ARE YOU THE VICTIM OF A TRUCKING ACCIDENT?
A truck accident involving a tractor trailer, also known as an 18 wheeler or semi, can cause total devastation in a collision with a car. The reason is obvious. A massive truck can weigh more than 80,000 pounds and can be up to 75 feet in length. Considering these numbers, it is not at all surprising that truck accidents result in a greater number of serious or catastrophic injuries and deaths than other traffic accidents.
Trucking litigation can involve claims against negligent truck drivers, the companies who hire them as well as truck and truck part manufacturers. That's why the federal government strictly regulates the trucking industry with weight and length limits and rules for commercial licenses, how many hours in a day a truck driver can drive, drug or alcohol testing and strict maintenance and manufacturing standards. Even so, tens of thousands of trucking accidents occur each year, leaving victims in smaller and lighter passenger cars with severe and sometimes fatal injuries. Truck drivers themselves can also sustain serious or catastrophic injuries or death due to improper maintenance of their trucks or manufacturing defects.
When a tractor-trailer is driving in hazardous conditions, federal law requires the truck driver to use extreme caution. The extreme caution standard pre-empts, or supercedes, state law. The federal regulation is 49 Code of Federal Regulations Section 392.14. This regulation requires that:
The regulation requires truck drivers to reduce speed when these hazardous conditions exist and even requires a truck driver to stop driving if the driver can’t drive safely while those conditions exist.
Truck accident lawsuits tend to be far more complex than other vehicle accidents, so it is best to immediately consult with a truck accident lawyer who will look out for your best interests. Trucking companies and insurance adjusters immediately start defending the trucking companies after an accident from anticipated lawsuits, and they are quick to gather evidence and expert advice to deny you compensation.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a serious or catastrophic truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Our founding attorney, Ira M. Maurer has recovered millions of dollars for severely injured victims and families who have suffered the wrongful death of a loved one.
If you are a truck driver working for a national trucking company and you are seriously injured due to a defect in the truck, you may be able to successfully sue for damages beyond the wage and medical benefits provided by your state's workers' compensation system. This is because the workers' compensation laws only prevent you from suing your own employer, but don't block lawsuits against another company that owns the truck or companies that manufactured the truck or individually defective truck parts.
The Maurer Law Firm represents seriously injured victims of truck accidents across the United States. If you have been seriously injured or have lost a loved one in a truck accident, or are a lawyer seeking co-counsel, we welcome your inquires. To Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer, fill out our free WEB case review form, or phone us directly at (845) 896-LAWS (5297).
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