Truck Accidents
Each truck accident has its own complex set of circumstances to contend with, and the key to handling common types of truck cases is to focus on the actions and choices of the truck driver and company.
To successfully represent the victim of a truck accident you must first realize that collisions involving trucks are quite different than two-car collisions. The vehicles are different--because semi-trucks are so massive, they can be extremely unwieldy. Some features unique to trucks and truck accidents are:
• Tank bodies or tankers: Different types of trailers add variables that can greatly affect a truck's maneuverability. For example, a tanker may get pushed or swayed by the sloshing of the liquid it carries. Although a tank with baffles (internal dividers) may reduce this, certain tankers, such as milk carriers, cannot have baffles due to health regulations, and the danger of rollover increases with a partially full tanker.
• Stopping Distance: Another difference to consider between cars and big rigs is the length of the distance it takes each to stop. With size comes momentum and a much more difficult time stopping quickly--while an average car moving at 65 miles per hour is able to stop in approximately 162 feet, it takes a semi-truck about 420 feet.
• Bobtails and empty trailers: Perhaps surprisingly, both bobtails (trucks not hauling a trailer) and empty trucks require greater stopping distances than loaded trucks because an empty vehicle has less traction--the brakes, tires, springs, and shock absorbers on heavy trucks are designed to operate most efficiently when the trailer is fully loaded. This is compounded by the fact that trucks roll over much more easily than other vehicles because of their high center of gravity. Simply hitting a curb or turning too sharply on a slope is often enough to make them trip.
• The brake system and jack-knifing: Tractor-trailers and cars contain completely different brake systems. The air brakes installed in tractor-trailers can be mysterious to those who have not had first hand experience with them. In an air brake system, pressure is used to increase the braking force, and the compressed air can multiply the force of mechanical braking several times. Proper use of the air brakes can help keep a truck from sliding and jack-knifing. For example, if the steering axle brakes lock up, the truck still moves forward despite the angle of the wheels, and if the drive axle brakes are locked, the truck can jack-knife. The trailer will swing out to the side if trailer axle brakes lock up. Truckers also have to be cautious while driving downhill long distances, as their brakes can overheat and fail. An unbalanced brake system can play an integral role in a crash--it can affect the steering, control, and the stopping distance of the vehicle.
A truck driver is a professional driver charged morally and under the federal regulation with a heightened sense of responsibility for public safety. While it may be instinctual to blame the truck driver, also keep in mind that many times he is simply following company expectations of meeting deadlines or just-in-time promises to vendors.
The most efficient way to initiate a truck accident investigation is to consider basic questions: who, what, where, when, how--and, most importantly--why. In cases where it is most likely that the truck driver is at fault, an investigation should target the truck itself and whether or not it has been consistently inspected and maintained properly, what actually caused the accident and the various underlying reasons why the accident happened in the first place. Our offices seek to describe and discuss a few of the most effective ways our offices can collect information in order to successfully litigate the client's case, including the proper way to preserve and obtain evidence, how the advancement of engine control module technology is currently revolutionizing discovery in truck accident litigation, the analysis of truck company policies and procedures, and why expert testimony is mandatory.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a trucking accident please contact our office today for a free case evaluation.
To successfully represent the victim of a truck accident you must first realize that collisions involving trucks are quite different than two-car collisions. The vehicles are different--because semi-trucks are so massive, they can be extremely unwieldy. Some features unique to trucks and truck accidents are:
• Tank bodies or tankers: Different types of trailers add variables that can greatly affect a truck's maneuverability. For example, a tanker may get pushed or swayed by the sloshing of the liquid it carries. Although a tank with baffles (internal dividers) may reduce this, certain tankers, such as milk carriers, cannot have baffles due to health regulations, and the danger of rollover increases with a partially full tanker.
• Stopping Distance: Another difference to consider between cars and big rigs is the length of the distance it takes each to stop. With size comes momentum and a much more difficult time stopping quickly--while an average car moving at 65 miles per hour is able to stop in approximately 162 feet, it takes a semi-truck about 420 feet.
• Bobtails and empty trailers: Perhaps surprisingly, both bobtails (trucks not hauling a trailer) and empty trucks require greater stopping distances than loaded trucks because an empty vehicle has less traction--the brakes, tires, springs, and shock absorbers on heavy trucks are designed to operate most efficiently when the trailer is fully loaded. This is compounded by the fact that trucks roll over much more easily than other vehicles because of their high center of gravity. Simply hitting a curb or turning too sharply on a slope is often enough to make them trip.
• The brake system and jack-knifing: Tractor-trailers and cars contain completely different brake systems. The air brakes installed in tractor-trailers can be mysterious to those who have not had first hand experience with them. In an air brake system, pressure is used to increase the braking force, and the compressed air can multiply the force of mechanical braking several times. Proper use of the air brakes can help keep a truck from sliding and jack-knifing. For example, if the steering axle brakes lock up, the truck still moves forward despite the angle of the wheels, and if the drive axle brakes are locked, the truck can jack-knife. The trailer will swing out to the side if trailer axle brakes lock up. Truckers also have to be cautious while driving downhill long distances, as their brakes can overheat and fail. An unbalanced brake system can play an integral role in a crash--it can affect the steering, control, and the stopping distance of the vehicle.
A truck driver is a professional driver charged morally and under the federal regulation with a heightened sense of responsibility for public safety. While it may be instinctual to blame the truck driver, also keep in mind that many times he is simply following company expectations of meeting deadlines or just-in-time promises to vendors.
The most efficient way to initiate a truck accident investigation is to consider basic questions: who, what, where, when, how--and, most importantly--why. In cases where it is most likely that the truck driver is at fault, an investigation should target the truck itself and whether or not it has been consistently inspected and maintained properly, what actually caused the accident and the various underlying reasons why the accident happened in the first place. Our offices seek to describe and discuss a few of the most effective ways our offices can collect information in order to successfully litigate the client's case, including the proper way to preserve and obtain evidence, how the advancement of engine control module technology is currently revolutionizing discovery in truck accident litigation, the analysis of truck company policies and procedures, and why expert testimony is mandatory.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a trucking accident please contact our office today for a free case evaluation.