When up to 80,000-pound tractor-trailers ride alongside passenger cars, safety concerns are certainly understandable. These safety concerns are sometimes heightened by negligent drivers, trucking firms, and truck maintenance issues. When negligence causes a tractor-trailer accident, trucking accident lawsuits are often filed as a result.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident involving a semi truck, contact Attorney Group for Kentucky for more information about your options. We can answer your questions, and if you have a case, we can connect you with an affiliated semi truck accident attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
Tractor-trailer accidents are common. The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NTHSA) reported about 88,000 large truck accidents with injuries in 2011. The following year, NHTSA reported 104,000 accidents, an increase of 18 percent. The federal agency reported that 1,029 of these accidents happened in Kentucky. There were 3,921 fatalities in accidents involving large trucks in 2012, and 88 of them occurred in Kentucky, according to NHTSA. In many cases, trucking accident lawsuits are filed as a result of these events.
Potential Negligence In Trucking Accidents
Negligent conduct can take many forms and often result in accidents that are otherwise avoidable. A truck driver may be guilty of negligence if he or she:
- Exceeds the speed limit
- Drives too fast for conditions
- Drives while influenced by alcohol or drugs
- Drives while fatigued and falls asleep at the wheel
- Is too aggressive
- Is distracted by texting, using the phone, or eating
A trucking company may also be negligent if it:
- Creates a tight delivery schedule that promotes unsafe driving
- Fails to replace worn or damaged parts to save money
- Fails to inspect its trucks
- Encourages drivers to drive more hour’s than regulations permit.
Negligent third party conduct can also cause or contribute to tractor-trailer accidents. Careless third party actions may include:
- Poor maintenance or substandard inspections
- Delivering defective replacement parts that are not up to spec
- Developing inadequate computerized systems that are prone to failure
When negligent conduct of any kind results in a Kentucky truck accident, those injured can seek compensation by filing trucking accident lawsuits. Injured parties may attempt to recover medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and pain and suffering. When negligence contributes to a fatality, trucking accident lawsuits can seek compensation for burial expenses, loss of companionship and other damages.
The complexity of tractor-trailer cases can be substantial, so it is prudent to seek legal counsel if you have been injured in a semi-truck accident. An experienced attorney can work to identify how negligent conduct may have contributed to a truck accident.
Contact Us to Learn More
Contact Attorney Group for Kentucky with questions that you may have about tractor-trailer accident that you or a loved one was involved in. We can answers your questions and arrange for an affiliated attorney to evaluate your case. An initial consultation is free and without obligation.
