Trucking Accidents
Semi-Truck Accident Lawyers - Big Rig Injury Collisions
Highway safety is a concern to all Americans. Our firm focuses on trucking litigation cases and has successfully resolved numerous of these complex cases. Trucking litigation involves claims against negligent truck drivers and the companies who hire them. Collisions caused by the trucker's negligence often times leads to the most devastating and catastrophic injuries on the road.
The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith is committed to making highways safer by forcing the negligent truckers and their employers to take responsibility for their actions. With the number of semis on the highways exploding, so too are the number of cases involving injuries and damages caused by negligent truck drivers. We devote every resource necessary to bring about a fair recovery for the victims of trucker's negligence. The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith approaches these cases aggressively and relentlessly. We have a comprehensive understanding of the complicated issues and the Department of Transportation regulations that govern them. We work with the victims to make the industry aware of the problem and thus bring about increased road safety for all.
We prepare every case as though it will go to trial, even if most do not. We have state of the art resources available to assist our team of legal professionals. We can make a fast and accurate assessment of the issues facing our clients and determine the best way to recover compensation for the victims.
A high percentage of traffic crashes and deaths involve large trucks. A large truck is any truck whose vehicle weight is over 10,000 pounds. Because of their size, crashes involving large trucks are more likely to result in serious injury and death than are car crashes. Approximately 10% of all those injured in a large truck crash will die. Large trucks are more likely to be involved in multiple-vehicle crashes than are passenger cars. Both federal and state regulations govern trucking and cover areas such as safety of equipment and hours of the drivers. Trucking companies are required to keep records of such information and it will be necessary to find and research such records. Poor equipment and driver fatigue can be causes of such crashes. A careful study of the trucking company records may be needed to determine if negligence has occurred.
There are many types of truck accidents, including:
* Head on collisions
* Rear end collisions
* Broadside collisions
* Right hand squeeze collisions (when a driver attempts to pass truck on the right
hand side, not realizing the truck is making a wide right turn)
* Center line crossover or bump collisions
* Lane change collisions
* Stopped or slow-moving trucks causing rear-end collisions
* Jack-knifed trucks
* Vehicles sliding under trailers
* Loss of control of a vehicle, caused by large trucks
* Loss of control by truck driver
* Hit and Run
Trucking accidents are different from auto accidents in many ways, one of the most serious being the extent of damages and injuries when a truck and an auto collide. Because big rigs, 18 wheelers and tractor-trailers can weigh in excess of 80,000 pounds, a trucking collision can have deadly consequences.
There are unique laws and regulations that are designed specifically to protect motorists from the negligent actions of truck drivers and trucking companies. Federal and state regulations require truckers to have adequate rest to prevent driver fatigue on the highway. There are also other specific rules for trucks including proper loading of the materials the truck is carrying and safety rules on traveling speeds and safety when passing other vehicles. Many modern trucks have devices that allow for the reconstruction of trucker's actions just before an impact and all truckers are required to keep logs of their time.
What To Do If You're Involved In A Tractor Trailer Collision
If you are involved in a collision of any kind, the first and most important thing to do is call emergency response to request both medical and police assistance. Never leave the scene and it is best if you do not move your vehicle. If there are any disputes over the way the collision occurred, placement of the vehicles will often times assist the police and others in reconstructing the accident to determine exactly what happened. If you have a camera in your car, take pictures of the damage to the vehicles, and the position of the vehicles.
If you can, attempt to locate people who may have witnessed the collision. Get their name, address and telephone number. Additionally, exchange information with the other driver, such as insurance information and driver's license information. Be sure you know which police department investigates the collision (i.e. City Police, County Sheriff or State Patrol) so you know from whom to request the police report.
In almost every collision, there has been some trauma caused to your body. If an ambulance is offered, it is always best to go to the emergency room to be examined to ensure there are not any hidden or internal injuries. Many times, adrenaline or shock will mask symptoms that later appear and injuries can by lessened if they are treated right away. The emergency room doctors will also give you advice regarding follow up care.
Finding An Attorney
When deciding on an attorney, the yellow pages are not always your best bet. Instead of relying on the size of an advertisement, it is best to research the credentials of both the attorney and the firm. You will want to find an attorney who focuses on the area of law for which you are retaining them. For example, you wouldn't want your family law attorney trying to litigate a complex personal injury case. At the Law Offices of Edward A. Smith, we have a highly trained staff who do nothing except personal injury law. We have attorneys who litigate trucking accident cases and we aggressively pursue negligent truckers and those who employ them. We are committed to providing all the resources necessary to obtain fair settlements or trial verdicts for our clients.
The success of any serious large truck accident case requires the immediate retention of very aggressive personal injury attorneys such as The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith, who are highly experienced in successfully handling big rig truck accident cases.
The personal injury lawyers of The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith have handled all types of trucking accident, traffic accidents, automobile claims and wrongful death claims including objects falling off of trucks and vehicles onto the roadway, dangerous roadway design, negligent trucking companies and negligent roadway construction. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients.
Remember, personal injury law is a specialized area. You must hire an extremely aggressive law firm such as The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith to fight the insurance companies in order to level the playing field against the vast resources and manpower of the insurance companies.
Should you require assistance with a Trucking Injury, please contact us online or call us at 800-404-5400 to set up a FREE consultation. We have dealt with many Truck Accident cases and can be an invaluable resource for information and more importantly, assistance.
Highway safety is a concern to all Americans. Our firm focuses on trucking litigation cases and has successfully resolved numerous of these complex cases. Trucking litigation involves claims against negligent truck drivers and the companies who hire them. Collisions caused by the trucker's negligence often times leads to the most devastating and catastrophic injuries on the road.
The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith is committed to making highways safer by forcing the negligent truckers and their employers to take responsibility for their actions. With the number of semis on the highways exploding, so too are the number of cases involving injuries and damages caused by negligent truck drivers. We devote every resource necessary to bring about a fair recovery for the victims of trucker's negligence. The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith approaches these cases aggressively and relentlessly. We have a comprehensive understanding of the complicated issues and the Department of Transportation regulations that govern them. We work with the victims to make the industry aware of the problem and thus bring about increased road safety for all.
We prepare every case as though it will go to trial, even if most do not. We have state of the art resources available to assist our team of legal professionals. We can make a fast and accurate assessment of the issues facing our clients and determine the best way to recover compensation for the victims.
A high percentage of traffic crashes and deaths involve large trucks. A large truck is any truck whose vehicle weight is over 10,000 pounds. Because of their size, crashes involving large trucks are more likely to result in serious injury and death than are car crashes. Approximately 10% of all those injured in a large truck crash will die. Large trucks are more likely to be involved in multiple-vehicle crashes than are passenger cars. Both federal and state regulations govern trucking and cover areas such as safety of equipment and hours of the drivers. Trucking companies are required to keep records of such information and it will be necessary to find and research such records. Poor equipment and driver fatigue can be causes of such crashes. A careful study of the trucking company records may be needed to determine if negligence has occurred.
There are many types of truck accidents, including:
* Head on collisions
* Rear end collisions
* Broadside collisions
* Right hand squeeze collisions (when a driver attempts to pass truck on the right
hand side, not realizing the truck is making a wide right turn)
* Center line crossover or bump collisions
* Lane change collisions
* Stopped or slow-moving trucks causing rear-end collisions
* Jack-knifed trucks
* Vehicles sliding under trailers
* Loss of control of a vehicle, caused by large trucks
* Loss of control by truck driver
* Hit and Run
Trucking accidents are different from auto accidents in many ways, one of the most serious being the extent of damages and injuries when a truck and an auto collide. Because big rigs, 18 wheelers and tractor-trailers can weigh in excess of 80,000 pounds, a trucking collision can have deadly consequences.
There are unique laws and regulations that are designed specifically to protect motorists from the negligent actions of truck drivers and trucking companies. Federal and state regulations require truckers to have adequate rest to prevent driver fatigue on the highway. There are also other specific rules for trucks including proper loading of the materials the truck is carrying and safety rules on traveling speeds and safety when passing other vehicles. Many modern trucks have devices that allow for the reconstruction of trucker's actions just before an impact and all truckers are required to keep logs of their time.
What To Do If You're Involved In A Tractor Trailer Collision
If you are involved in a collision of any kind, the first and most important thing to do is call emergency response to request both medical and police assistance. Never leave the scene and it is best if you do not move your vehicle. If there are any disputes over the way the collision occurred, placement of the vehicles will often times assist the police and others in reconstructing the accident to determine exactly what happened. If you have a camera in your car, take pictures of the damage to the vehicles, and the position of the vehicles.
If you can, attempt to locate people who may have witnessed the collision. Get their name, address and telephone number. Additionally, exchange information with the other driver, such as insurance information and driver's license information. Be sure you know which police department investigates the collision (i.e. City Police, County Sheriff or State Patrol) so you know from whom to request the police report.
In almost every collision, there has been some trauma caused to your body. If an ambulance is offered, it is always best to go to the emergency room to be examined to ensure there are not any hidden or internal injuries. Many times, adrenaline or shock will mask symptoms that later appear and injuries can by lessened if they are treated right away. The emergency room doctors will also give you advice regarding follow up care.
Finding An Attorney
When deciding on an attorney, the yellow pages are not always your best bet. Instead of relying on the size of an advertisement, it is best to research the credentials of both the attorney and the firm. You will want to find an attorney who focuses on the area of law for which you are retaining them. For example, you wouldn't want your family law attorney trying to litigate a complex personal injury case. At the Law Offices of Edward A. Smith, we have a highly trained staff who do nothing except personal injury law. We have attorneys who litigate trucking accident cases and we aggressively pursue negligent truckers and those who employ them. We are committed to providing all the resources necessary to obtain fair settlements or trial verdicts for our clients.
The success of any serious large truck accident case requires the immediate retention of very aggressive personal injury attorneys such as The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith, who are highly experienced in successfully handling big rig truck accident cases.
The personal injury lawyers of The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith have handled all types of trucking accident, traffic accidents, automobile claims and wrongful death claims including objects falling off of trucks and vehicles onto the roadway, dangerous roadway design, negligent trucking companies and negligent roadway construction. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients.
Remember, personal injury law is a specialized area. You must hire an extremely aggressive law firm such as The Law Offices of Edward A. Smith to fight the insurance companies in order to level the playing field against the vast resources and manpower of the insurance companies.
Should you require assistance with a Trucking Injury, please contact us online or call us at 800-404-5400 to set up a FREE consultation. We have dealt with many Truck Accident cases and can be an invaluable resource for information and more importantly, assistance.