沃德黑人法律5 Legal Complications of a Tractor-Trailer Accident
An accident with a tractor trailer can turn your world upside down, 可能导致严重的伤害, 巨大的医疗费用, 汽车总损失, 还有工作时间. Or you may have even lost a loved one in a truck accident. Many victims of big truck accidents assume “it’s like a car wreck but worse,“没有意识到法律规定, 保险范围, and liability issues are much different for tractor trailers than cars.
Most people need an experienced truck accident attorney in order to successfully win a case and receive fair compensation. Here’s a short guide to the five reasons truck accidents are legally complicated.
1. There are more players involved and multiple people can be at fault.
不像车祸, where there are only two drivers who may be at fault, a number of companies or people can have had a part in causing a commercial truck wreck. Responsible parties in a tractor-trailer accident could include the:
- 卡车司机
- 货运公司
- 拥有货运的公司
- 装载卡车的人
- 货运/货物检查员
- 卡车维修公司
A thorough investigation of the accident facts as they relate to all these possible parties is necessary to create a solid legal case.
2. Federal laws and regulations govern tractor trailers and can help protect your rights.
Tractor trailers are regulated by an arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) called the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This body makes rules about the number of hours truckers can stay behind the wheel, 货物重量, and other regulations designed to promote safety. If a 货运公司 is found to be in violation of these rules, it can help to establish fault in the accident investigation.
3. Investigations of commercial truck accidents are more complex.
It’s not just the police and an insurance company investigating after a truck accident. The DOT requires that all commercial trucks are equipped with an electronic logging device (ELD) to record the number of hours a 卡车司机 is behind the wheel.
Driver fatigue has been cited as the primary factor in at least 13 percent of tractor trailer accidents. The required electronic logging device can show if a driver was on duty more hours than the limit set by the government.
除了, many big trucks today are equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR), 也被称为黑盒. This technology is similar to the black boxes found in airplanes, and it records more than the federally-required ELD device. An EDR often keeps data such as speed at the time of an accident, 急刹车和突然刹车, and the average speed of a driver over a period of time.
以防发生意外, trucking companies are required to share black box data with law enforcement agencies, 但不是事故受害者. 然而, skilled truck accident lawyers can often obtain this data through investigative or legal processes.
4. Most tractor trailers are owned by large companies that have extensive insurance policies.
Because truck accidents often involve large companies instead of individuals, there is a potential for an accident victim to receive a higher sum of money for fair compensation for their injuries, 要么通过和解，要么通过诉讼. 当然, these companies also have large insurance companies protecting their interests, which can quickly become overwhelming to deal with.
5. Trucking companies are often motivated to settle out of court.
Trucking companies and any insurance companies do not want to pay a settlement; however, they are often motivated to stay out of the courtroom and the glare of the media, motivating them to settle in order to avoid bad publicity.
What Are the First Steps You Should Take After a Tractor-Trailer Accident?
Learn what to do after a tractor-trailer accident. The attorneys at 沃德黑人法律 put together this website page to offer guidance on the first steps you should take after an accident as well as things to avoid, 问题要问, information about insurance company processes, 和更多的.
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You can work with the experienced truck accident attorneys at 沃德黑人法律 without paying any money out of your pocket. Our team has a strong track record of success in helping truck accident victims get fair compensation, and we will be happy to evaluate your case for free.
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Attorney 珍妮特沃德黑 is the principal owner of 沃德黑人法律 located in 格林斯博罗. It is one of the largest woman-owned law firms in our state. The firm’s clients have received settlements of more than $100 million over the last 10 years. 这家公司代理因工作受伤的人, 事故中, and by dangerous products and environmental hazards across North Carolina.