Pittsburgh Truck Accident Lawyers
Trucks and trailers have massive weight and size and anything they collide with does not stand a chance of getting unharmed. The momentum of a moving truck and its sheer size and weight make trucking accidents always catastrophic in that they often result in personal injuries and deaths.
One out of every eight fatalities in automotive accidents are large trucks like tractor-trailers, big rigs, and other commercial vehicles. And four percent of all the injuries sustained in motor accidents are affected by large trucks. When a commercial truck is engaged in an accident, 86 percent of the injuries and 77 percent of the injuries involve the passengers and drivers of the smaller cars.
There has been a significant increase in the number of vehicular accidents since 1992 and the number of accidents involving trucks is steadily rising too because there is not much improvement in the safety regulations on driving safely. With the size of the trucks and the number of hours that the drivers have on the road, it’s no wonder that the statistics about truck accidents will not improve for the better.
Truck Accident Lawsuits
Cases involving trucking accidents are more complicated than cases involving motor accidents. This happens when a person has sustained an injury because of the driver’s impaired or distracted driving, there was a violation, and other forms of negligence. In these lawsuits, the victims can get money for their treatment costs because of the injuries they sustained in the crash, ongoing expenses for physical therapy, and the loss of income because of the disability.
After the accident, the victims are not only injured but are left scared, traumatized and confused. When you or any of your loved ones are involved in a truck accident, you not only have the rights but also the help available to you. All you need is to get an aggressive and acclaimed Pittsburgh truck accident attorney to represent you.
Who Needs a Truck Accident Attorney?
In the US there are more than 4,100 people who have died from trucking accidents in 2017 and the number is increasing each year. Sadly, the people who are more at risk in truck accidents are the ones who are driving smaller vehicles like motorcycles and passenger cars. Even if these drivers are practicing safe driving, their passengers can be victims of truck accidents because the truck driver is not paying attention, is distracted, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
After a truck accident, the expenses can be insurmountable because of the medical bills, lost income, vehicle repairs, and many other expenses that resulted from the crash. The victim can ease the stress by filing a truck accident lawsuit and winning the compensation can help them pay for the accumulated costs.
When you are involved in accidents that involve tractor-trailers, big rigs, 18-wheeler trucks, and other commercial trucks that lead to most of the devastating injuries because of the impact of the sizes and weight of these vehicles.
It can lead to serious injuries like spinal and brain trauma, disfigurement, or loss of a limb that can lead to lifetime medical issues like permanent disability. If you or any of your family member is injured because of the truck driver’s negligence, you should take a legal course of action right away.
What are the Causes of Truck Accidents?
The most common causes of truck accidents can be any if the following:
- Bald or defective tires
- Overloaded trucks
- Failure to properly secure cargo
- Driving for too long
- Driver fatigue
- Driving with impaired
- Texting while driving
- Reckless driving
- Improper or unsafe lane changes
- Speeding
What are the Legal Requirements of Truck Drivers
Truck drivers are considered professionals who must hold high standards of conduct while they are on the job. Because they have to log many hours on the road and operate massive vehicles that can cause damage to other vehicles.
Truck drivers and their companies are required to follow strict guidelines that are put in place to improve the safety of the highways. The federal law requires the truck owners and their drivers to regularly maintain their vehicles, and prevent the drivers from driving while fatigued or intoxicated. Knowing the federal guidelines to follow is important in winning a truck accident lawsuit.
Gathering Evidence after the Truck Accident
In investigating a serious truck accident, time is very important. Many types of evidence can disappear as time passes by and some truck companies will do whatever they can to avoid or lessen the amount of compensation that they need to pay.
There are government agencies like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or FMCSA that have formulated rules that require trucking companies to preserve evidence from a truck accident for a certain duration. An experienced Pittsburgh truck accident attorney will do everything to preserve that important evidence and increase your chance of winning the case.
The evidence of the accident can be different for each situation, here are some of the most common types:
- Dispatch instructions
- Trip envelopes
- Bills of lading or the list of freight
- Cargo and load records
- Services records and truck records
- Documented hours of service
- Driving history
- License and qualifications of the drivers
- Electronic or black box data
- Video footage from dash cameras
- Skid or tire marks on the surface of the road
- Photos of the damaged vehicles
The Best Truck Accident Lawyers in Pittsburgh
When you are a victim of a truck accident, you need an attorney who will fight for your rights and work tirelessly to get you compensation for your suffering and pain. Most of the accidents are caused by mechanical error, human error, intoxication, or the company’s failure to follow the inspection standards for their trucks.
Regardless of the cause of the accident, you can rest assured that you have the legal counsel of an experienced attorney and truck accident lawyer so that you and your loved ones can find justice for the losses, injuries, and damages to property.
Working with an elite lawyer will help you navigate the difficult process of fighting legally against large trucking companies and their insurance firms while you are trying to recover from serious personal injuries and losses.