Trucking and Roadway Safety

Trucking Accidents

Although trucking accidents account for a small percentage of traffic accidents, they account for a large percentage of traffic fatalities. Semi-truck and other large commercial truck accidents are oftentimes the result of carelessness on the part of the truck driver.

A classic cause of trucking accidents is driver fatigue, occurring when a driver overextends their time and service requirements to increase income. In such cases, the conduct of the driver and the company he may work for becomes paramount.

However, the analysis should not stop there. As in many cases, there are additional contributing causes of the accident that involve a complex analysis of the design, manufacture and maintenance of the truck itself.

In accidents involving trucks, the potential that the vehicle’s design, manufacture and maintenance must be considered.

Trucking is a regulated industry, and Federal and State regulations and guidelines must be considered. If the owner, leasing entity, contracted user or driver of the truck fail to comply with such mandates, including those of the Department of Transportation (DOT) for example, then liability on their part may well arise.

Because of the inherent danger to the driving public of trucks due to their sheer size and mass, rigid requirements exist with respect to the design and configuration of trucks to make them safe for operation. Additional maintenance requirements are placed on owners and operators to ensure that the vehicle’s key systems, such as the truck’s tires, brakes, hydraulics and lighting systems, are kept in proper working order. In accidents involving trucks, the vehicle’s design, manufacture and maintenance must be considered.

To fully evaluate a trucking accident case, we utilize a network of experts including investigators, automotive engineers and accident reconstructionists, who enable us to gather the evidence needed to determine the exact cause of the crash and the responsible party or parties. This evidence, coupled with our extensive trial experience, is then used to create a compelling jury argument against those responsible.

Roadway Defects

Roadway defects can include such issues as improper design or lack of repair, which can lead to dangerous situations. Specifically, common roadway defects include low shoulders, uneven pavement, potholes, and lack of signage. Litigation of this type of case often involves multiple government agencies, which can complicate matters. However, pursuing legal action can be critical to affecting change, and necessary in order to save lives.

Unfortunately, roadway defects can lead to serious accidents resulting in severe injuries or even death. Construction companies and state, county, or municipal agencies should be held responsible for the consequences an accident caused by a road defect cause.

Construction Zone Accidents

As many major highways these days were constructed in the mid twentieth century, work zones are a common sight today. Unfortunately, construction zones by their nature are inherently dangerous to both passing motorists and the workers who are involved in the construction In fact, U.S. Dept. of Transportation statistics show there were 87,606 crashes in work zones in 2010, or 1.6% of all accidents.

Dangers arise when normal roadway flow is obstructed or adjusted, and motorists are well advised to take every precaution while entering into construction zones. Construction zone accidents may be the result of signage and warning deficiencies, uneven road surface, unsafe re-routing, or other negligence.

Guardrail Cases

Guardrails are specifically designed to prevent a vehicle from crossing the median, and, to reduce the impact and damage done if struck. If a guardrail is hit head-on at the end, it should absorb an impact by buckling and ribboning out to absorb the impact of the vehicle, bringing it to a stop. However, this isn’t always the case.

In 2014, the modified design of the Trinity Guardrail ET Plus, for instance, was found to be defective, and that the company hid evidence of testing that showed it had failed. The part of the guardrail at issue is the end terminal, or the “head” of the guardrail. Instead of absorbing the impact, the guardrail bends and can penetrate the vehicle like a spear, often leading to loss of limbs or death.