Truck drivers are licensed professionals. Still, truckers in Indiana and throughout the country frequently engage in careless and reckless driving that endangers the safety of everyone who shares the road with them. If a negligent trucker recently caused a crash that injured you or caused the loss of your loved one, then you have the right to seek justice and pursue full and fair compensation for the harm you have suffered. Contact our Fort Wayne truck accident lawyer today.
The truck accident attorneys at Truitt Law Offices are ready to help you. Make your first call, your only call. With more than 40 years of experience with handling truck accident claims on behalf of victims and their families in Fort Wayne, Huntington and throughout Northeast Indiana, we will know the way forward.
Truck accidents require immediate investigation. So, waiting is not an option. Contact our accident law firm today for a free and timely consultation. We will start work on your case right away, and we will charge no fees unless we secure compensation for you.
How Can a Lawyer Help You After a Fort Wayne Trucking Accident?
Trucking companies and their insurers will move quickly to protect their interests after one of their drivers gets involved in a crash. You will need to move quickly, too, with help from an experienced truck accident attorney in Fort Wayne.
At Truitt Law Offices, we will promptly take steps to preserve, collect and analyze evidence such as:
- Photos from the crash scene
- Data from the electronic data recorder (or “black box”)
- GPS data
- Driver logbooks
- Inspection and maintenance records
- The truck driver’s cell phone records
- The trucker’s alcohol and drug test results
- Statements from eyewitnesses.
Typically, in tractor-trailer accident cases, we will also turn to our network of highly knowledgeable experts in fields such as engineering, accident reconstruction, and transportation safety in order to determine why a crash happened and who should be held responsible for it.
While you focus on your rehabilitation and your loved ones, we will also gather your medical records, consult with medical experts and take other measures to calculate the damages you deserve. We will aggressively pursue a settlement with the insurance company (or companies) and, if necessary, we will be prepared to take your case to trial.
Our clients and their families serve as our top priority at Truitt Law Offices. We value our client relationships. From the start of your case, we will pay close attention to your needs, and we will always focus on what is important to you. If you have any questions, you can feel free to ask your attorney.
We represent truck accident victims on a contingency fee basis. So, you will pay no legal fees unless we secure compensation for you through a settlement or court award. We don’t want your concerns about paying upfront for an attorney to keep you from getting the legal help you need.
What Makes Tractor-Trailers So Dangerous?
Tractor-trailers are giants among vehicles. A commercial truck carrying a full load of cargo can easily weigh 20 to 30 times more than a standard passenger vehicle. They are significantly taller and longer than other vehicles as well. In a collision, that weight difference means the smaller, lighter vehicle will generally sustain the brunt of the impact.
The size and weight of a tractor-trailer present the following issues that may increase the risk and severity of traffic accidents:
- Huge blind spots – Every vehicle has blind spots, but the size and length of a tractor-trailer mean that truck drivers have large blind spots on every side of the vehicle. They have to remain aware of any nearby vehicles located in the truck’s blind spots at all times. A truck’s blind spots increase the risk of blind spot accidents when changing lanes.
- Greater stopping distance – The weight of a loaded heavy tractor-trailer means that tractor-trailers require much longer distances to stop than automobiles. The stopping distance is even great on wet roads. If traffic ahead slows or stops suddenly, a truck driver may be unable to stop in time and avoid a rear-end truck accident.
- Greater ground clearance – Tractor-trailers sit much higher up off the ground than other vehicles, creating a structural incompatibility with smaller vehicles and the risk of serious accidents. The large gap underneath a tractor-trailer is especially dangerous to occupants of other vehicles in a crash. A smaller car may slide underneath the side or back of a truck trailer in what’s known as an underride accident.
- High center of gravity – Because tractor-trailers are so tall, they have a higher center of gravity than other vehicles. This can be an issue when truck drivers take curves too quickly or experience tire blowouts. The higher center of gravity contributes to rollover accidents.
- Wide turning radius – Compared with other vehicles, tractor-trailers have to make much wider turns around corners. This can increase the risk of accidents if drivers are forced to cross multiple lanes of oncoming traffic to navigate through a left-hand or right-hand turn.
- Intensive maintenance requirements – Tractor-trailers travel thousands of miles a month and require intensive routine maintenance to remain roadworthy. If truck owners neglect their truck’s maintenance needs, the failure of truck components such as brake failures or tire failure can lead to dangerous accidents.
How Do Most Tractor-Trailer Accidents Occur?
The majority of tractor-trailer accidents are caused by the negligence of truck drivers, other road users, or third parties who are involved in the operation of a commercial truck. Any of the following may be found responsible for a tractor-trailer accident, complicating the issue of determining liability:
- Truck drivers – Truck drivers may be responsible for accidents if they act recklessly or drive while distracted, intoxicated, or otherwise impaired.
- Other road users – Another driver may cause a tractor-trailer accident if the motorist violates traffic laws or drives in a way that causes a truck driver to collide with other vehicles.
- Trucking companies – A trucking company may be responsible for accidents caused by a truck driver it employs. The trucking company also may be liable if it fails to maintain its tractor-trailers, hires unsafe drivers, or pressures its drivers to disregard hours-of-service limits.
- Cargo loading companies – Cargo loading companies can be at fault for tractor-trailer accidents if they overload trailers or fail to properly secure cargo. If cargo shifts in transit, it can cause a driver to lose control and cause an accident.
- Truck repair mechanics – A truck mechanic may be responsible for an accident if the mechanic failed to properly inspect, maintain, or repair critical components and a subsequent component failure leads to a loss-of-control wreck.
- Truck component manufacturers – Manufacturers of faulty truck components may be at fault for tractor-trailer accidents if the components fail such as a tire blowout and cause an accident.
What are Common Causes of Indiana Tractor-Trailer Accidents?
The most recent Indiana traffic crash facts show that commercial vehicle collisions are on the rise in Fort Wayne and across the state – and the negligence of truck drivers clearly is driving up those figures. Between 2012 and 2016, the number of commercial vehicle collisions in Indiana rose by 6 percent each year. The “primary factor” in about 94 percent of those crashes was a driver-related action, including:
- Following too closely
- Making an unsafe lane movement
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Unsafe backing
- Improper turning
- Speeding (or going too fast for weather conditions).
As we have seen at Truitt Law Offices, the underlying cause of these crashes often is driver behavior such as:
- Distracted driving (talking on a cell phone or texting while driving)
- Drowsy driving (driving while fatigued or falling asleep at the wheel)
- Driving while impaired (by alcohol, controlled substances or certain types of prescription drugs that cause drowsiness)
- Failing to inspect and maintain the truck or trailer
- Failing to use proper equipment on the truck (such as blind-spot mirrors)
- Driving away without properly loaded and secured cargo.
You can count on Truitt Law Offices to thoroughly investigate your case and consult with experts in fields such as accident reconstruction, transportation safety, and engineering to determine the cause of your semi-truck crash.
