Welcome to Smith & Smith
Truck Accident Attorneys
When a large commercial truck collides with a smaller vehicle the results can be catastrophic. The size and momentum of a semi tractor trailer truck can do massive damage to a passenger vehicle, and can cause multicar pile-ups and even roadway damage leading to more accidents in the immediate vicinity. The laws that govern the trucking industry and apply to truck accidents are far more complex than laws pertaining to non-commercial vehicles. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you need the help of an experienced truck accident attorney.
Investigating Your Accident and the Underlying Causes
Proper investigation of a truck accident requires an in-depth understanding of federal and state trucking laws, as well as the nature of truck accidents and how they may occur.
By law, in the trucking business detailed records must be kept documenting aspects such as mileage and hours driven by truckers, maintenance and truck repair, hiring and employee records including driving records of truckers, and much more. Part of investigating a truck accident involves requesting the right documents and knowing how to read them and put the information together in a way that gives a clear picture of the events leading up to the accident. Some common causes of truck accidents include:
- Driver fatigue
- Inadequate truck maintenance
- Intoxication
- Defective roadway
- Defective truck parts
- Speeding
- Improperly loaded truck
- Unrealistic schedules placed on drivers by trucking companies
- Undertrained or inexperienced truck drivers
- Reckless behavior by other drivers causing a truck accident which then involves other vehicles
Responsible Parties
Determining the cause of the accident is necessary to determine who is at fault. A poorly maintained truck can cause an accident that the truck driver could not prevent. Truck maintenance is part of the carrier’s responsibilities. A defective roadway causing a truck accident would be the responsibility of the entity in charge of taking care of the road, such as the county or state. When truck drivers cause accidents due to their behavior, the trucking companies that employ them may be held responsible. Responsible parties in truck accidents can include:
- Truck drivers
- Trucking companies
- Truck loading companies
- Truck manufacturers
- Parts manufacturers
- Truck repair shops
- Government entities such as those in charge of weigh stations or those in charge of road construction and maintenance
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a trucking accident, please call or contact us. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, in most cases we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.