Truck Accident?

Tractor-trailer accidents are some of the most horrific you’ll ever witness. Bodies are broken and scarred. Lives are lost. Property is destroyed. It’s the inevitable result when thousands of pounds of rolling metal collide with a much smaller passenger vehicle. Unfortunately, it may also be the result of a trucker driver’s hidden negligence. Depending on your particular case, you may benefit from hiring a truck accident lawyer.

Was there hidden negligence?
Why is it big rigs account for less than 2% of the vehicles on the road, yet 8% of all the accidents? Because truck drivers are given monetary incentives to get their payloads delivered faster! They may be paid by the mile. The more miles they drive, the more they get paid! As a result, truck drivers drive faster, further and with less sleep.

Was the driver who hit you overtired? Was the truck driver hyped up on amphetamines so he could stay awake longer? Maybe the he was chatting on the phone or glancing at a TV in his cab. Even if the trucker wasn't cited, there may be hidden negligence that has not yet been brought to light.

Trucking corporations need to "manage" you and stop the lawsuit.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a tractor-trailer accident, the heartache may just be beginning. Trucking companies know how damaging a lawsuit against them can be. That’s why trucking corporations try to limit your ability to recover from them. They hire accident investigators, offer preemptive settlements, and mobilize their attorneys. But, as you stand beside the road, perhaps bloodied and dazed, who is protecting your legal rights?

When you’re ready to take on big business and big insurance, you need legal protection from attorneys who have experience in the courtroom. And you need help fast. Statutes of limitation apply in personal injury and wrongful death cases that could jeopardize your rights if you don’t act promptly.

Seek an Evaluation
Let an experienced truck accident attorney you determine if you have a case. Try and get a free accident case review from an experienced truck accident lawyer, if possible. Some law firms offer a free, confidential phone evaluation and case review by filling out a simple form on the Internet or making phone contact. There is normally no cost or obligation for an evaluation. Many truck accident firms take cases on contingency.

Facts about Trucking

• Trucking is Complex
  
Trucking companies and their operators use a complex array of legal arrangements in their business — some specifically designed to avoid liability. It takes a lawyer experienced in cases against trucking companies just to sort it all out.
• Trucking is high-pressure
  Time is money. Trucking companies and their drivers often succumb to the pressure. The result: fatigued drivers, maintenance issues overlooked and safety rules ignored. Again, you need an attorney who knows what to look for and what questions to ask.
• Trucking Accidents are on the Rise

Each year, drivers on U.S. highways fall victim to truck accidents. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number of large trucks involved in non-fatal crashes have increased each year from 2001 to 2005. Many truck accidents involve large trucks commonly referred to as "semi-trucks."
• Trucking is Close-knit

Make no mistake, trucking companies have well-thought-out plans and a closely knit group of experts to protect their interests. You need a truck accident attorney with the resources and experience to protect yours.

Types of Truck Accidents

by Michael Monheit, Esquire, Monheit Law, PC

Here are the most common types of truck accidents:

Truck Brakes Malfunction

Heavy trucks use air brakes exclusively: Most are drum-like units. Air enters the chamber when the brakes are applied, the push rod moves out turning the slack adjuster which rotates the S-cam and forces the shoes into the drum.

Brakes are a heat engine, they convert kinetic energy or motion into thermal energy or heat. Suppose a 400-horsepower engine grosses out at 80,000 pounds. The engine can probably get up to 40 mph in 1/4 mile or 1,320 feet. The brakes should be able to stop in about 133 feet with this speed and weight.

A full stop from 60 mph might raise the drum temperatures to 600 degrees F. This is about the limit for safe operation. If the brakes aren't right or the load is not distributed properly, then some drums might go up to 800-1,000 degrees F. The drum will increase in diameter as the temperature rises. This is definitely dangerous for the truck driver and the passenger vehicles around the truck. Downhill Break Failure

Some truck drivers don't understand the severe demands put on the brakes by long downhill runs. Brakes had better be right used with the correct braking technique for optimum safety to the bottom. In recent years there had been erroneous information about how to brake on long down hills. It was wrongly suggested that a continuous application of the brakes was the preferred method. However, that is incorrect. Intermittent application or what the trucking industry refers to as snubbing is the preferred method.

The key is not the speed drop; this will depend on weight, grade, and other factors. The key is air pressure -- the application pressure should be high enough to get all the truck brakes working. In practice, unless the brakes are in good condition, tractor-trailer balance is right, and the load is ideally located; the continuous application of the brakes is likely to result in uneven drum and lining temperatures and problems before you get to the bottom of the hill.

Downhill break failure can be prevented when all the brakes are working some of the time instead of some of the brakes working all the time. The application pressure must be high enough to ensure that all brake chambers apply and that all linings make solid contact with the drums - about 20 psi or higher.

Truck rollovers

Big rigs roll easily. If a truck goes around a curve too fast, it will roll over. Trucks can go over in a curve even without going too fast if their rear tires strike something (like the curb) while cornering. Trucks can still roll over at 5 mph especially if backing up while being jackknifed. Some rollovers happen when drivers try to return to the road after putting a tire off the pavement. They can rut in soft ground or catch a pavement separation and roll over.

Truck Jackknifing

The rig jackknifes when the drive axle brakes lock up. Steering axle brakes provide 12 percent of the total braking of a loaded vehicle. Trucks jackknife sooner or later regardless of what the steering axle does even if the steering wheels are pointed straight ahead. Road crown or left/right imbalances will cause jackknifing if the truck slides long enough. Jackknifing will most likely cause a rollover.

Once the brakes are locked, directional control at the axle becomes lost. Sooner or later a sideways pull develops that affects the directional stability of the vehicle which may cause a rollover.

Never attempt to negotiate on your own behalf with a trucking company after a truck accident. Most trucking companies are highly skilled at truck accident investigation and claims practice. These adjusters represent the truck company -- not you. Never make any statements or sign any releases for medical records or employment records. Often the medical release allows the adjuster to talk to the doctors without you or anyone being present.

Truck companies have accident investigators that are on call and dispatched to the scene of the crash as soon as the trucking company learns about an accident. While the families of the accident victims are tending to medical and hospital care and funeral arraignments, the trucking company is busy investigating the accident and gearing up their defense. This is why victims of large truck accidents need a knowledgeable team of truck accident attorneys and investigators on their side…fighting for their rights.

Michael Monheit, Esquire is the managing attorney for Monheit Law, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Monheit Law, P.C. concentrates its practice in the field of plaintiff personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. They can be found at http://www.monheit.com/truck