Semitruck crashes can lead to significant injuries for the victims. Unfortunately, those injuries can lead to lifelong challenges, such as the loss of ability to work to cover your bills and the need for extensive medical care.
Seeking compensation is possible for some people who suffer an injury in a semitruck crash. Reputable truck accident lawyers can help you to determine if this is possible. One thing that has to be determined is what caused the crash. This enables them to determine who to name as defendants in the case.
What are Some Causes of Semitruck Crashes?
There are a host of causes of semitruck crashes. Some of these are the trucker’s fault. Those include factors such as impairment, distractions, or aggressive driving. In all of these cases, the trucker could have taken action to avoid having the problem.
One issue that comes up often in semitruck crashes is fatigue. While it’s easy to place the entire blame on the trucker, it might not be solely their fault. Truckers who work for companies are bound by the schedules for their loads. Trucking companies that set tight schedules for truckers can lead to the trucker trying to push through fatigue.
Trucking companies shouldn’t set schedules that are so tight that the truckers are forced to drive long hours. There are federal limits set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that are known as the Hours of Service that limit the maximum amount of time truckers can work per day. The rest periods between those shifts are also set.
Another issue that can lead to semitruck crashes is other drivers. When drivers dart in front of vehicles, they can lead the trucker to cause a crash because they’ll do what they can to avoid slamming into the car in front of them.
Improper maintenance and loading of the semitruck can also lead to crashes. For example, if the brakes aren’t working properly, the semitruck can’t stop. A hitch that’s not set correctly won’t secure the trailer to the rig. When cargo isn’t loaded properly, the trailer can become unstable or the cargo may fall off.
If you own a trucking company, you must be strict regarding your vehicle’s maintenance. Also, finding commercial auto insurance policies will assist you in coping with expenses caused by accidents.
How is the Defendant Determined?
Trucking crash personal injury lawsuits can have one or multiple defendants. You have to know the cause of the crash so you can determine who was negligent. These are the parties who may be named. For example, suppose a trucking crash is due to a fatigued trucker who was forced to try to push through being tired because of tight deadlines by the trucking company. In that case, the trucking company may be included in the lawsuit as a defendant.
Working with someone who’s familiar with these cases and the regulations pertaining to truckers is beneficial because you don’t have to waste time trying to learn about those. Instead, they can handle the legal aspects of your case while you focus on healing.
All states have time limits on how long you have to file these claims. Be sure you get started on your case quickly so that time doesn’t expire before you act.
