TRUCK AND 18-WHEELER ACCIDENTS
TRUCK AND 18-WHEELER ACCIDENTS
SACHSE TRUCK AND 18-WHEELER ACCIDENT LAWYER
18-WHEELER AND TRUCK INJURY ATTORNEY SACHSE
There are more than 400,000 truck / 18-wheeler accidents that are recorded in the United States each year. It has been estimated that around five percent of all injuries related to accidents and 14 percent of deaths resulted from trucking accidents.
Commercial trucks and 18-wheelers are very dangerous on the road. More time is needed before they can be stopped completely and they have bigger blind spots on the sides of the vehicle. Because they are usually carrying heavy loads, they can scatter debris all over the highway in case of an accident and the chances of turning over is high because their center of gravity is higher. They might even be unstoppable under certain conditions.
Truck / 18-wheeler accidents are unique in that drivers who are involved in accidents with trucks usually suffer extreme and incapacitating injuries that can include:
- Traumatic injury to the brain – brain injuries may be a closed or open head injury, depending on whether or not there was fracture on the skull. A head injury can lead to memory loss, impairment or loss of motor skills, confusion, loss or impairment of speech and other serious conditions.
- Serious injury to the spinal cord – injuries to the spinal cord can lead to critical damage to the nerves or paralysis of the extremities, which can be either quadriplegia or paraplegia. The degree of paralysis differs with each victim but they are usually life devastating and life changing.
Other serious injuries that victims of truck / 18-wheeler accidents may suffer include amputations, back injuries, severe burns and neck injuries.
There are many contributing factors that lead to trucking accidents. Trucking companies often pressure their drivers to go without rest or sleep for 24 hours or even longer, just to get to their destinations on schedule. This practice may result to extreme driver fatigue, over speeding and reckless driving. In addition, large trucks and 18-wheelers are difficult to stop on a downhill road and mechanical or brake failures are common. There are strict requirements that are mandated by law on large trucks but employers often ignore these. Trucks are usually low on maintenance to save on operating expenses, which pose a serious hazard to the truck drivers, occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians.
Truck / 18-wheeler accidents lead to substantial wrongful death and personal injury claims each year. However, trucking companies often instruct their drivers on what to do or say in case of an accident to avoid liability. For this reason, you need the services of a truck accident lawyer immediately after a trucking mishap.
In Sachse, you can get an attorney who has the skills and experience in handling truck/18-wheeler accidents from us at The Goolsby Law Firm. With your legal counsel by your side, you will be able to hold a negligent truck driver liable for your injuries or for the wrongful death of a family member. It is recommended that you get in touch with us at The Goolsby Law Firm as soon as you can since the law only allows a limited period of time for filing a claim, or you forfeit your right to compensation. Discuss your case with us at The Goolsby Law Firm today. You do not owe us anything unless we recover compensations for you.
The Goolsby Law Firm – Protecting Your Rights
(972) 394-2141