Truck Accidents Over 100 Years of Collective Experience

MICHIGAN TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS

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Did you know that a person is injured or killed in a truck accident every 16 minutes? Few things are more terrifying than being involved in a collision with a semi-truck or commercial motor vehicle (CMV). These massive big rigs can weigh anywhere from 20 to 30 times more than the average passenger car vehicle, putting other drivers at far greater risks of serious injury during an accident.

When you consider that over half of all large truck crashes involve a tractor-trailer colliding with another type of car, it’s little wonder that thousands of people are killed and injured in truck accidents every year.

If negligent behavior or an irresponsible company caused your truck accident, Grewal Law can help you secure justice. Call us today at (888) 211-5798.

Common Types of Truck Accidents

A truck accident refers to a collision or incident involving a commercial truck or a large vehicle designed for transporting goods. These accidents can lead to significant property damage, injuries, and even fatalities due to the size and weight of these vehicles.

Common types of truck accidents include:

Rear-End Collisions: This occurs when a truck collides with the vehicle in front of it. Rear-end collisions often result from the truck driver's failure to maintain a safe following distance or from sudden stops by the vehicle in front.
Jackknife Accidents: A jackknife accident occurs when the trailer of a truck swings out to the side, forming a 90-degree angle with the cab. This typically happens when the trailer loses traction and skids.
Rollover Accidents: Rollovers involve the truck tipping onto its side or roof. These accidents can occur due to various factors, such as speeding, sharp turns, uneven road surfaces, or improper cargo loading.
Underride Accidents: An underride accident happens when a smaller vehicle collides with the rear or side of a truck and becomes partially or fully trapped underneath it. These accidents can be especially deadly for occupants of the smaller vehicle.
Head-On Collisions: Head-on collisions involve a truck colliding with another vehicle from the front. These accidents can result from various factors, including driver error, impaired driving, or dangerous road conditions.
Blind Spot Accidents: Trucks have large blind spots, and accidents can occur when other vehicles enter and remain in these blind spots, making them invisible to the truck driver. When the truck changes lanes or makes a turn, it can lead to collisions.
Tire Blowouts: A blown tire on a truck can lead to loss of control and accidents. Poor tire maintenance, overloading, and road hazards are common causes of tire blowouts.
Brake Failures: Brake failures in a truck can result in an inability to slow down or stop, leading to accidents. Inadequate maintenance and overuse of brakes are typical causes.
Cargo Spills: If cargo is not properly secured or loaded, it can shift or spill, causing a loss of control for the truck driver and potentially leading to accidents.
Wide Turns: Trucks often require a significant amount of space to make turns safely. Accidents can occur when they swing too wide, encroaching into other lanes and colliding with other vehicles.
Runaway Trucks: Runaway truck accidents happen when a truck loses its brakes and is unable to stop, typically descending a steep hill at high speed.
Hazardous Materials Accidents: Trucks carrying hazardous materials can be involved in accidents that result in spills or leaks, posing a significant danger to both the environment and public safety.

Why You Need an Attorney for Your Truck Accident Case

Truck accidents are typically devastating, with victims suffering life-altering, catastrophic injuries. Because special rules and laws apply to commercial carriers, it's crucial that you have an experienced Michigan truck accident attorney on your side who can thoroughly investigate the accident, determine what happened, and discover who is liable for your injuries and other losses.

At Grewal Law PLLC, we are well-versed in complicated personal injury and wrongful death claims. Our team has more than 100 years of combined legal experience and has been helped severely injured victims and their families for decades. We can help you fully understand your legal options and help you fight for the maximum compensation you are owed after a serious accident. We have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients; call us to find out how we can help you with your case.

Call (888) 211-5798 or fill out and submit an online contact form to request a free, no-obligation case evaluation today.

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Common Causes of Big Rig Accidents

The United States Department of Transportation estimates that over 500,000 truck accidents occur every year. Much like other types of motor vehicle accidents, such as car and motorcycle accidents, large truck collisions occur for a wide variety of reasons. All too often, these devastating collisions are the result of negligence, either on the part of the truck driver, the trucking company, a manufacturer, or another party.

Some of the most common causes of big rig accidents include:

Distracted Driving: Distracted driving is a significant factor in many truck accidents. This can include activities like texting, talking on the phone, eating, or using in-cab entertainment systems while driving. These distractions divert the driver's attention from the road, reducing their ability to react to potential hazards.
Operating While Intoxicated (OWI/DUI): Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a dangerous behavior that impairs a driver's judgment, coordination, and reaction time, increasing the risk of accidents.
Speeding: Excessive speed, whether due to pressure to meet tight delivery schedules or other reasons, can lead to loss of control, reduced stopping distances, and more severe collisions in the event of an accident.
Reckless or Aggressive Driving: Aggressive driving behaviors like tailgating, frequent lane changes, and road rage can lead to unsafe driving conditions and increase the risk of accidents.
Failing to Yield the Right-of-Way: Failure to yield the right-of-way at intersections, during lane changes, or when merging onto highways can result in collisions, especially when the truck driver is inattentive.
Illegal and/or Dangerous Driving Maneuvers: Trucks attempting illegal or risky maneuvers, such as illegal U-turns or cutting off other vehicles, can create hazardous conditions on the road.
Overloaded and/or Improperly Loaded Cargo: Overloading or improperly securing cargo can affect a truck's stability and handling, increasing the risk of accidents, especially during sudden stops or turns.
Violation of Hours-of-Service Regulations: Fatigue-related accidents can occur when truck drivers exceed legal limits on driving hours, fail to take required rest breaks, or falsify their logbooks to meet unrealistic delivery schedules.
Defective Truck Parts or Design: Mechanical failures, such as brake or tire issues, steering problems, or defective components, can lead to accidents. These may be the result of manufacturing defects or inadequate maintenance.
Improper Truck Maintenance: Inadequate maintenance, including neglected brake, tire, and engine maintenance, can result in equipment failures that lead to accidents.

Trucking Rules and Regulations

The fact that large trucks can cause such catastrophic damage to other motorists in the event of an accident is not lost on policy makers. Over the years, regulations have been passed that dictate the conditions in which truckers are allowed to drive and how trucking companies must treat their employees.

The end result, truck drivers are required to follow more laws than other motor vehicles both on and off the road. One of these rules is called the hours of service regulation, which aims to prevent fatigued driving, thus the laws are aimed at ensuring that truck drivers are not overworked and get an adequate amount of rest each day. According to this law:

Truck drivers can work a maximum of 14 hour workdays. Of these 14 hours truckers can only drive for 11 hours, with the remaining time spent on rest or meal breaks
Truck drivers must rest for at least 10 consecutive hours before beginning a new workday
Truck drivers are required to take days off work at regular intervals

Unfortunately, whether due to truck driver negligence or, often seen, pressure from the trucking companies these rules are not always followed which can raise the chances of an accident occurring significantly. If you or a loved one has been injured, don’t hesitate to contact our firm for help today.

Our legal team is backed by 100+ years of combined experience and we have recovered millions for our clients. Call today to arrange a free consultation.

Call (888) 211-5798 or fill out and submit an online contact form to request a free, no-obligation case evaluation today.

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Truck Accident Claim FAQs

What Counts as a Commercial Motor Vehicle?

Variously called 18-wheelers, big rigs, tractor-trailers, and semi-trucks, there are a wide number of names for the largest vehicles that traverse our nation’s highways. Whether you were involved in a large-scale tanker truck accident or a smaller trailer, however, the truck will be classified as a “commercial motor vehicle” or CMV if it weighs more than 10,001 pounds. If the vehicle weighs more than 26,000 pounds, the driver is required to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and submit to regular alcohol and drug testing, road tests, and inspections, among other regulations. When the driver fails to meet these standards, they may be considered negligent.

Who is Liable to Cover My Injuries?

Liability for a truck accident in Michigan, as in most other jurisdictions, can be complex and may involve multiple parties. The determination of liability depends on the specific circumstances of the accident.

The following are the primary parties that can be held liable for a truck accident in Michigan:

Truck Driver: The truck driver is often the first party examined for liability. If the driver's negligence, such as distracted driving, speeding, driving under the influence, or reckless behavior, caused or contributed to the accident, they can be held personally liable.
Trucking Company: The trucking company that employs the driver can also be held liable if it is found to have been negligent in any way. This may include failing to properly train, supervise, or monitor their drivers, as well as enforcing unrealistic delivery schedules that encourage drivers to exceed hours-of-service regulations.
Owner of the Truck: If the truck is not owned by the trucking company but is instead owned by a separate entity or individual, that owner may be liable for the accident if their negligence, such as improper maintenance or mechanical defects, contributed to the crash.
Maintenance and Repair Providers: Companies or individuals responsible for maintaining or repairing the truck can be held liable if their negligence in servicing the vehicle results in a mechanical failure that causes the accident.
Shippers and Cargo Loaders: Parties involved in loading and securing the cargo on the truck can be held liable if improperly loaded or unsecured cargo contributes to the accident.
Manufacturers of Defective Parts: If a defective truck part, such as brakes, tires, or a critical component, contributed to the accident, the manufacturer or distributor of that part may be held liable.
Government Entities: In some cases, poor road conditions, inadequate signage, or other road-related factors can contribute to accidents. In such cases, government entities responsible for road maintenance and safety may be liable.
Other Drivers: Other drivers who share the road with the truck can also be held liable if their actions, such as sudden lane changes or failing to yield the right-of-way, contributed to the accident.

Determining liability for a truck accident often requires a thorough investigation, including accident reconstruction, witness statements, and analysis of electronic data from the truck's black box (if available). Michigan follows a no-fault insurance system, which means that victims of truck accidents can often pursue compensation from their own insurance providers for medical expenses and lost wages, regardless of fault. However, for non-economic damages like pain and suffering, liability must be established against the at-fault party.

Why Do I Need an Investigation of My Truck Accident?

After a commercial motor vehicle crash, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or FMCSA will look to provide a full investigation of the incident, working with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). However, these investigators are not looking for evidence related to your injuries and may miss important details for your claim. If you work with an experienced truck accident attorney, they can hire experts or perform an investigation of their own, as well as request the driver’s qualification file (DQF) and other regulatory documents about the driver’s performance. This may improve the quality of your case by revealing a pattern of negligence or carelessness, either by the company or the driver.

What Damages Can I Seek in a Truck Accident Case?

Because of their size, a big rig accident is far more likely to result in life-altering, catastrophic injuries for all parties involved – and especially for those in smaller vehicles, such as a passenger car or a motorcycle. When you’ve been seriously injured, you don’t just need assistance with paying for medical bills. You could have many ongoing costs and bills to pay, including long-term care for any disabilities and ongoing rehabilitation therapy.

For a confidential, no-cost consultation, contact us at (888) 211-5798 or reach out to our team online.

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