An accident with a large truck can have extremely dangerous consequences, ranging from severe injuries to wrongful death. Due to the size of the truck, the passengers in a smaller vehicle are at high risk of serious injury. In addition to the normal side blind spots, a truck driver is not able to see vehicles directly behind the truck and right in front of the truck. Truckers also are under heavy time demands and may operate their vehicles past the point of being able to safely drive, even when restricted by federal regulations.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of an accident with a commercial truck, it is crucial that you contact an attorney immediately. Sharing the highway with a large truck is extremely dangerous. The driver’s condition is unknown; they could be fatigued, drunk, or aggressive, or may not consider that they should travel at a safe speed. Their vehicle could have been improperly loaded, or the maintenance on the truck is overdue, and important safety systems in bad repair, including brakes.
It is very important that you maintain adequate distance as the danger posed by these vehicles is extreme. A truck’s wide turning radius is a common cause for deadly truck accidents, including underride accidents in which the other vehicle is crushed underneath the truck when the truck changes lanes or turns. The number of serious truck accidents that take place throughout our area is shocking; there are frequently multiple fatalities or permanent injuries when large commercial trucks are out of control.
No matter whether your case involves a tired driver, truck operator that was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or one who was violating federal safety regulations, our legal team has the experience you will need to recover damages. We have recovered millions from large insurance companies, and will fight for you and your right to compensation.
HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A COMMERCIAL TRUCK?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were over 500 people killed in traffic crashes involving large trucks in 2010 with over 20,000 people sustaining serious injuries – an eighteen percent increase in injuries from the previous year. Unfortunately, most people killed in large truck accidents are the occupants of other vehicles – accounting for 2,700 fatalities in 2010, while only 500 truck occupants of the trucks were killed in the same year.
There are countless factors which can attribute to these disastrous accidents. One of the most prevalent, however, is that of a tired or fatigued driver behind the wheel. Commercial drivers are asked to meet incredibly difficult deadlines, which will often cause them to drive beyond their physical limits. Under federal law, commercial drivers are legally required to meet certain hours-of-service (HOS). This means, that they are required to drive for certain periods of time, with specified amounts of rest.
For example, drivers who are carrying property in their trucks are only permitted to drive for a maximum of 11 hours after they have had 10 hours consecutively off-duty. In 7/8 consecutive days, a driver is not permitted to be driving for longer than 60/70 hours. This consecutive day period may be restarted after the driver has taken a consecutive 34 hours or more off duty.
Unfortunately, drivers do not always adhere to these laws. Many have been known to fudge their logbooks – keeping a real one hidden and then having a fake one that they show to any law enforcement officers who ask for it. This can lead to exhausted drivers on the road. This means that drivers are nodding off and are unable to react in a proper amount of time. Fatigued drivers can be the cause of catastrophic accidents – leading to severe and even life-threatening injuries.
HOWARD, MORRISON, ROSS AND WHELAN CAN HELP
The attorneys at Howard, Morrison, Ross and Whelan, with their 120 years of combined experience can help you simplify your case and win. Our firm has won the title of Best Lawyers in America from 1993-2011. We have helped our clients realize millions in damages. Commercial insurance companies will try to reduce their liability. We are here to fight for you against these big insurance companies. We will pursue justice and the settlement you truly deserve.