The expert blog 0796

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Truck Accident? A tractor-trailer crash often involves more than one responsible party. The driver, the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, the company that loaded the cargo and the manufacturer of a defective part can each play a role. Working out who is legally responsible is an early task for a truck accident attorney, because each responsible party may have separate insurance. The truck driver The starting point is usually

How Long a Tractor-Trailer Crash Claim Takes, Stage by Stage Truck accident claims move through stages that may take months or even years. Some periods apply to the trucking company, such as how long it must keep certain records, while others apply to the injured person, such as the statute of limitations. A truck accident attorney can explain where a given claim sits in this sequence, though no two claims follow the same path. Right after the crash Medical care comes

Tractor-Trailer Crash Claim Timeline: From the Crash to Settlement Truck accident claims move through stages that may take months or even years. Some periods apply to the trucking company, such as how long it must keep certain records, while others apply to the injured person, such as the statute of limitations. A truck accident lawyer can explain where a particular claim stands in this sequence, although every claim is different. The first hours and days Emergency ca

What FMCSA and NHTSA Data Show About Large Truck Crashes Federal crash data gives a national picture of how often large trucks are involved in serious crashes. The figures below come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and each is labeled with its year. A tractor-trailer crash lawyer might use figures like these for context, but statistics describe patterns across many crashes rather th

Black Box (ECM) and ELD Evidence in Semi-Truck Crash Cases When a tractor-trailer crash causes serious injuries, the most detailed account of the final seconds before impact is often stored inside the truck itself. Most people call it the black box, yet the term covers several separate systems. For an 18-wheeler accident lawyer, knowing which device keeps which data shapes the first evidence requests in a case. What the black box means on a commercial truck Most heavy

Hours of Service Violations in Tractor-Trailer Crash Claims When a semi-truck crash happens near the end of a long shift, an early question is whether the driver was within the federal hours-of-service limits. Fatigue leaves little physical trace at a crash scene, which is why the answer tends to come from records instead of the road itself. A truck accident lawyer looking at one of these claims usually starts by comparing the driver's logs against every other record of the

What FMCSA and NHTSA Data Show About Truck Accidents National crash data shows how often large trucks are involved in serious crashes. The figures below come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and each is labeled with its year. A truck accident attorney might use figures like these for context, but statistics describe patterns across many crashes, not what happened in a single one.

Jackknife and Underride Crashes in 18-Wheeler Crash Claims Underride and jackknife crashes are two tractor-trailer crash types that often cause severe injuries. An underride crash happens when a smaller vehicle slides partly or completely beneath a trailer or truck body. A jackknife occurs when the tractor and trailer fold toward each other, often across several lanes. Each type raises its own evidence questions for a truck accident lawyer. What makes underride crashes d