A truck accident in Riverdale can leave your family devastated, severely injured, and without any income coming in. Although any accident has the potential to cause serious damage, truck accidents are significantly more likely than other types of collisions to lead to severe or fatal. injuries. These accidents have been known to shut down highways for hours on end, cause massive explosions, and leave multiple cars totaled.
Even if it’s clear that the other driver is at fault, getting fair compensation after a truck accident isn’t easy. You’ll have to go up against the trucking company and their legal team to get fair treatment. We’re here to advocate for you—call The Stein Firm, P.C. at 770-824-3107 to set up a consultation right away.
What Causes Truck Collisions?
Truck accidents occur for a range of reasons, and the reason for your collision may determine who is liable. Understanding what causes truck accidents can help you both in preventing them and seeking compensation after a crash. Some common causes of collisions in and around Riverdale include:
- Fatigue: Fatigue is a huge problem in the trucking industry, which is why the FMCSA has hours-of-service regulations in place to prevent overworked drivers from staying on the road too long. Despite these efforts, fatigued truck drivers are still an ongoing issue.
- Impairment: Impairment can slow your reaction time, lead you to make poor decisions, and cause you to take unnecessary risks. When an impaired driver is behind the wheel of a truck weighing 16,000 pounds, the dangers are even greater than they are in a passenger vehicle collision.
- Distractions: Distracted driving is an issue for drivers of all demographic groups, and truck drivers are not immune to the draw of the cell phone, tablet, or other distracting item. Distracted drivers are responsible for a significant amount of truck accidents in and around Riverdale.
- Speeding: Speeding negatively affects safety in numerous ways, and it’s particularly dangerous for truck drivers. Trucks already need much more time to come to a complete stop than other vehicles, and when they’re speeding, that time is even longer.
- Poor maintenance: Trucks require a significant amount of maintenance, thanks to their size and the wear and tear they experience on the road. When companies skip inspections or delay maintenance, they risk serious accidents.
- Lack of experience: Inexperienced truck drivers may panic when faced with an obstacle or unexpected issue. While inexperienced drivers of any vehicle can cause collisions, the risks are much greater with truck drivers.
- Reckless driving: Reckless driving includes speeding, weaving in and out of lanes, failing to use turn signals, and otherwise ignoring the basic rules of the road.
Damage Caused by Riverdale Truck Accidents
Truck accidents often cause massive amounts of damage. Not only do they harm those directly involved in the crash, but they can also affect the community as a whole. To start, personal injuries are common after a truck crash. While truck drivers may suffer injuries, those in the smaller vehicle are generally the ones who pay the price for a truck crash. Collisions can also lead to significant property damage, affecting the truck, the other vehicle, medians and guardrails, and roadways.
In some cases, truck accidents even lead to environmental harm. Hazmat trucks containing harmful chemicals can become an explosion risk when they crash. These collisions may lead to chemicals leaking into the atmosphere or poisoning nearby water sources.
The Role of Trucking Companies
Trucking companies play a significant role in many truck accidents. In fact, they are one of the main reasons that truck accident claims can be so much more complex than other types of accident claims. Companies have an obligation to other drivers and the community in general to hire safe, experienced drivers. They are also expected to provide training as needed. When companies fail to do proper background checks or look into an applicant’s driving history, they risk hiring a driver likely to cause collisions.
Companies are also responsible for inspecting and maintaining vehicles. Some companies fall short in this area—when they have valuable loads going out, they may take the risk of sending out a truck without inspecting it or sending one with known maintenance needs. Should accidents occur, they could be held liable for these collisions.
Employers must also enforce all relevant FMCSA regulations. This primarily applies to hours-of-service regulations, which ensure that drivers take proper breaks, do not drive for too long without a full shift off, and do not put in too many hours each week. Companies may encourage drivers to violate these regulations in order to finish a job on time.
When a driver causes a crash, it is generally their employer who pays. Claims are often paid out by the company’s insurance.
How The Stein Firm Can Help
If you’ve been injured in a Riverdale truck accident, you’re likely overwhelmed and not sure what to do next. We understand—you may have been contacted by the trucking company, the company’s insurance provider, or others involved in the collision. However, none of them have your best interests in mind. Their goal is to minimize their financial losses and avoid liability. This leaves you looking for the liable party as your medical bills and lost wages continue to pile up.
When you choose The Stein Firm for your truck accident claim, you know that you have a strong and aggressive advocate on your side. Through an extensive investigation, we’ll figure out who is liable for your accident and injuries. We’ll then prove the extent of your injuries and demand fair compensation for them. Although most claims settle out of court, know that we are more than ready to go to court if the insurance company will not negotiate fairly. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can start working on your case.
Injured in a Truck Crash? Call Us Today
Don’t wait a moment longer to start working on your truck accident claim. The Stein Firm is ready to advocate for you. Schedule a consultation immediately by getting in touch online or calling us at 770-824-3107.
