Sunbury Truck Accident Lawyer
Given a tractor-trailer’s size, weight, and visibility issues, a tractor-trailer poses a significant danger to other road users. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people suffer an injury in large truck crashes. These injuries impede a person’s ability to perform daily tasks, work, and take care of their children. The devastation of these injuries can last for months or even years.
Even if you take all possible precautions, a collision with a large truck may still be unavoidable. If you have sustained injuries and vehicle damage in a truck accident, you need reliable counsel by your side. To learn more, do not hesitate to reach out to our knowledgeable Sunbury truck accident lawyers.
What Makes Large Trucks So Dangerous?
A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. At 65 miles per hour, it is estimated that a tractor-trailer carrying this weight will take up to 525 feet to completely stop.
When dealing with dense traffic, there is simply not enough room for a tractor-trailer to stop. The proof is in the data, with thousands of catastrophic injuries and fatalities each year caused by tractor-trailer crashes.
Further aspects that make large trucks hazardous include:
- Trucks weigh 20 to 30 times more than passenger vehicles
- Taller vehicles can more easily roll over, especially on curves and ramps
- Trucks with high ground clearance can push or pull passenger vehicles traveling alongside them.
- Trucks and buses take more time to accelerate going uphill and will gain speed going downhill
- Due to a large truck’s sheer size and weight, acceleration, braking, and maneuverability become more challenging
If you see that a truck has a sagging suspension, worn tires, or difficult steering, these are all potential signs that a truck is overloaded. By bringing this to the attention of a truck accident lawyer, they can investigate the issue further.
Gathering Evidence
The worth of your truck accident case will depend on the strength of readily available evidence. Evidence in a truck accident claim may include physical evidence, documentary evidence, and eyewitness testimony.
Physical Evidence
Truck accident lawyers will often hire accident reconstruction experts to examine physical evidence and verify which causal factors contributed to the accident. Any objects or materials from the collision can help piece together any missing information. Physical evidence such as shredded tires, broken glass, or skid marks can help accident reconstruction experts determine how the crash occurred.
Commercial trucks are unique in that they have electronic logging devices or ELDs. An ELD attaches to a truck’s engine, recording data while the truck is running. Data will include the speed of the truck and the number of miles driven in a given day.
An ELD can show if a truck driver violated the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations mandated by the federal government. If the evidence reveals noncompliance, this could indicate driver fatigue.
Documentary Evidence
Video footage or photographs of the accident scene can help support your claim. A Sunbury truck accident attorney will assist you in gathering evidence to corroborate your account of events. Video footage may include a dashcam, body cam, or cell phone footage. When video evidence is not available, photos of your injuries, vehicle wreckage, and identifying landmarks and debris can be crucial to building your case.
Eyewitness Testimony
A bystander’s testimony can be invaluable, providing an impartial account of how the accident developed. Eyewitnesses can relay what they saw and heard and the general mood of the scene following the crash. Vehicle passengers can also be called upon as witnesses, although they would not be considered impartial.
Speak with a Sunbury Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been in a truck accident, you may have no idea what steps need to be taken next. You are likely focused on making a full recovery, not taking legal action. At Fanelli, Evans & Patel, P.C., we are dedicated to helping you recover the compensation you need to take care of your physical and mental needs. To learn more, contact us by phone or complete our online intake form. We offer free consultations.