Nearly 500,000 large vehicles (known as tractor trailers or “semi-finished products”) participate each year in the United States. Approximately 5,000 of these collisions are fatal and more than 100,000 result in serious injury. In fact, one in every eight road accidents is caused by an accident involving a large truck.
Unsurprisingly, most of the deaths and personal injuries involve passengers in vehicles hit by tractor-trailers. Truck drivers usually avoid the unharmed. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of people who die in these types of accidents are people in small cars.
Many technical factors can lead to truck accidents and it is for this reason that these requirements make claims against injury lawyers who have extensive experience with trucks.
Some of the most common causes are listed below:
- Driver fatigue
- Improper driver training and experience
- Driver’s use of drugs and alcohol
- Unsafe equipment
- Improper service
- Wrong size, weight and loading
- Lack of adherence to federal laws and regulations of cargo transportation
- Road and environmental conditions
- Speed and incorrectly adjusted brakes
- Cell phone use and texting
- Wrong reaction to the situation
What are the federal laws governing tractor-trailer drivers?
A commercial motor carrier is a person who drives a vehicle on government lines when the vehicle: (1) weighs 10,001 pounds or more; (2) has a gross vehicle weight or gross weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more; (3) designed or used to carry 16 or more passengers (including the driver) for no compensation; (4) is designed to carry 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation; or (5) transports hazardous materials in quantities requiring posters.
Hours of Operation
Operational vehicle drivers are allowed to drive up to 11 hours a day with a limitation of the working day 14. The maximum working week is 70 hours; however, those who reach a maximum of 70 hours of driving in a week can resume driving if they rest for 34 hours for several hours. Drivers must take a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of a shift.
Drug Testing
Drivers are tested for the following drugs before starting work and after most road traffic accidents involving personal injury or death: marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, methamphetamines, and phencyclidine.
How to Choose a Car Accident Lawyer
First, determine if the attorneys you are considering review their practice in handling motor vehicle cases and have a record of successful litigation of similar cases. Many lawyers claim to have this experience, but are simply trying to settle cases quickly and are reluctant to be involved in litigation. Insurance companies usually know who these lawyers are and will try to offer less fair value.
Won more than 150 jury sentences for over $ 1 million each, totaling over $ 4 billion. We have been named “One of America’s Most Successful Law Firms” by the National Journal of Laws and listed in the Best Lawyers in America ; Super Lawyers, and Litigation Lawyers Hall of Fame.
What is the Cost of Hiring a Truck Accident Lawyer?
We provide completely free, confidential counseling, and if we are lucky enough to hire us, we will never charge you any fees or costs unless you recover first. This type of fee is known as a contingency fee.
The fees we charge range from 20% to 40% depending on the amount we refund for you. For a detailed discussion of costs and fees, click Fees and Expenses.
Whether we accept your particular case depends on the individual circumstances of each case. We guarantee you that we will take your call, provide you with a completely free consultation, discuss the facts of your case and tell you honestly and directly if we can help you. If not, we will try to get you to whoever can. We will also tell you what will be involved in your case, how long it will take to resolve, and the likely amount you will receive.
How long will it take to resolve my claim?
Cargo accidents can vary in duration from a few weeks to several years before they are settled or paid out in a jury trial. Every situation is different. We will need to analyze the facts of your individual case and then start investigating all the circumstances before we can give you a good assessment.
However, as a rule, you need to be prepared for this process to take one year in simple cases to 3-4 years in difficult cases. Illegal deaths usually take longer than personal injury. Good mark – 2 – 5 years depending on the difficulty.
