Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are incredibly common but also incredibly serious. They shatter the lives of those involved immediately and forever: emotional distress; physical injury or death; financial losses; and much more.

After the crash occurred, your task will be to prove trucker negligence or how businesses that employ commercial trucks did not exercise reasonable care and harmed you.

Accident victims may establish negligence in personal injury and negligence claims in several different ways but it can be difficult to determine liability and show the other party fell below the duty of care.

Truck accidents are some of the most serious and consequential motor vehicle accidents in the United States.

Trucking accidents routinely endanger lives and cause all sorts of economic damage and non economic damages to truck accident victims.

When a truck driver negligently causes a truck accident, car accident, or other motor vehicle accident, you need to know what damages are available in court or settlement with an insurance company to make up for your harms like medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, property damage, or other lost income.

Semi truck accidents are extraordinarily costly and dangerous. They typically involve immediate pain and suffering as well as ongoing pain and personal injury.

Then, there are the financial losses to consider such as lost income, emergency room bills, medical treatment costs, and much more.

To make up for these things after a truck accident, it may help to have an experienced personal injury lawyer well-versed in state and federal law including concepts of contributory negligence and vicarious liability.

Common carriers have a higher duty of care when they are transporting people.

If someone goes into business with the purpose of moving passengers, they are taking on far more responsibility than the average driver does when they get behind the wheel.

If you carry passengers, you can expect that there is a greater chance that you can be held liable. However, many people do not understand the term common carrier.

When you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, there are a number of possible defendants in the lawsuit. In the best-case scenario, there is a company that can be held liable for the wrongful acts of their employees.

The legal doctrine of respondeat superior could help families recover for their injuries from a company that has deeper pockets to pay for their legal liability than an individual defendant.

The Legal Doctrine of Respondeat Superior

Obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL) allows the driver to operate large trucks and commercial vehicles in commerce throughout the United States. Particular commercial driver’s licenses are necessary for transporting hazardous materials (hazmat), passenger vehicles, and liquid/gas tankers.

A CDL and endorsement will require passing a written test. Some require completing eight road skills tests. Hazmat drivers must also submit fingerprints and undergo a comprehensive security threat assessment performed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Steps Necessary to Get a CDL License

In the United States, commercial vehicle drivers operating heavy, large, or hazardous materials vehicles in commerce must have a commercial driver’s license (CDL). A CDL is required to drive any bus, tank truck, or vehicle carrying passengers.

To obtain a license, the operator must first pass a specialized knowledge examination and perform a comprehensive driving road test. School bus drivers must also pass a background check.

Before October 1986, commercial drivers in most states can operate a large commercial vehicle using only a state-issued automobile driver’s license without proper training required. That year, Congress passed the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act making it mandatory for every commercial vehicle driver to acquire a CDL.

Multiple entities may be responsible for a semi-truck accident in the Chicago, Illinois area

A truck crash can come out of nowhere when a large trucker slams in your motor vehicle without any warning.

Serious injuries, medical expenses, and other drastic changes in life could flow in the aftermath due to the sheer size of commercial vehicles, even wrongful death.

Truck accident victims must be fully prepared when they file their claims or lawsuits as these settlements and jury verdicts will normally result in high damage amounts. Unlike a standard car accident, truck accidents actually give plaintiffs a measuring stick to help establish the fault of the driver involved in the accident through the application of safety regulations.

This is why it is vital for you and your personal injury lawyer to be familiar with the regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA).

What Is the FMSCA and What Do They Do?

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that some truckers use and abuse drugs. Career stresses, demanding professional requirements and other factors combine to make their jobs amazingly challenging. According to medical experts, such pressures can result in truckers being more prone to risky behaviors, such as drug use.

What does this mean for those who must share the road with semis and other commercial vehicles? Drug abuse only makes tough odds direr. Here’s why drug-taking truck drivers are more of a threat than you might think.

Trucker Drug Use by the Numbers