Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Truck Accident? A tractor-trailer crash often involves more than one responsible party. The driver, the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, the company that loaded the cargo and the manufacturer of a defective part can each play a role. Identifying every responsible party is an early job for a truck accident lawyer, because each party may carry its own insurance. The driver's conduct The starting point is usually the driver's
Hours of Service Violations in Tractor-Trailer Crash Claims
What a Truck Accident Lawyer Checks in a Driver's Logs When a tractor-trailer crash happens late in a long run, one of the first questions is whether the driver was within the federal hours-of-service limits. Fatigue leaves little physical trace at a crash scene, so the answer usually comes from records rather than the roadway. A tractor-trailer crash lawyer looking at one of these claims will usually compare the driver's logs with every other record of the trip. What th
Underride and Jackknife Crashes in Truck Accident Claims
Underride and Jackknife Crashes in Truck Accident Claims Underride and jackknife crashes are two tractor-trailer crash types that often cause severe injuries. In an underride crash, a smaller vehicle slides partly or fully under a trailer or truck body. In a jackknife, the tractor and trailer fold toward each other, often across several lanes. Each raises its own evidence questions for an 18-wheeler accident lawyer. How underride happens According to the Insurance Ins
Large Truck Crash Statistics: FMCSA and NHTSA Figures
Truck Accident Statistics From FMCSA and NHTSA Data National crash data shows how often large trucks are involved in serious crashes. The figures below come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and each one is tied to its data year. A tractor-trailer crash lawyer may cite figures like these for background, but statistics describe patterns across many crashes rather than what happened in
How Hours of Service Violations Can Shape a Truck Accident Claim
Driver Fatigue and Hours of Service Rules in Truck Accident Claims After a tractor-trailer crash on a long-haul route, one of the first questions is whether the driver had stayed inside the federal hours-of-service limits. Fatigue leaves little physical trace at a crash scene, so the answer usually comes from records rather than the roadway. A truck accident lawyer looking at one of these claims usually starts by comparing the driver's logs against every other record of the
How Trucking Companies and Insurers Handle Truck Accident Claims After a tractor-trailer crash, the injured person usually deals with an insurance company long before any courtroom. Trucking companies and their insurers tend to act quickly, and their early steps can shape the claim. Understanding these practices is one reason people talk with a truck accident attorney before giving statements or signing documents. Federal insurance minimums for trucking companies Mini
Evidence After a Car Crash: Police Reports and Dashcam Video
How Crash Reports and Dashcam Video Shape an Auto Accident Claim Evidence from a car crash starts to disappear within hours. Cars are towed and repaired, video is overwritten and witnesses become hard to reach. An auto accident lawyer typically starts with the police report and any photos or video, then the data stored in the vehicles. This article explains how each source fits into a claim. The crash report When officers respond to a crash, they usually prepare a cra
What to Expect From the Insurance Adjuster After a Car Crash
What to Expect From the Insurance Adjuster After a Car Crash Most people deal with an insurance adjuster long before a lawsuit is even a question. The adjuster's job is to evaluate the claim for the insurance company, and some common practices can lower what a claim is worth if they go unnoticed. Knowing what to expect is one reason people talk with a car accident lawyer before signing anything. Early calls from the adjuster An adjuster for the other driver may call w