Types of Truck Accidents

Truck accident cases are complex and challenging. In most cases, trucking companies and insurers are extremely reluctant to pay an injured person an appropriate settlement even when liability is clear. They may search for ways in which an accident victim was to blame for an accident even when he or she is catastrophically injured. After a truck accident, it can be important to get an accident reconstruction expert out to the scene to determine the factors that contributed to the accident. Insurers may have one examining the scene within hours. You should retain an attorney who works with credible, authoritative experts in connection with accident reconstruction, as well as serious injuries. If you’re concerned about recovering damages after being injured in one of the different types of truck accidents in Upstate New York, you should choose an attorney wisely. Many truck accident victims have been well served by calling our seasoned Syracuse truck accident lawyers.

At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano, we are members of the prestigious Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums. Membership in these forums is reserved for only those who have secured million-dollar or multi-million-dollar verdicts. Fewer than 1% of the lawyers in America are members. Our lawyers work up cases carefully to determine the best available strategy to pursue damages for accident victims.

When fully loaded, semi-trucks can weigh more than 80,000 pounds. Many thousands of accidents causing personal injuries and deaths occur on country’s highways, byways, and interstates. While there may be multiple people in smaller vehicles injured, a truck driver may leave an accident without a scratch. Drivers rarely do well in crashes. A passenger car weighs thousands of pounds, while a completely loaded semi can weigh many thousands. When a driver travels 60 miles per hour, he or she can come to a stop in around 140 feet. A tractor-trailer traveling at the same rate needs at least 400 feet to stop.

Due to the potential devastation a truck accident can wreak, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) heavily regulates the trucking industry. These regulations cover inspections, hours of service, training, loading, and drug and alcohol abuse testing for interstate truck drivers. Even so, truck accidents are sometimes caused by a truck driver’s failure to abide by these regulations. For instance, a truck driver may cause an accident if he is too tired to drive due to violating the hours-of-service rules related to rest breaks. Or a truck driver may cause an accident because he failed to inspect the truck properly before heading out.

One type of truck accident is the underride accident. This accident occurs because a big rig’s trailer is elevated above most passenger vehicles. Another vehicle may rear-end or T-bone a tractor trailer and slip under it. Conversely, a truck driver may ride over a smaller vehicle in front of him or her in what’s called an override accident. Occupants of a passenger vehicle that are involved in an underride or override accident

Jackknife accidents may be the result of two or more vehicles being hitched together. Serious accidents can occur when a tractor loses control of a trailer. Jackknifing can occur for many different reasons including two or more vehicles hitched together, slick or icy roads, rapid breaking or speeding down a hill.

Rollovers can be caused by overloaded trailers, blowouts, runaway trucks, defects in braking systems, and trailers carrying unstable loads. Every situation is different. A company might be held accountable when an interstate truck jackknifes and rolls over, for instance, if it encouraged a driver to load cargo that weighs more than appropriate under federal regulations. If you make a claim for direct liability against not only the driver, but also the trucking company, you may need to demonstrate the company negligently hired, trained, or supervised the truck driver or that its maintenance was negligent.

Many tractor trailers use multiple braking systems that involve hydraulic brakes, air brakes, compression release brakes, and electric brakes. They can fail because of defective manufacturing, design or maintenance. When a big rig is gaining momentum down a hill, there may be many vehicles caught in its path. Occupants may face catastrophic or fatal injuries.

Various types of truck accidents can result in catastrophic or fatal injuries. We represent truck accident victims in Rochester, Auburn, Watertown, Oswego, Lowville, Wampsville, Canandaigua, Lyons, Ithaca, Cooperstown, Oneida, Utica, Herkimer, Binghamton, and Elmira. Complete our online form or call us at 833-200-2000.