Truck drivers are some of the hardest-working individuals in the country. They are responsible for transporting our goods from one place to another, and are often held under strict time constraints. Truckers face enormous amounts of pressure from their companies to get merchandise delivered on time, and as a result, they are often fatigued and pose a serious risk to those around them on the road. Please continue reading and reach out to a seasoned Jacksonville truck accident lawyer from Ansbacher Law to learn about the most common types of truck accidents and how we can help if you have been injured in one. Here are some of the questions you may have:
What are some of the most common types of truck accidents?
- Rollover crashes happen far too often and are usually a result of excessive speed. If a trucker turns a corner going too fast, there is a good chance he or she will roll over. Additionally, rollover crashes may also occur if the cargo was not properly balanced and secured before the truck departed.
- Head-on collisions are generally the most deadly type of crash and are almost always caused by a vehicle driving in the wrong lane.
- Truck driver DUI: Very often, truck drivers believe that in order to get their job done on time, they need the assistance of illegal substances to keep them awake and alert. Unfortunately, these substances very often have the opposite effect, leaving room for disaster.
- Jackknife accidents happen when the trailer swings independently of the cab with both sections of the tractor-trailer moving in different directions.
- Underride accidents are a subcategory of rear-end collisions and usually occur when a smaller vehicle hits the back of a truck that is around the same height as the top of the vehicle. The vehicle then slides underneath the truck, usually with a fatal end result.
How do I know if I am entitled to compensation following a truck accident?
As with all personal injury claims, you must prove that the other party is responsible for your injuries. However, with truck accidents, this is often more challenging than you may think. Following your accident, the truck and insurance companies will hire an expensive team of legal experts to deny you compensation, no matter how bad the injuries you have sustained.
Though most trucks possess an Event Data Recorder, which records the speed at which the truck was traveling leading up to your accident, many truck companies will try and erase this data before you have a chance to check for yourself. The best way to prevent this is by hiring an attorney who will write the trucking company a spoliation later, forbidding them from discarding this information. If they do so after receiving the letter, then you may use this in your defense.
