Car Accident With Truck Injury Lawyer MN

 

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Car Hit By Semi Truck Attorneys Minnesota

MN TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS – CAR HIT BY SEMI TRACTOR

Tractor trailer accidents cause a disproportionate number of injuries and deaths. Of course, it is worst when a car is hit by a truck. There is a huge difference in size and weight between a semi truck and a car. Therefore, these car hit by truck crashes are especially destructive and devastating. Our car accident injury attorneys represent people in a car or other vehicle hit by a truck. We handle these cases in Minnesota every year. As a result, we recognize that people are typically more injured in this type of auto accident than other crashes.

Nationwide, large trucks (known as tractor trailers, semi-trucks, eighteen wheelers, diesels, or big rigs) make up only about 3% of the vehicles on the road. However, the odds of being killed in a car accident where a truck or tractor trailer is involved are far higher.

HIT BY SEMI TRUCK SERIOUS INJURY

Our MN semi-truck auto accident lawyers see far too many people who have been seriously injured or killed in car accidents caused by tractor trailers or trucks. Sometimes our client’s vehicle is hit by a truck or rear ended, and sometimes the accident is caused because the truck jack knifed, or the truck rolled over. Of course, these crashes are almost always preventable.

Common causes of semi truck accidents that our attorneys see include: Poor Driver Training – Driver Fatigue (Tiredness) – Speeding – Overloaded Trucks and Oversized Trucks. Other causes of a truck accident include Brake Failure – Driver Inexperience – Failure To Yield The Right-Of-Way – Driving Under The Influence of Alcohol Or Drugs, and Aggressive, Dangerous Or Reckless Driving. Truckers and trucking companies must be mindful of each of these trucking accident causes.

TRUCK DRIVER DISTRACTED OR TIRED

Driver fatigue is a particularly dangerous and frequent, — and completely preventable — cause of truck crashes. Nearly 15 years ago, the NTSB issued a report warning of truck driver fatigue dangers (http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety_recs.html). The NTSB found that trucker fatigue was a contributing factor in 30%-40% of all truck accidents. The NTSB concluded that proper sleep patterns are imperative for truck driver safety.

Truckers must get 8 hours of continuous sleep after driving for 10 hours or after being on duty for 15 hours, for proper safety. The NTSB just recently issued a warning (http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/safetystudies/SS1301.pdf) that truck drivers should also be screened for a medical condition called sleep apnea. When you call our office about an auto accident caused by a truck, truck driver fatigue is something our lawyer will investigate. For example, we will examine log books and compare them to the stops the trucker made.

Sleep apnea denies people the rest they need. In fact, lack of sleep has been found to be a factor in incidents involving every transportation mode.

Suggestions to protect yourself from semi truck accidents while you are driving

  • Do not “tailgate” behind a big rig. Remember, if you cannot see the mirrors on the tractor’s cab, then the truck driver cannot see you. You also need to give yourself plenty of time to stop your own vehicle if there is an emergency ahead.
  • Always use caution around semi trucks. Semi-trucks can weigh more than 80,000 pounds and are not as agile as a passenger vehicle. It can be difficult for semi trucks to stop or swerve to avoid a collision.
  • Do not “cut off” a tractor trailer. Aggressive driving may distract or catch a truck driver off guard. Such driving also reduces the available stopping distance for the tractor trailer in the event of an emergency.

How To Determine The Cause Of A Tractor Trailer Accident With a Car – MN Attorneys

It may be difficult to determine the cause of a semi-truck accident with a car. Our truck accident lawyers have found that it sometimes takes an experienced team of investigators to determine the cause of a trucking accident. As a starting point, the Minnesota State Patrol sends an investigator to evaluate the truck and truck driver after almost every semi tractor accident in MN.

In many cases, particularly if there is a serious injury, the Minnesota State Patrol will also send an accident reconstructionist. An accident reconstructionist will measure and photograph the collision site. They will use these measurements and their engineering knowledge to calculate the speed of the vehicles involved in the collision, the impact forces, and the way the vehicles moved after impact.

The accident reconstructionist can determine if one of the vehicles was speeding or failed to yield the right-of-way. They can also determine if the vehicle could have slowed or stopped to avoid the collision. Our truck car accident lawyers also have our own accident reconstructionist we will send to evaluate the evidence after the crash.

EXPERTS TO PROVE TRUCK CAUSED CRASH

A truck driving (or trucking) expert can determine if either the truck driver and/or the trucking company acted improperly or was negligent. The trucking expert will examine the driver’s logs, gas receipts, schedule, manifest, GPS and onboard data information. They will determine if the truck driver or trucking company violated regulations or industry standards.

A semi-truck accident injury attorney at our firm will also examine these documents to determine how and why the accident happened. In addition, our car crash attorneys frequently use our own MN investigators and reconstructionists where the Minnesota State Patrol investigation was not conclusive.

HIT BY TRUCK INJURY LAWYERS MN

If you are injured because a truck or semi tractor trailer hit your car or caused your accident, please call one of our top MN attorneys for a free consultation. Pam Rochlin and David Rochlin are Minnesota personal injury lawyers with more than 25 years’ experience. We represent people injured in car and truck accident injury cases. This includes cases where a family member is killed because a semi truck hit a car.

A top truck accident attorney will discuss your case with you and explain your rights. We are also happy to meet with you at our office or your home. Our Minnesota truck semi tractor car accident lawyers will meet with you to discuss your case and injuries at our offices in Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Woodbury, and Edina.

Our auto accident lawyers also frequently meet with people at their homes to discuss their auto accident with a semi truck case. Our lawyers come to St. Paul MN, Chanhassen, Chaska, and Eden Prairie. Also, Maple Grove, Rogers MN, and Brooklyn Park. Also, Forest Lake, Burnsville, Rogers, Apple Valley, Roseville, Maplewood, and other surrounding cities in Minnesota. There is no obligation on your part. We never charge anything unless you receive compensation.