Our Philadelphia Truck Accident Lawyers bring legal actions against responsible parties for injuries and deaths sustained in truck crashes. A large number of these accidents result from the negligence of semi – truck drivers. The negligence of companies that employ or dispatch the drivers and truck defects also cause these crashes.
Tractor trailer and other large truck accidents often result in severe injuries or wrongful death to the occupants of other vehicles. These cases can be very complex. To establish accident cause(s) and liability, truck accident attorneys rely on testimony from experts in areas that include:
- accident reconstruction
- engineering
- truck design
- truck manufacture
These actions are most likely to be successful when fought by experienced personal injury attorneys with a thorough understanding of:
- state and federal trucking regulations
- regulations governing the manufacture of trucks and truck components
- motor carrier insurance company regulations
- trucking industry record-keeping requirements
Our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers are well versed in the regulations, law, and science applicable to these cases. We can help you obtain the financial compensation you deserve.
Negligent Truck Drivers
Commercial truck drivers are “common carriers.” As such, they have a duty to take a great deal of care for the safety of occupants of other vehicles. A truck driver may be responsible for damages sustained by accident victims if the driver violation of this high standard of care was a cause of the accident. Common examples of such negligence include:
- speeding, failing to signal for lane changes, and other traffic law violations
- driving while too tired to stay alert or driving too fast for road or weather conditions
- stopping on the shoulder or side of a highway without placing warning markers to alert other drivers
- beginning a left turn without taking into account the location and speed of on-coming traffic
- failing to keep a safe distance from other vehicles and / or failing to consider the effect of load weight on distance required for braking (thereby causing a rear-end collision)
- failing to yield to smaller vehicles
- negligently loading a truck (thereby causing the truck to overturn or jack-knife)
Negligent Trucking Companies
The negligence of companies that hire or dispatch truck drivers is another frequent cause of truck crashes. Truck companies have caused accidents by compelling drivers to work for extended periods or to drive while fatigued. This often occurs when a company encourages or requires a driver to violate federal Hours of Service Regulations related to:
- maximum number of work hours allowed
- mandated rest breaks
Philadelphia truck accident lawyers may also prove truck company negligence by showing a company’s failure to:
- take reasonable care to screen and hire drivers
- take reasonable care to train and supervise drivers
- inspect, repair, and maintain trucks in compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR)
Defective Trucks
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) govern the manufacture of large trucks and other commercial motor vehicles. A Philadelphia truck accident lawyer can often prove that a truck was defective by showing that one or more truck components fell short of these standards.
If an injured plaintiff proves that the defect was a cause of the accident, a court may order payment of damages from the truck or component:
- designer
- manufacturer
- suppliers
- assemblers, and
- distributors
These regulations are minimum requirements for the production of safe truck components. For this reason, components that fully comply with federal standards may still be “defective” under products liability law.