Large Truck Accidents
Large truck accidents are difficult to predict and injuries can range anywhere from scratches to death. The injured parties in Suffern organ damage, tissue damage, brain injuries, broken bones, or even Spine and Neck injuries, and many of these can be permanent. The good news is that the majority of large truck accidents, when the large truck driver is at fault, are covered by commercial accident policies that usually start out with coverage a minimum of $1,000,000.00.
It is estimated that by the year 2030, car accident this will be the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. In 2017 the death rate from large truck accidents reached its highest level in 29 years, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Traffic fatalities from big truck accidents and large commercial accidents actually Rose even though the overall fatality rate for vehicle crashes declined. An important note is that about 40% truck driver occupants who perished were not wearing safety belts. 32% of the people who died in big truck accidents were the truck driver. The other 72% were the other vehicle involved in accident. About one third of all large tractor-trailer Trucking accidents occurred on freeways or interstates. By far, local roadways accounted for the vast majority of crashes injuries and fatalities from large Truck accidents.
Many people do not know that some dual rear wheel pickup trucks, commonly called ‘duallies’, are commercial vehicles and must carry commercial vehicle accident coverage insurance. With the changing economy and the transport of Many Items such as cars and small Freight items that small businesses carry, the frequency of small large truck accidents has increased. These are generally vehicles that weigh anywhere from 10,000 to 14,000 lbs. Large over the road tractor trailers that haul Freight and generally exceed 26,000 must follow Federal Motor Carrier safety administration rules. Some of these smaller commercial vehicles are exempt from this. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires that all large commercial trucks to be insured. Large commercial trucks that haul freight must maintain between $750,000 and $5 million in insurance coverage at all times operation. Coverage amounts depend on what is being transported.
Large trucks or not able to see as well and have a much longer stopping distance than most smaller vehicle. The average passenger car can stop in about three hundred feet but a large tractor trailer usually needs more than 500 feet to come to a complete stop. These large trucks and large commercial vehicle accidents or sometimes due to the large amount of weight and energy involved, with tractor trailers weighing as much as 40 tons. There are about 16 million trucks on the road and that number is ever-increasing.
As with any other driver of vehicles, the human factor comes into account. As much as 5% of truckers have been found to be aggressive drivers, 7% were overly tired, 1% were sick or ill, 0.3% had been consuming alcohol, and .04% were under the influence of some kind of illegal drug or substance, as set out by one study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration fmcsa.dot.gov.
The top reasons for truck crashes are Tire problems/blowouts, being unfamiliar with the route, tire pressure, driver fatigue, and Driver aggression.
Large commercial accidents can be particularly deadly and carry much greater injuries than a normal car crash. Some of this is due to the nature and size of large commercial trucks. Some of this is caused by the actual Freight that is being transported by the large commercial during the large commercial truck accident. Injuries from large commercial trucking accidents can involved Burns to the body and the lungs, chemicals being hauled, or from a fire or ignition Source in the trucking crash.
Large Truck Accident Responsibility
As you might imagine, large Truck accidents are covered by large truck insurance companies. It is common for large trucks to carry much more data, including dash-mounted video cameras, and other sources of information that may Aid in your case. While the vast majority of truck drivers and trucking companies are responsible and comply with the law, there or those who do not comply with the law and who or negligent. Negligent truck accidents can be caused by things such as failing to obey traffic laws, driving for too long without rest, failure to monitor driver hours, overloading the truck, operating on narrow roadways where trucks are prohibited, and lack of trucking experience.
If you or a family member has been injured in a large truck accident, the responsibility may fall to not only the driver of the truck but also the owner of the truck, the company operating the truck, the company shipping the cargo, the company leasing the truck or the trailer, and my also include the manufacturer of the truck or the trailer if there’s some defect.
You may have questions as to what your large truck accident attorney may do for you. Your attorney will do his best to obtain all possible information from the truck and anyone involved. This includes Gathering photographs, business documents, report, data from the truck’s electronic control module (ECM) or ‘black box’, testing the driver for alcohol drugs or medical efficiencies, consult with reconstruction experts and police, look at and review medical records, and, of course, interview witnesses and you. The Wright Law Firm PC will not charge you a fee unless we win your case. We will evaluate your case 100% free. We will work off of a contingency agreement and only make a recovery if you make a recovery. We never advised depending only upon a police report or trying to handle a case with a large truck accident involved on your own. Large truck accidents can be complex.
Large truck driver the same duty of care to other drivers on Alabama roadways as any other driver. A large truck does not get a pass or a waiver for any laws. In fact, laws for large trucks and Commercial freight carriers are more strict, depending upon the load, weight, and cargo involved. There are a number of regulations that have to be in here too. Some Cargoes can only be shipped during daylight hours and others must have escorts.
If you have been injured in a large truck accident and have significant injuries, please call our firm to evaluate your case.
Please keep in mind that in about equation of your case can take a long time. A proper valuation can only be made after several weeks or months of looking at data, records, and medical information.
If you have been significantly injured you may be able to recover for pain and suffering, mental English, future medical expenses, multiple ages, most earning potential, loss of Consortium, and of course medical expenses and current lost wages.
In the tragic event of a death, the law firm can file and Alabama wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties who caused the injuries who caused the death to the party. Wrongful death lawsuits compensate The Heirs of the deceased person. Proceeds from a wrongful death lawsuit are not subject to claims of the deceased person’s estate, which might include medical bills, funeral costs and expenses, and debt the deceased person left behind. Wrongful death proceeds pass directly to the heirs. It would be necessary to open the estate of the deceased person. Other times the person who is involved in a large truck accident and is not at fault may suffer for the remainder of their life with pain, medical calls, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other costs associated with being disabled.