Semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles weigh up to 20 times more than passenger cars. They have a greater impact in a collision and can cause more severe injuries. A commercial truck accident can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and leave accident victims with long-term disabilities and other health problems. What’s more, demanding fair compensation can prove challenging if you try to deal with a trucking company or its insurer on your own.
If you were hurt in a truck accident in Paducah, the attorneys at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can help you pursue justice. We have the Kentucky Courage to stand up to big trucking companies, which has helped us recover millions of dollars on behalf of Kentuckians who were coping with serious injuries. Let us put our experience, skill, and determination to work for you.
Contact us today for a free consultation with a commercial truck accident attorney in Paducah, KY. Learn more about your legal options.
Common Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents
Some of the most common causes of commercial truck accidents in the Paducah, KY, area include:
- Impaired driving – Because commercial vehicles weigh significantly more than passenger cars and are more difficult to control, they are especially dangerous when operated by someone intoxicated by drugs or alcohol. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which oversees the interstate trucking industry, has strict rules on impaired driving. While the legal limit for most Kentucky drivers is a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent, the FMCSA limit for commercial drivers is 0.04 percent. Commercial drivers must adhere to the more stringent standard for alcohol consumption because of the potential harm an intoxicated truck driver can cause in a fully loaded truck.
- Drowsy driving – When truck drivers get behind the wheel without sufficient rest, they put themselves and everyone else on the road in jeopardy. The National Safety Council reports that driving after more than 20 hours without sleep affects drivers’ performance to about the same degree as if they had a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent. Without sufficient sleep, truck drivers are likely to have slower recognition of roadway hazards and impaired judgment and reflexes when responding to a hazard. The FMCSA has Hours of Service rules that limit the number of hours per day that truck drivers can drive without a mandatory rest break. The rules are intended to reduce the risk of fatigued driving, but not all truck drivers or trucking companies obey the regulations.
- Distracted driving – Any driver who becomes distracted behind the wheel poses a risk to others on the road. When the driver is operating an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer truck, the risks can be deadly. If truckers don’t keep their hands on the wheel, their eyes on the road, and their focus on driving, they could hit another car and cause devastating injuries. Kentucky law bans all drivers from texting while driving if their vehicle is in motion. The FMCSA implemented similar rules that prohibit commercial vehicle drivers and bus drivers from texting while driving. The rule restricts truck drivers from holding a mobile phone or pressing multiple buttons to make a phone call while driving.
- Speeding – It takes much more distance for an 80,000-pound truck to slow down than a 3,000-pound sedan. Truck drivers need to take into account the longer stopping distances needed when traveling on congested roads and highways. If the driver doesn’t allow enough stopping distance, the truck could slam into the rear or side of another vehicle. Truck drivers should pay extra attention when driving at night or in bad weather and adjust their speed and following distance accordingly to prevent accidents.
- Mechanical defects – Commercial trucks are complicated machines that rely on thousands of small components to operate safely. If a truck’s brakes, transmission, steering, tires, or other critical components fail due to a design or manufacturing defect, the manufacturer of the defective part may be financially liable. Truck drivers should inspect the condition of the truck before each trip.
- Maintenance issues – Regulators place strict maintenance rules on commercial trucks to reduce the chances of an accident due to a catastrophic mechanical failure. Unfortunately, not all trucking companies or truck drivers abide by the regulations as they should. This disregard for safety can cause a collision if a part fails or a tire blows out. Truck maintenance workers sometimes cut corners or do sloppy work, which can cause a crash if critical components aren’t replaced or repaired.
- Loose, unbalanced, or shifting cargo – Commercial trucks have a higher center of gravity than passenger vehicles, making them more prone to overturn. Keeping a truck’s cargo balanced and secured is crucial to ensuring a tractor-trailer’s stability, especially when navigating curves. If a truck’s cargo shifts in transit, it can cause a truck driver to lose control and the truck to overturn.
- Poor training or inexperience – It takes practice and training for commercial truck drivers to learn how to handle 18-wheelers. When trucking companies fail to train or supervise their drivers properly, they put everyone on the road in danger.
Potential Injuries After Truck Accidents
Because commercial trucks weigh so much more than passenger cars, they are more likely to cause catastrophic injuries in a collision. Common injuries in Kentucky truck accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- External injuries to the face
- Head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Crushed limbs
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Injuries to internal organs
- Severe burns
- Broken bones
- Lacerations and puncture wounds
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Emotional distress
How To Protect Your Rights and Well-Being After a Commercial Truck Crash?
What you do after a truck crash can affect your case and how much compensation you recover. Here are steps you can take to protect your health and rights after a commercial truck crash in Paducah, KY:
- Call a truck accident lawyer – Seeking the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney immediately after a collision can prevent a misstep that undermines your claim. A Paducah truck accident attorney at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can explain your legal options and investigate the truck crash while you receive medical treatment. Our attorneys know the kinds of evidence needed to develop a solid case on your behalf. The sooner you speak to an attorney, the more the attorney can do to develop your claim.
- Call 911 to report the collision – Serious injuries are common in truck accidents. You should summon emergency medical personnel to the scene. Calling 911 should bring the police to the scene to investigate. The police report documents the incident and who was involved. It can prove useful as you pursue a personal injury claim.
- Get the truck driver’s information – The more information you can get from the truck driver, the better. After calling 911, ask the truck driver for their name, address, commercial driver’s license number, insurance information, and the name of their employer.
- Document the crash scene – If your injuries don’t prevent you from doing so, use your phone to take photos of the vehicles damaged in the crash, your injuries, and the general crash area. Save these photos in a secure place. It’s also a good idea to look for eyewitnesses and note the location of any nearby surveillance cameras.
- Seek medical attention – An ambulance may transport you to the hospital from the scene of the truck accident. If you don’t require emergency medical attention, you should see a doctor immediately. A doctor can examine you for any internal injuries, such as a concussion. A doctor’s evaluation creates a record linking your injuries to the accident.
- Save your medical records and receipts – Your medical bills and receipts are evidence of your physical and financial losses from a truck crash. Hold on to them. They may help your attorney calculate your losses related to the truck accident.
- Stay off social media – No matter how private you think your social media posts are, insurers and trucking companies may still be able to find them and use them out of context to call into question the seriousness of your injuries. Stay off social media.
- Don’t give any statements to insurance companies – Along similar lines, speak to an attorney before providing a recorded statement to an insurance company. Anything you say could come back to haunt you. A lawyer at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can handle all the communications with the insurance companies on your behalf.
How To Prove Liability in a Commercial Truck Accident?
To recover compensation after a truck accident, you must show that another party caused the crash and is financially liable for your injuries. Liable parties could include any of the following:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The truck’s manufacturer
- Parts manufacturers
- Cargo loaders
- Maintenance workers
- Other drivers
You’ll need strong evidence to prove your case after a crash.
Valuable evidence in truck accident cases includes:
- The truck’s electronic data recorder
- Police accident reports
- Forensic evidence from the crash scene
- Surveillance camera footage
- Eyewitness accounts
- Expert testimony
- Medical records
- The truck driver’s logs
- Bills of lading/cargo manifests
- Records from the trucking company
- The truck’s maintenance log
How Much Compensation Can You Get for a Commercial Truck Accident?
How much compensation you recover in a truck accident case depends on numerous factors, including the severity of your injuries, the strength of the evidence, the experience of your lawyer, and other factors. Depending on the circumstances, you may seek compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced future earnings
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Damaged personal property
Hire a Paducah Commercial Truck Accident Lawyer
Our Paducah commercial truck accident lawyers want to help you fight for maximum compensation after a collision caused by someone else. If you are recovering from serious injuries, you have enough on your plate. Let our Kentucky Courage attorneys handle the paperwork and deal with the insurance companies on your behalf. Call Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer today or visit our contact page for a free consultation.
