trucking lawyer will commence a trucking lawsuit against the company and via discovery obtain legal permit to investigate the entire scenario, and go through all the necessary details to arrive at a conclusion as to who is the real culprit. If the driver or anyone associated with the truck turns out to be the cause of mishap, the victims’ family may be compensated by them for the truck related injuries.

Filing a lawsuit is essential because if the victim has sustained major injuries in areas like brain, spine or bones fractured, it may completely disable the individual from going back to work. A lawsuit can be a ray of hope for such people.

Your lawyer will go through every single detail of the accident and collect as many evidences as possible to expedite the process and intensify the chances of you wining the case.

Lawsuits related to truck accidents can be quite complex, therefore seek the best possible help. Look for lawyers who can explain the process to you and who have a good reputation in the industry.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Top 5 Reasons Behind Truck Accidents

There are hundreds of rules and laws for road safety, yet thousands of mishaps occur every year. While different reasons are behind different accidents, there are a few, which cause most of the truck accidents. Here, we have enlisted four most common reasons behind truck accidents:

1. Exhaustion - Exhaustion is one of the most common reasons behind many truck accidents, especially when drives keep driving for longer periods, without taking any breaks. Regular and timely breaks are crucial to avoid such misfortunes. This can be on behalf of the truck driver or the car driver or both.

2. Vehicle inspection - Many truck accidents are avoidable by proper vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance. Sometimes a truck falls into disrepair in order to cut corners, save money, or just out of sheer laziness. Trucks are supposed to be routinely checked to see if they are up to code. It’s not just the law it’s about safety.

3. Being responsible - It is important for all drivers to realize that they need to stay professional and responsible while on the road. Hence, under no circumstance they should drive under the effects of alcohol or drugs or engage in any road rage.

4. Following the speed limit - There are speed limits for a reason. Each and every driver must follow the speed limits. It can surely prevent many dangerous incidents. Just because there is a time limit to get the load from one place to another doesn’t mean one should rush. The modest financial incentive to do things quicker should be outweighed by the greater financial and psychological burden of causing an accident and a permanent truck injury to someone.

5. Tailgating – Always keep a proper distance away from the other vehicles which allows time to react in case something unexpected occurs.

What if someone meets a bad fate, and gets hit by a truck?

There are many rights in the law that gives you protection. To know and use these laws, you need an attorney by your side. To get reliable help after such an incident, you need to look for trucks accidents law firms immediately. There are certain things that need to be done to check for all available coverage and insurance, make sure you are receiving medical attention and deal with mounting medical bills. Also, sometimes you need an expert right away to inspect the truck and the scene of the accident.

Find a lawyer who could understand your situation, and could assist you with appropriate advice and compensation after an accident involving a truck. Apart from medical bills, lost salary and insurance claims, there are many different damages a lawyer can seek on your behalf.

Friday, August 1, 2014

How A Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help You

Safety should be the first and highest priority of every truck driver on road. They should stay alert and focused whenever they are behind the wheel, but when they do not follow these measures, accidents can and will happen.

Whenever a truck accident takes place, it poses more threats of physical injuries (even death) as compared to any other accident. The main reason behind this is the momentum and heavy weight of these large massed vehicles. The heavier the mass, the harder it is to stop and thus a crash leaves a far worse effect on the sufferer than other accidents.

A truck accident does not just bring physical injuries, but can also lead to financial crisis for the victim, as they will have to bear all the medical bills and cannot attend to their work until they recover completely. Things can get even worst in few accidents, where the driver of the other vehicle has a permanent disability as a result of the hard impact.

In case you or anyone you know has been through such a misfortune, you should consult a truck accident injury lawyer and seek legal help. It is a way to hold accountable the culprits responsible for the accident and obtain some modicum of justice. An experienced lawyer can do a detailed investigation, collect all the required evidences, and build a strong case for you. If everything is done properly, generally you will receive an appropriate compensation that will cover all the medial bills you have paid, and also compensate you for the days you could not go to work and for your pain and suffering and other damages. In case the victim is the earning member of the family, and if he has endured permanent disability, suitable compensation may be obtained to ask for loss of income.

Lawyers at truck accident law firms understand the pain of truck accident victims and that is why they try to recover considerable compensation commensurate with the injuries. The lawyers do not charge a fee up front and are only paid if they win your case. They spend their time and money investigating the lawsuit and if for some reason the case loses you don’t owe a dime. There’s no downside to consulting with an accident lawyer who handles these cases as the call is free and confidential. The sooner you obtain counsel, generally the better the chances are for your case since your counsel can work on obtaining and preserving evidence before it is destroyed.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Truck Accident Lawyers– Helping The Injured Obtain Compensation!

The difference between the size of a truck and that of other motor and passenger vehicles is relatively huge, which is why when a normal vehicle collides with a truck the outcome may be fatal. Even in cases where passengers are able to live, they often end up sustaining lifelong injuries and disabilities that require lifelong medical supervision, monitoring and treatment. Those injuries take away their ability to live a normal life ever again, may impact their quality of life and may disable them from ever gaining meaningful employment in the future.

If you or someone you know happens to be a victim of a truck accident, you should know that you should examine whether you are entitled to receive financial compensation, especially if the mishap happened due to a truck driver’s mistake or due to some technical failure in the truck itself.

When such accidents happen, most of the fatal injuries are caused to people driving the other vehicle. That is when the truck collides with the car, the massive truck wins. With injuries there are no human winners through and the cost of the accident is never fully compensable.

This is why there are strict regulations that set out rules regarding speed limit, weight route, truck size, transporting hazardous material and the amount of the material being supplied, as well as work laws related to repair and maintenance.

If a trucking company, owner of trucks, or truck driver is found guilty of not complying with any of these laws, and if their mistake is deemed as the cause of accident, one of these parties may have to compensate the victim. Sometimes, it requires aggressive lawyering for a party to come to terms with the fact that they are at fault.

But to receive compensation, legal help is recommended and usually required, so consulting experienced trucking accident lawyers is always advisable. Legal help should be hired as soon as possible after the mishap so that immediate action could be taken against the wrongdoers and the sufferer could examine the path to receive the compensation they deserve.

As a plaintiff, you can sue any of the parties who caused the accident to happen. Those parties can include the driver, owner, or the trucking firm, as well as manufacturer of the truck or its parts. You can also sue the loader or shipper of the truck, and insurance carrier for the trailer, if they are found guilty. A quality attorney will help preserve all the evidence early, identify the proper parties to hail into court and formulate strategy for you to obtain the maximum relief you may be entitled to.

Monday, June 23, 2014

What Options Do Truck Accident Victims Have?

There are many perils on the roads that impose serious concerns to the safety of the drivers. Bumpy, uneven, narrows roads, poorly lit roads and harsh weather conditions make it more difficult for people to commute. Heavy vehicles like trucks, semi-trucks, and big rigs are equally dangerous.

In case of accidents, trucks can cause a significant amount of damage, considering their massive size. Accidents are always unfortunate; even if they are minor, but if they are caused by these gigantic vehicles, chances are high, the victims are going to suffer for substantially longer period.

There are strict laws and regulations regarding the amount of load allowed to be carried on trucks and other safety measures and rules that truck drivers must abide by.

Despite all the laws, some people fail to take those rules seriously and end up risking other people’s safety. Or they have competing interests, such as safety versus their time to have to deliver a load, or have driven too many miles and have road hypnosis, or their truck is poorly maintained.

When a collision happens between a truck and any other automobile, due to physics regarding speed and weight and density, the trucks generally seem to endure much less damage, while the other party goes may suffer immeasurable amounts of pain and suffering and a permanent truck injury.

Let us take a look at why road accidents happen, especially ones involving trucks. Over speeding is the number one reason for truck accidents. There are specific rules regarding speed limits for these vehicles, but some drivers do not seem to consider those limits seriously. Tailgating and frequent lane changing are other reasons.

If a speeding truck collides with another vehicle, it will cause much more damage, than the damage caused by a slow moving truck. If a truck is tailgating it will have less time to stop or react to unpredictable road conditions.

Truck overloading is another factor. Carrier trucks meant for transporting heavy industrial raw materials must make sure not to overload it to a limit, where the material starts to protrude and flow out, because that is going to jeopardize road safety protocols. Also, the heavier the load, the harder to stop, and the bigger the burst upon impact.

Other factors responsible for road mishaps are equipment failure, poor visibility, driving at night, tailgating, overstressed drivers, attending a phone call while driving, adverse weather, highway hypnosis, and lack of knowledge about the route.

Regardless of the reason, it all boils down to the driver and he is the sole person responsible for driving safely and maintaining the safety of the truck. It is the sheer negligence that makes people meet with road accidents, resulting in ongoing suffering of physical, emotional, and on a financial front.

If any of your loved ones are going through pain due to a truck accident, you should speak with trucking accident lawyers, to discuss your options.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Don’t Let A Truck Accident Kill Your Rights! Get Legal Help!

All kind of road accidents are unfortunate, but the ones in which one of the vehicles involved are commercial vehicles like a truck are considered the most disastrous generally because of their size. A truck accident can be life altering, as there are possibilities of people sustaining severe injuries, which can leave them physically disabled or even result in death or permanent incapiciation.

Apart from the physical loss, people also endure emotional and mental trauma for years. In case of such an incident, the injured person can take years to recover physically. The financial burden due to endless medical expenses that comes along can create havoc for the victim’s family.

The victims go through considerable financial loss, and may even lose their ability to work due to a permanent physical disability. Although in some cases physical disabilities are temporary, which last for months and sometimes years, but in other cases the disability could be permanent, and the victim may never be able to return to work.

There are different reasons behind the occurrence of trucks accidents. It can be due to negligent driving, speeding, improper maintenance of the vehicle, poor road conditions, tailgating or driving without paying attention. Most of the times, it has been seen that truck accidents happen due to the negligence of the driver, or the owner of the trucking company cutting corners and keeping the truck in disrepair.

Since every truck accident claim is different, a lwsuit can be filed against the employer or truck driver as well, depending on the details of accident. All these details of the lawsuit and its legal aspects are best handled by truck accident lawyers who would fight for the rights of people affected by accident and know how to navigate through the complicated legal system and the labyrinth of insurance.

Although it is not possible to undo what happened, the injured has legal rights to demand financial compensation by the truck owner or by the party whose negligence caused the incident to happen. For that, one must consult with one of the accomplished truck accidents law firms to file a lawsuit.

If you know anyone who went through such unfortunate accident, ask them to speak with an attorney to consider whether filing a case can be instrumental in obtaining compensation to help them get adequate finances to cover medical expenses. Different types of compensation can be sought, such as loss of wages, pain and suffering, permanency of injury, etc. and it’s best to speak with an accomplished attorney to maximum your possible recovery and to candidly discuss what the likely results will be.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Is The Highway The Most Dangerous Place In The World, Today?


The numbers of road accidents are increasing by the day, and there does not seem to by any kind of resolution in the near future.
With an increase in the population, the numbers of vehicles are bound to increase, and as the roads are busier with traffic, collisions, chaos, and confusion become more frequent.
The sad part is that in a time when the need for people to put forth their most responsible side on the road becomes more glaring than ever, they are actually becoming more aggressive and cases of road rage, rash driving and law breaching go higher.
Trucks, buses and other heavy duty vehicles are the most dangerous of all, and even the slightest collision with them can potentially result in loss of life and property.
It is not uncommon to observe truck drivers working late shifts to make extra money. What they don’t realize is that the road demands their full attention at all times, and in that fatigued state of mind, it’s nearly impossible to lend the same to the road. As a result, they become prone to accidents, transforming the highway into nothing more than the most dangerous place in the world.
Overloading is another example of irresponsibility on part of truck drivers that try to heap more goods than what their trucks are built for and legally allowed to carry. As a consequence, they become more prone to go off balance and skid into the near vehicles.
It has to be pointed out, that any accident that involves heavy vehicles is bound to lead into a series of collision, meaning the threat to life and property increases manifold compared to a relatively smaller vehicle such as a car.
Other reasons behind truck accidents include faulty equipment, over speeding and using cell phones while driving.
If you’ve suffered from mental, bodily or monetary losses due to the negligence of a truck driver you may have the right to sue them for compensation, and you can even use the help of truck accidents law firms to guide you with the proceedings.
But, more significantly, always bear in mind that your life is the most important thing, and putting it in risk is not worth saving a few minutes to reach from point A to point B or getting back at someone else on the road.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Safety Tips For Driving On Highways


The most tragic part of road accidents is that some are completely avoidable. There is no need to risk a life altering event if one employs the correct precautions. Taking the right steps may significantly reduce the risk of having a critical trucking accident or other catastrophic event.
The level of auto mobile traffic on highways and express ways is extremely high, and a single crash can trigger a chain reaction of collisions. That is why, you must be as careful as possible on a busy road. It is a matter of your own safety and of those around you.
Bearing the following pointers in mind should help:
Use cruise control: The sheer number of advantages of using cruise control should be enough to compel you to do it. You won’t get carried away if a brash road raging idiot passes by. You save on gas. You maintain a constant speed, which amounts to a smooth driving flow. You can’t exceed the speed limit, so the police shouldn’t bother you. You won’t switch lanes unnecessarily as merging often times requires acceleration, first.
Merge only when you need to- As mentioned in the previous point, the right way to merge is by accelerating first to match your speed with the traffic. Be careful while shifting lanes and try not to do it unless needed.
Maintain a certain distance between your car and other vehicles. Tailgating is a major reason why accidents occur. The more distance between vehicles the more time you will have to react to any adverse road conditions.
Be well rested, wear a seat belt and use your blinkers - Being well rested is important as busy roads demand attention. If you’re too tired, you won’t be able to concentrate when you should be alert. Seat belts are necessary for obvious reasons, and always prefer to drive with a friend on long routs, so you can take turns for driving. If you’re travelling alone, take a handful of stops and stretch and get some fresh air.
Be wary of trucks - Because of their weight and speed, trucks carry a great deal of momentum. A collision with a truck is bound to have devastating consequence, which may result in monetary loss in the form of the cost incurred for repair work of the car, and more pointedly, may result in severe injuries and possible death. If such an event occurs, trucking accident lawyers can help you fight your battles and may get you due compensation.
Plan your route ahead of time. Highways are busy roads and you won’t have all the time in the world to think, before making crucial turns and judgments. Using a GPS, or knowing your route ahead of time will help you stay focused on what you’re doing rather than worry about that you don’t know where you’re going.