When cars and trucks collide, serious injuries can occur. Cars, in general, can easily become overwhelmed by the sheer weight, mass, and momentum of a large truck. If you have been injured in a truck accident, we want to hear your story and provide legal support for you.
In crashes involving semi-trucks and passenger vehicles, typically the auto driver and the auto passengers are the most seriously hurt. In some cases, a crash with a truck may lead to death, and that could turn into a wrongful death lawsuit.
Trucks are the backbone of our countrywide economy, and they help our industries transport goods from town to town, city to city. Professional truck drivers are often carefully vetted by transportation companies and carry insurance with these companies as well. They drive safely and responsibly, but accidents with vehicles still occur.
When commercial motor vehicles collide with autos, the force of the truck momentum into a car can create devastating injuries, massive property loss, and possible fatalities.
What’s worse is that insurance companies may not fully compensate you for expenses incurred in hospitalization and other medical costs from a dangerous truck accident.
Ben Crump Law can try to help recover damages from insurance companies, file a claim for wrongful death, and navigate the paperwork and calls from insurance companies involved with the crash.
You can turn to a Las Vegas truck accident lawyer after being hit by a large commercial truck. Call the Ben Crump Law, PLLC at (800) 630-9229 for an initial, no-fee consultation.
Driving Around Trucks
Due to their large size, weight, and speed, large commercial trucks are more equipped to deliver damage to cars, bicycles, and motorcycles.
Seeing an 18-wheeler veering in and out of the lane is not an invitation to get closer. Car drivers should stay far away from trucks that are speeding or showing signs of reckless driving.
Potential reasons for the average truck accident may involve:
- Blind Spot / Inability to See Cars: Because of the large size of the truck, the truck drivers often have limited visibility for small passenger vehicles on either side of the truck. Your car may be in the driver’s blind spot. And if the driver of the truck does not see you, the truck may move to switch lanes and crash your car unavoidably.
- Driving Directly in Front of a Truck: Drivers should not travel in front of a large commercial vehicle. Sometimes a truck gets so close to a car in front that the driver is unable to see the car. If a truck hits you in such a way, it can be devastating to the driver of the car and any passengers as well. Huge 18-wheeled trucks are unable to stop quickly to avoid such an accident.
- Overtired/Fatigued Drivers: As a car driver, you should know that many truck drivers out on the road are driving alongside you, having maybe driven for hours on end, and are becoming fatigued or overtired. When the truck driver’s senses are slow from exhaustion, crashes can happen more inconsequentially.
- Distracted Driving: Just like in cars, truck drivers can get distracted too. It may be a text message on the phone or something on the radio that causes a diversion in focusing on the road. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn against the unseen dangers of distracted driving. In this instance, a truck’s attention to the lane may become limited, and the truck can squeeze a car against an inner lane divider, possibly killing the driver.
A Las Vegas truck accident lawyer can be your support in a truck accident.
For a free legal consultation with a truck accidents lawyer serving Las Vegas, call (800) 630-9229
Liability in Trucking Accidents
Finding liability in trucking accidents is a complex and difficult task for personal injury legal teams. When car passengers have died or suffered serious personal injuries, some party needs to be held accountable. Finding the correct party responsible and holding that party accountable for damages is very important to potentially winning a legal battle.
When you have an accident involving a truck, liability may be found in a number of different parties. Here is just a shortlist of potentially liable parties:
- Company truck driver operator – As shown above, a company truck driver may be distracted by something and cause an accident. Or the driver may be simply fatigued and err on the highway, causing a multi-vehicle pileup. In these cases, the truck driver and the company that employs the driver would be held responsible for negligent driving in the case and could be held responsible for all the damages.
- Independent contractor – With commercial trucks, a driver may work independently on their own or through a third-party contractor outfit that supplies drivers to transportation companies. In these situations, the independent trucker may hold liability for the accident.
- Truck manufacturer – In other accidents, the truck driver may not be held liable for any part of the crash if the truck was found to have a serious equipment malfunction that contributed to the crash. For example, if the driver is traveling at 60 mph and there is a slowdown ahead, the driver may apply the brakes. If the brakes do not respond, and the emergency brake fails as well, the truck will likely slam into the cars ahead. In this type of situation, the driver can claim absolute no-fault due to a manufacturing defect.
- Truck owner – In another case, the actual truck owner may hold liability for a vehicle accident. The owner is likely to be seen as the party to keep the truck in safe, working condition. Thus, the truck owner had a responsibility for timely and accurate maintenance of the truck, according to federal guidelines and regulations.
Las Vegas Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (800) 630-9229
Work with a Truck Accident Lawyer
Complexity is the word for many trucking accident situations. That’s why the victim of a trucking incident usually seeks to hire a lawyer to help uncover evidence about who exactly was responsible for the accident. This may be done with a thorough investigation of finding eyewitnesses, uncovering past truck driver records, getting text message records from the truck driver’s phone, and more.
Your Las Vegas truck accident lawyer can be the support you need in a trucking accident. Contact Ben Crump Law, PLLC at (800) 630-9229 to speak about your legal options.
Call or text (800) 630-9229 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
