Put Decades Of Litigation Experience On Your Side After A Commercial Trucking Accident
Many large commercial trucks fill Mississippi roadways as they travel throughout the state, delivering goods from place to place. When a large commercial truck crashes into a much smaller passenger car, the accident is likely to cause catastrophic injuries and sometimes even death to those involved. Accidents involving big trucks or semi trucks can happen in the blink of an eye, but the consequences often last a lifetime.
When seeking compensation, a skilled and experienced attorney on your side can make all the difference in the outcome of your case. Germany Law Firm PLLC has a long history of successfully helping victims in Mississippi who were injured in an accident that was caused by the careless, reckless, or negligent actions of another driver. Founder Bob Germany has been practicing personal injury law for many years and has a proven track record of success. Let us help you through this difficult and confusing time in your life.
Truck Accident Injuries Are Often Catastrophic
Because semi trucks are larger than other vehicles on the roadways, they tend to cause more severe injuries when they are involved in accidents. When truck accidents occur, they cause significant damage to whoever and whatever they collide with. The injuries sustained in these accidents are often more severe than those acquired in a car-on-car crash. Some of the most common injuries experienced in trucking accidents include:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Brain injuries
- Head injuries
- Amputations
- Seat belt injuries
- Burns and disfigurement
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries
- Lacerations
- Rib and torso injuries
A commercial truck carrying a fully loaded trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 lbs. When you compare that to the weight of a standard passenger vehicle that weighs in at approximately 3,000 lbs, you can understand why the injuries sustained in a wreck with one of these massive trucks can cause such catastrophic results.
Our attorney is one of the most experienced lawyers in Mississippi and has represented individuals and small businesses for more than forty years. His process for dealing with insurance companies following a truck accident is aggressive and successful. Unlike many truck accident attorneys, Mr. Germany will have open lines of communication throughout the entire process, ensuring that all of your questions are answered promptly. Our clients are a part of every decision made about their claim.
Most Common Causes Of 18-Wheeler Accidents
Every truck wreck is unique, but most crashes can be attributed to one of these three causes:
- The truck driver’s negligence
- The other driver’s inability to maneuver around a large commercial vehicle effectively
- Poorly maintained vehicles
Several factors can come into play when a truck accident takes place, including:
- Driver fatigue: Truck drivers spend extensive hours out on the road. Even though strict laws and regulations determine how long a driver can remain behind the wheel, we see drivers exceed their limits to meet a tight schedule. When drivers are tired, they can cause severe accidents that injure others.
- Defective or malfunctioning parts: Even though vendors and manufacturers offer features that they claim to be reliable, we continue to see innocent people harmed as a result of defects. Various mechanical defects can lead to truck accident claims. These include brake and tire trouble as well as accelerator jams.
- Distracted driving: Many truck accidents are caused by motorists who are distracted while behind the wheel. Taking your attention off the roadway for even a brief moment can lead to a life-changing trucking accident. Some typical circumstances surrounding distracted driving include lane drifting and rollovers caused by mental distractions.
- Tailgating: Semi-trucks and commercial trucks require a great deal of space to come to a complete stop. This is especially true when these massive vehicles are traveling at a high rate of speed. Unfortunately, there are many instances where truck drivers follow other vehicles too closely on the road. Drivers who mix speeding and tailgating can cause severe trucking accidents that result in significant injuries.
- Poor road conditions: Although commercial trucks are large and able to tackle some challenging terrains, poor road conditions continue to be a leading factor in causing truck accidents in Mississippi. Many accidents occur due to severely damaged roads, large potholes and other dangerous road conditions.
- Shifting cargo: When cargo companies fail to load trailers responsibly, it can result in cargo shifting and spilling out onto the roadway.
- Failure to adjust to bad weather conditions: Mississippi is no stranger to inclement weather, and navigating in wet and icy conditions can be incredibly challenging.
- Objects in the roadway: When things fly out onto the roadway, drivers may lose control of their vehicles while attempting to avoid crashing into them. Many truck accidents occur due to garbage, animals, rocks, branches and fallen trees.
- Blind spots: Trucks are much larger than other vehicles sharing the road. Conversely, they have much larger blind spots as well. When drivers attempt to shift lanes without checking their blind spots, they can cause accidents with smaller vehicles.
- Improper truck maneuvers: Truck drivers must act responsibly while behind the wheel. When drivers attempt to turn too sharply, drive under low bridges, or engage in improper maneuvers, they can cause rollover accidents and other collisions that leave victims severely injured.
- Impaired driving: Although it is illegal to operate a vehicle while impaired, truck drivers are held to a higher standard. Truck drivers in Mississippi must maintain a blood alcohol level below 0.04%. If they drive with a BAC above this level, they can cause a severe accident that results in injuries to those involved.
Following your accident, it is important to seek the guidance of an experienced truck accident attorney immediately. We have the resources to reconstruct, analyze and investigate large truck collisions. We know and understand all the Mississippi laws on trucking employment laws, Department of Transportation regulations, and the Federal Motor Carrier Association guidelines.
Determining Liability After A Truck Crash
Following a truck accident, you will most likely struggle to overcome painful injuries. Going through extensive medical treatment can be extremely costly. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your accident, there are various parties against whom you can pursue personal injury cases to seek compensation for your losses and damages. Examples include:
- Truck drivers: A truck driver can be directly liable for an accident if they engaged in a negligent act while behind the wheel.
- Trucking companies: A trucking company is responsible for trucks and their drivers. This includes engaging in responsible hiring practices and training workers correctly. When companies hire unqualified drivers, they can be held liable for any resulting accidents.
- Cargo companies: Several carriers work as contractors to ship cargo for larger truck companies. Cargo companies are responsible for scheduling the shipments, loading the products, and ensuring that all federal and state regulations are applied. A cargo company can be held accountable if there is a cargo shift, overloading, or another problem.
- The truck owner: Like the trucking company, if a person lends a truck to a driver who is unqualified to operate the vehicle, they can be held liable for any injuries or damages caused by a crash.
- Manufacturers of truck parts: There are instances where malfunctioning parts cause truck accidents. When truck components fail, such as tire blowouts, accelerator jams, or even brake fails, it can make it nearly impossible for drivers to maintain control over their vehicles. The component manufacturer can be held accountable if a truck accident occurs due to a defective part.
- Vendors that service the vehicles: Depending on the size of the trucking company, there may be one or more vendors responsible for the maintenance and inspection of the vehicles. When inspectors engage in careless maintenance techniques, they increase the risk of serious accidents.
- Local government or contractors: If a hazardous roadway was the cause of a truck accident, the government or contractor that created and maintained the road can be held responsible for any resulting injuries and damages.
If you have been involved in a truck accident, you will likely need an independent investigation to determine who should be held liable for your injuries and losses. Our team has decades of experience investigating and litigating all types of commercial vehicle accidents for injured parties and families across the state of Mississippi.
Common Truck Crash Scenarios
There are various types of truck accidents that we see take place across our state, including:
- Head-on collisions: This type of accident occurs when a truck driver is involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle. These crashes often leave the victim with injuries that will last throughout their lives.
- Jackknife accidents: Jackknifing indicates that the truck’s trailer folds over at its hinge and creates an acute angle with the truck’s cab. The two most common reasons a semi truck is involved in this type of accident include severe braking and skidding.
- Underride accidents: This kind of crash involves a semi-truck that stops abruptly, causing smaller passenger vehicles or pickup trucks to slide under the semi’s trailer. These types of wrecks are some of the most deadly that involve large commercial vehicles.
- Truck rollovers: When a trucker loses control of their vehicle, it will often roll onto its side before it slides across the highway, taking innocent motorists with it.
- T-Bone crashes: This type of crash usually occurs when a trucker or a passenger car driver runs a red light or stop sign. This action can cause a T-bone accident that will end up causing a catastrophic collision that generally results in severe injury or death.
- Lost loads: When a truck’s freight or cargo is not loaded correctly or properly tied down onto a trailer, loads can shift or fall out of the trailer, causing grave danger to other motorists sharing the road with them.
- Rear-end collisions: The massive size and weight of these commercial trucks will cause a rear-end crash to be especially dangerous and violent. These wrecks usually involve significant property damage and catastrophic injuries that can result in death.
- Wide turn crashes: Also called swinging turns, these types of wide turns occur when the truck driver swings their truck left to maneuver a right turn. When doing that, the semi can make contact with other cars to the right, pinning them between the sidewalk and the trailer.
Our Mississippi truck accident lawyer will leave no stone unturned when it comes to investigating your accident and finding the necessary evidence that proves you were not at fault. This may include statements and testimony from witnesses and experts, police and crash reports, crash scene photos, medical documents and other records demonstrating your injuries and financial losses. Once we’ve collected the necessary evidence, we will be better suited to prevail with your claim.
We Have The Experience And Skill For Complex Litigation
Commercial truck accidents involve several factors that make them more complex than most other accidents. Many laws govern truck drivers, and several insurance companies are often involved when a truck accident claim is filed. Truck accident claims are almost always more complicated and will require the representation of a qualified and skilled personal injury attorney. One of these factors is how many people are injured in a truck collision. When a truck driver has to stop their vehicle suddenly, it often causes a chain-reaction crash. That means multiple passenger vehicles may slam into the back or side of the semi-truck, causing a severe multivehicle crash. The massive loads can shift in the impact and cause extensive property damage and serious injuries. Major insurance companies that will fight at all costs to avoid paying out to victims almost always boost truck companies over the needs of victims.
With our proven track record of million-dollar settlements for our truck accident victims, Germany Law Firm PLLC is here and ready to help you right now. Our Mississippi truck accident attorney will stand by your side every step of the claims process, and we fight to ensure your best interests are protected.
Get Started With A Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has been injured in an 18-wheeler crash, do not hesitate to find aggressive legal representation to ensure that your rights are protected. Our firm has served the Jackson, Mississippi, area for decades, and our track record of working with individuals on personal injury and wrongful death cases is superb. Contact Germany Law Firm PLLC by calling 601-812-5524 or reach out online for a no-cost consultation.