Truck Accidents
Jackson Mississippi Truck Accident Lawyers
Truck accidents can be among the most devastating kinds of wrecks that take place on U.S. roads. Trucks carry heavy loads, some as much as 80,000 pounds, with some being even higher than this. When a truck collides with a passenger vehicle, often the individuals who are injured are those inside the smaller vehicle. The trucking industry is big business. According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry made an estimated $726 billion in gross annual revenue. Yet, despite these revenues, individuals continue to get hurt in truck accidents.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 3,852 people died in large truck accidents in 2015 alone. If another similarly large industry resulted in the deaths of so many people in the general public, there would be a public outcry. Yet, the trucking industry, which uses our roads, continues to operate largely without impunity. This means that when accidents happen, it is often up to the families and victims to fight for their rights and to hold truck drivers, companies, and shippers accountable. Trucks are required to abide by a host of federal and local laws. The Jackson Mississippi truck accident lawyers at Heilman Nisbett Polk understand these laws and fight aggressively when truck companies violate them. We can help you and your family fight these large companies and receive the compensation you may deserve under the law.
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Truck Laws and How Their Violation Impacts Public Safety
Truck companies and drivers are required to follow certain strict federal and state laws. However, drivers or companies sometimes violate these laws in order to meet demanding shipping schedules or to protect their bottom line. When these laws are broken, the general public can be put at risk.
If you or someone you love was hurt in a truck accident, contact our Jackson Mississippi truck accident lawyers for a FREE initial consultation.
Hours of Service Laws
Federal hours of service laws limit how long drivers can operate a truck in a given stretch of time or over the period of a work week. Sometimes drivers fail to log their hours as they are required to do so by law. Other times they may falsify their logs. When drivers break the law, they could be fatigued, making them more likely to make a mistake behind the wheel. It can be difficult to know if a driver was tired scientifically because there is no breath or blood test to determine fatigue. However, the semi truck accident attorneys at the Heilman Nisbett Polk Group in Jackson, MS can review your truck driver’s logs, shipping schedules, and put these facts together to see if the truck driver violated the law.
Vehicle Maintenance
Truck companies are required to keep their trucks in working order. They need to maintain the tires, the brakes, and other equipment. Failed brakes and failed tires can result in devastating crashes. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident due to a blown tire, the Heilman Nisbett Polk Group, P.A. in Jackson, Mississippi can review maintenance logs and see what kind of tires were put on the truck. Sometimes truck companies illegally use retread or used tires, putting all road users and their drivers, at risk.
Truck Driver Health
Truck drivers are required to pass health examinations in order to maintain their licensure. However, these examinations may not occur often and drivers’ health conditions can change. Companies have a responsibility to monitor their drivers to ensure that their health is in good condition. Drivers sometimes take medication that can interfere with their attention behind the wheel. Other drivers may get behind the wheel with dangerous conditions like sleep apnea that can result in fatigue or other problems. If your driver wasn’t in good health, the truck company may be responsible for covering your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages from your accident.
Overloaded Trucks
In most cases, trucks should not exceed weights of 80,000 pounds. However, sometimes companies overload their trucks in order to ship more goods and improve their bottom lines. However, overloaded trucks pose a serious hazard to other road users.
There are many laws that truck companies must follow in order to operate. When companies fail to abide by these laws, everyone is put at risk. Unlike accidents involving passenger vehicles, truck companies have an additional set of laws they must follow. If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash, it is important to protect your rights. Don’t accept blame for the crash. It can sometimes be difficult to know whether a truck driver was in violation of the law at the scene of the crash. A qualified semi truck accident lawyer in Jackson Mississippi at Heilman Nisbett Polk can investigate your case and hold drivers or companies accountable if they broke the law.
Call 601-914-1025 today for a FREE CONSULTATION.
Protect Your Rights – Call 601-914-1025 to speak with one of our Jackson Truck Accident Lawyers
If you’ve been in a crash, you may be speaking to car insurance adjusters. It is important to protect your rights as you speak to your insurance company, especially if you have suffered a serious or life-altering injury. Insurance adjusters sometimes offer individuals lower settlements than they may deserve, because they use formulas and estimates to base their offers. Having a truck accident attorney in Jackson Mississippi like those at Heilman Nisbett Polk on your side can impact the outcome of your case. We can speak to adjusters, present evidence for your claim, review your insurance policy, and fight for your rights.
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Truck companies may have teams of lawyers fighting on their side, protecting their interests. If you’ve been in a wreck, you and your family may only have a limited amount of time to seek compensation for your injuries and damages. The truck accident attorneys at Heilman Law Group, P.A. in Jackson, MS understand the complexity of federal and local laws. We can identify all stakeholders involved and fight for your rights. In a passenger vehicle accident, often the people at fault are limited to the drivers in the accident. However, with truck crashes, many stakeholders may be responsible: from truck drivers, truck company owners, maintenance crews, or shippers. The Heilman Law Group, P.A. are semi truck accident attorneys in Jackson, MS who can review the entire operating practice of a company to find gaps and hold companies accountable. As federal regulations have relaxed, truck companies may believe that they can cut more corners. By holding companies responsible when they make deadly errors, families send an important message to these companies, owners, and drivers.
Truck accident law firms in Mississippi
What is unique about laws related to accidents involving commercial vehicles?
A person who drives a large truck or commercial vehicle has various kinds of special training. They will need a CDL or commercial driver’s license. They also have to follow regulations related to their working hours and the type of cargo they are transporting. Whether the driver was properly qualified and following all trucking regulations is relevant to the question of negligence during the course of a lawsuit.
It is important to keep in mind that all of these issues become relevant in commercial vehicle accident lawsuits because the injury attorney in Mississippi needs to determine who is liable for the truck accident, as well as the amount of compensation they will owe their clients. Unlike standard motor vehicle accidents, the company that employs the driver will often be financially responsible, and they have special large insurance policies to cover these types of losses. The individual driver can be liable in some cases as well, usually if they are an owner operator of their own truck. The truck accident attorney can explain more about who is liable based on the specifics of each accident.
The dangers that truck drivers face every day
There are a number of common problems that can contribute to the causes of truck accidents in Mississippi. Commercial drivers often spend hours on end alone driving on highways, which can lead to distracted driving, fatigued driving, or using substances such as drugs or alcohol to try to get through a long stretch of driving. The vehicles themselves are very large and difficult to control, especially if a driver is tired or not paying attention the risk of making a mistake increases greatly. Various kinds of weather such as rain, snow, ice, and wind can also make it more difficult to avoid accidents.
While these are serious issues, they also do not excuse negligence by drivers or their employer. A small mistake by a driver can change someone’s life by causing a disability or fatal injuries. A truck accident law firm will look for any evidence of negligence that is related to these potential dangers and use it during settlement negotiations or court hearings when necessary. If the case is successful, the trucking company or their insurance coverage may have to pay out thousands of dollars or more to cover all of the damage. The average price tag attached to a trucking accident is fairly high, so payouts related to lawsuits can become large if there are serious injuries or fatalities.
What truck accident law firms in Mississippi do for their clients
Legal representation can be crucial for anyone who wants to get help after being injured by a truck or commercial vehicle driver. The Mississippi truck accident attorney can file the case, handle the collection and presentation of evidence, and negotiate a settlement that covers all relevant costs. They also need to make a convincing argument based on their investigation that the truck driver or their employer was negligent, and that this negligence was a direct cause of their client’s injuries.
Call 601-914-1025 today for a FREE CONSULTATION.