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Crashes Caused by Trucks
- Livestock Truck Accidents Cause Serious Injuries, Death
- Two Tires Fly off Tractor-Trailer Truck Striking Three Vehicles near Havelock, North Carolina
- Unsafe Lane Change Causes Tractor-trailer to Injure Car's Driver
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Firm News
- Attorney Discusses a Truck Wreck in Culpepper Due to Black Ice
Posted on 2/10/2010 - Attorney Discusses Truck Accidents in Winter Snowstorms
Posted on 2/8/2010 - Law Firm Publishes New Consumer Guide on How to Handle a Truck Wreck
Posted on 1/29/2010 - Attorney Examines New Texting Ban on Commercial Truckers
Posted on 1/26/2010 - Attorney Examines Trucker's Request for Greater Schedule Flexibility
Posted on 1/25/2010
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Crashes Caused by Trucks
- This page provides information about the complexity of trucking insurance and how it differs from regular car insurance. After you've had a chance to review this page, please take a look at our other articles, blogs, videos, and consumer guides on trucking topics.
- Here are some results from our truck accident cases. After you've taken a look, please give us a call at 1-800-752-0042 for a free case analysis.
- Car and Truck Accidents/Personal Injury Law in West Virginia (WV)
How Can You Determine A Trucker Was Tired Before A Crash?
Thirteen percent of semi truck accidents are due to truck driver fatigue. Drivers fall asleep at the wheel or become less responsive to danger because driving longer hours and taking shorter breaks increases truck driver incomes. Trucker fatigue is also often blamed on the shippers instead of the truckers themselves - companies want their merchandise as soon as possible, and often pressure truck drivers to drive long after the conditions are safe. Trucker fatigue can also lead to prescription and non-prescription drug abuse among truck drivers - two habits that can also lead to serious injuries and highway accidents.Even though there are a number of federal regulations to curb truck driver fatigue and lower the rate of truck accident injuries and truck-related fatalities, it is still a substantial problem that shatters the lives of many families across America each year. In fact, it is estimated by the US Department of Transportation that 8,000 large truck crashes a year are due to tired drivers.
One challenge to winning a truck driver fatigue case is proving that the driver was indeed tired and not fit to drive at the time of the accident, and that his sleepiness was the main cause of the accident. There are several way to do this:
- The driver may admit to being tired at the time of the accident - either to witnesses at the scene or to the police during the initial questioning.
- The driver may appear fatigued to police or witnesses, even if he does not admit that this is the reason for the accident. He might have bloodshot eyes. He might not be fully alert.
- A review of the driver's road log could add insight into whether or not he was fit to drive at the time of the accident. The Motor Carrier Safety Regulations permit only a certain number of hours of active duty in a certain time span before the driver should be off the road for safety reasons.
If you think that the truck driver that caused your car accident was suffering from fatigue, you should call a knowledgeable and specialized lawyer immediately. Proving fatigue often means connecting and analyzing a wide range of sources - including the driver's log, the truck's maintenance records, the driver's history, and the witness reports. Only a lawyer will be able to accurately tell you if your case holds enough water for recovery.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.
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Several Injury Attorneys With Our Firm have been Named As Virginia "Super Lawyers" For Personal Injury Law (Lewis, Shapiro - 2009 Ed.)(Less than 5% of Outstanding Lawyers are Chosen); also selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum (Lewis, Shapiro - 2009); named among the Top 100 Lawyers in Virginia by ATLA (Shapiro - 2009), and our law firm was the first Injury Law Firm in Virginia Invited to Join Primerus, a select group of Highly Ethical, Respected Law Firms .
In October, 2000 our law firm and co-counsel obtained, what was then, the largest record verdict in Virginia's history for an injured person (46 Million Dollar Verdict, with Interest, 60 Million Dollars, Settled confidentially during appeal). Click on any icon for more details.
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Our personal injury lawyers handle personal injury cases throughout the eastern USA, and work closely with lawyers in other states on signficant injury cases.
As to Virginia (VA), this includes: Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, Richmond (entire area), Petersburg, Roanoke/Salem, Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, all areas of the Eastern Shore, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague, and Wallops Island, Ashland, Big Stone Gap and any other city/ounty.
As to West Virginia (WV) personal injury claims: Bluefield, Beckley, Bridgeport, Charles Town, Charleston, Fairmont, Huntington, Lewisburg, Madison, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Moundsville, Parkersburg, Ripley, Sutton, Weirton, Wheeling, and any other town or county.
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Case Results
DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE THAT EVERY CASE IS DIFFERENT, AND THE VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS MENTIONED ON THIS WEBSITE, WHILE ACCURATE, DO NOT REPRESENT WHAT WE MAY OBTAIN FOR YOU IN YOUR CASE.
Crashes Caused by Trucks
- MACK truck-trailer-wreck/leg fractures
- Truck-Train crossing collision-back injuries
- Automobile Accident Causing Coma and Paralysis
- Collision Between Two Big Rigs Creates Fireball
- Virginia Automobile Accident
Awarded: Counsel settled with the motorist's insurer, and then with two additional underinsurance carriers for a total settlement of $600,000 which constituted all available insurance.
Awarded: Case settled at mediation for $450,000.00, from the parked truck’s insurance, plus additional monies and concessions from the client’s workers’ compensation insurer
Awarded: The case was settled for $350,000.00 without the necessity of a trial.
FAQs
Crashes Caused by Trucks
- A big rig went out of control on the road, caused a major accident, and I was injured. Can I recover against the driver of the big rig?
- How much time does it take to resolve a truck accident case? Do most cases settle or go to trial?
- How much time do I have after a trucking accident to file a lawsuit?
- Are there different rules that apply to accidents involving commercial trucks?
- Is the law applying to a car and truck wreck case different from a car injury case and how?