Semi truck drivers are some of the safest drivers on the road. Most are professionals and have been driving for several years. However, occasionally you will run across a truck driver who is inexperienced or is driving in an unsafe manner. If you are involved in a collision with a tractor trailer driver then you may be able to collect damages from either the driver themselves or from the company that he or she works for because if you have an accident involving a semi truck, it is very likely that there will be extensive damage to your vehicle and possible serious injuries as a result.
Sometimes a trucking company will encourage a driver to continue to driver after he or she feels it is safe, or to skip the rest periods that are required by law. This can cause a fatigued driver and can make it dangerous for the other drivers on the road. Statistics on fatigued driving by semi-truck drivers say that the condition is responsible for around forty percent of trucking accidents, and sometimes companies will offer unofficial bonuses for the driver delivering ahead of schedule, so drivers have plenty of incentive to continue after they feel fatigue coming on.
Other contributing factors to trucking accidents include trucks that are overloaded and therefore unsafe on the road, speeding by the truck driver or other types of aggressive driving, or semi trucks that haven’t been properly maintained. This is true in both owner-operator rigs as well as trucks belonging to a trucking company. If these factors were the case when you collided with a semi truck then you may be able to hold the driver or the company that employs him or her at fault and be able to collect damages from one of them.
You’ll want to consult with an attorney as quickly as possible to determine if you have a case against the trucker or the company, as laws vary as to how long after an accident you can file a suit. In some states, Florida for instance, it can be as long as four years but it may be much shorter in other states. Also, there may be preparatory work that you’ll need to do. Your attorney can advise you on this as well and help you contact the right people to get your suit started.
An attorney is especially important in the case of an accident involved a tractor trailer because truck collisions are much more complicated than other types of vehicles often involving complex factors such as mechanical malfunctions, engineering flaws and other technical pieces, requiring that the accident reconstruction be done by a qualified professional that deals with trucks specifically. You’ll want to make sure that you choose an attorney that has some experience with truck collisions and knows how involved the case might be.
If you have been injured in a truck accident contact Wrongful Death & Personal Injury Lawyer Emery Brett Ledger at 800-300-0001.
