An under-ride accident is when a car crashes into the rear or side of a semi-truck or tractor-trailer and ends up underneath. Trucking statistics show that over 200 people are killed in these types of wrecks each year. When a car slides underneath a trailer, sometimes the top of the vehicle is sheared off. If a victim is fortunate enough to survive the crash, that person may sustain serious and permanent injuries.
Many factors make big rigs dangerous to other drivers on the road. Trucks weigh much more than passenger vehicles, which makes braking slow. It may take 20 to 40 times longer for a big truck to come to a stop than a typical car. Large trucks cannot maneuver like smaller vehicles, and they have blind spots, even when they utilize mirrors. Drivers often work for many hours and drive long distances at a time, causing potential fatigue.
There may be multiple causes and contributing factors in large truck accidents. There are three main categories of accident causes, including human error, mechanical failure, and external conditions. The most common causes of accidents are human errors. These include such things as improper lane changes, speeding, tailgating, failure to yield, distracted driving, and impairment. Of these, distracted driving is one of the most common factors that contribute to all accidents, including big rig crashes.
Physical evidence from the truck and crash scene – A heavy-impact accident could cause disabling damage that requires the big rig to be towed to a local wrecking yard. After the accident, the trucking company could track down the vehicle and immediately pay to have it moved somewhere else or taken out of commission.
Before too much time passes, an attorney working on your behalf can send an investigator to inspect the vehicle and take necessary photos or measurements. The same can be said for the accident scene. An accident reconstruction expert can visit the scene, document the scene, take measurements, and look for skid marks and other physical evidence.
Trucking companies must maintain adequate records regarding employees hired. It is not difficult to imagine that some companies are more organized than others. A lawyer who gets involved in a case can immediately send a spoliation of evidence letter requesting that certain information be preserved, including the trucker’s application for employment, CDL, background check results from the hiring phase, complaint history, and mandatory drug and alcohol testing results.
At HURT-511, our personal injury lawyers help injured workers recover the benefits to which they are entitled by law. For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer, call us toll-free at 800-4878-511 or complete our online form. Our firm handles accident and injury claims throughout all five boroughs of New York.
HURT-511 operates in all boroughs of New York including all Bronx neighborhoods, namely: Bedford Park, Belmont, Fordham, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Jerome Park, Kingsbridge, Morris Park, Morrisania, Mott Haven, Parkchester, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Throgs Neck, University Heights
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