18 Wheeler (Tractor Trailer) Accident

Large tractor-trailers are a frequent sight on our roads, but the dangers posed by these large trucks have not diminished. Truck drivers are pressed to deliver loads in a timely manner and drive long hours. As a result driver fatigue often causes accidents. Improper maintenance often compounds the problem. Large tractor-trailers also present problems for other drivers in seeing the trucks. It is therefore important that the tractor-trailers comply with the federal law on reflective devices on the tractor-trailers. The lawyer representing a person injured in a tractor-trailer accident must have experience in fatal accident investigations, forensic analysis of accident scenes, thorough familiarity with federal regulations governing trucks and truck drivers, as well as extensive experience in understanding and presenting an injured party’s medical condition. It is important that the attorneys have the attorneys have the experience necessary to retain and work with experienced forensic engineers who can reconstruct an accident scene and determine how an accident was caused and what could have prevented it. It is also necessary that the attorneys have the experience and knowledge to effectively present this information to the insurance company and the jury. This involves use of the latest in computer animation, computer modeling, and video and film presentations. Our attorneys have effectively used these media to present our clients’ cases. For example, we have designed and built six by eight foot models of neighborhoods, complete with houses, trees and bystanders, to illustrate how an accident happened. We have also “recreated” an accident in a movie studio using the latest in lighting technology to illustrate how our client was excusably unable to see a tractor-trailer due to blinding sunlight.

Federal regulations limit the number of hours a truck driver may drive and the number of hours he may be “on duty.”Logbooks are required to be kept recording these hours of service. However, these logbooks are not required to be kept indefinitely and must be protected from being destroyed after an accident. It is imperative after an accident that an attorney demand the log books be kept secure by the trucking company.

Once the logbooks are obtained the attorney will need to reconstruct the truck driver’s activities. It is not uncommon to find the truck drivers reporting they have driven fewer hours than they actually have. This underreporting is often found when checking the mileage driven. For example, in one case the driver logged a 400-mile trip in only 5 hours, meaning he must have averaged 80 miles per hour in speed.

If you or a loved one has been in a wreck with an 18-wheeler, call KeenerLaw.com at 770-955-3000 for a free consultation.