Did you or a loved one suffer serious injuries in a steel truck accident? You may be entitled to compensation. Getting in touch with a truck accident lawyer quickly can help provide direction for you, and your loved ones. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a truck accident, you may want to discuss your case with a member of the team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm. We may be able to help you seek compensation in the event of a highway or roadway accident involving a truck or semi-trailer.
Call (800) 794-0444 to learn more.
Common Reasons for Truck Accidents
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, large truck accidents with injuries increased 5% from 2017 to 2016, and crashes with fatalities involving large trucks went up 10% during the same time frame.
Many accidents with trucks are often a result of a mixture of driver errors or distractions, or by faulty training and discipline. These are some of the common issues that cause truck-related accidents:
- Poor driver training – Truck drivers typically must have hours of training and several driving certificates before being allowed to drive commercial fleet trucks. But it is not uncommon to have poorly-trained drivers take to the road sooner than they should. And, the demands of business can sometimes cause owners to ignore the FMCSA hours of service regulations, with drivers working longer hours than they should be.
- Daytime vs. nighttime driving – The FMCSA found that 35% of all fatal crashes involving large trucks in 2017 occurred in the night hours between 6 pm and 6 am.
- Weather-related issues – Intermodal transportation does not stop because of poor weather. Knowing how to operate a large commercial truck in tough weather conditions is serious business. Drivers have to know how to prevent the truck from hydroplaning or veering off the road due to thick fog, or slick or icy conditions. If a driver did not receive proper training for driving in extreme weather, then the truck could be a hazard to all of the auto drivers in its vicinity.
- Speeding/Reckless Driving – Business needs will often require a truck driver to drive faster to get to the next location. Driving faster or recklessly can cause steel truck accidents.
- Distracted Driving – Driving a large commercial truck requires major focus, on the road ahead, on passenger cars around the truck. While texting and driving is illegal for truck drivers, some may continue to do so. There are other types of distracted driving such as reading a map or GPS, daydreaming, changing the radio station, or speaking with a passenger. If a distracted driver caused your accident, you may be entitled to compensation.
- Alcohol and Drugs – Like other road users, truck drivers cannot get behind the wheel with drugs or alcohol in their systems. In fact, the legal blood alcohol level for a truck driver is 0.04—half the limit for other drivers. This behavior on the road can get truck drivers into car crashes.
Regardless of how your accident occurred, we want to help you.
Types of Injuries Resulting from Truck Accidents
Suffering an injury in a truck accident can range from minor to traumatic and life-threatening. Potential injuries in a truck accident include:
Internal Trauma
If a fast-moving truck hits a car, the impact often sets off the driver’s airbag. While it can protect the driver from crashing into the windshield upon impact, a safety airbag can also cause internal trauma to a person’s body front parts, like chest or ribs. If the airbag does not go off, the seat belt could also tighten uncomfortably on the driver, causing various injuries to the chest, bladder, liver, or kidneys.
Back Injuries
When a driver receives the full impact of a rear-ending, the force can throw the driver forward, and cause severe injuries to the back, neck, and spine. These types of injuries can cause the most problems, especially if it leads to a spinal cord injury. This type of injury can cause enormous pain and possibly keep a person hospitalized for months. Possibly paralysis can occur, as well as numerous surgeries in the future.
Head Injuries
Head and brain injuries in a truck accident are very severe and victims can potentially lose eyesight and/or hearing, and possible disfigurement.
All parties in a truck accident should seek immediate medical attention if they did not receive care at the scene.
For a free legal consultation with a Steel Truck Accidents Lawyer serving Tinley Park, call (800) 794-0444
Steps to Pursue Legal Options
Determining your legal options after a truck accident is an important step in the recovery process. Injuries from such accidents can put you out of work for weeks, or even months. You are within your rights to seek a settlement from the commercial trucking operation if the accident was not your fault.
While your medical recovery should be top of mind for you or your loved one, the next step should be to pursue legal options. Determining liability for the accident is a major challenge in getting a truck accident lawsuit to go forward. Our attorneys will work with you to seek restitution in the event of a steel truck accident, and help guide you forward toward a potential settlement.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to work with you to try to recover compensation for lost wages, medical expenses and the cost of damages for physical and mental suffering. We will listen to your case, find out the facts around the accident, gather testimony witness accounts as necessary, and determine how we can help you move ahead with a court claim.
Call us today for a free consultation: (800) 794-0444.
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