1 in 10 highway deaths results from a crash involving a large truck
Accidents involving large trucks are among the most serious and deadly incidents on the road. With a typical semi-truck weighing up to 80,000 pounds, a crash between a tractor-trailer and a typical passenger vehicle will almost certainly lead to enormous damage and severe injuries.
Unfortunately, these crashes are all too common: about 1 in 10 highway deaths results from a crash involving a large truck, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
At the Law Offices of George A. Malliaros, we recognize that handling these cases requires a thorough understanding of trucking regulations on both the federal and state level. Trucking companies are required to follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations concerning their equipment and their drivers’ hours of service, and we have the experience with these complicated rules to examine all of the relevant circumstances and determine whether the driver and/or trucking company violated the law and acted with negligence.
Driver Fatigue: A Serious Problem
In Massachusetts, the Department of Transportation is responsible for adopting regulations regarding the safety of motor carriers (M.G.L. Ch 159B, § 16). Driver fatigue is a common problem, and hours of service regulations are routinely violated (M.G.L. Ch 159B, § 18) as trucking companies and drivers push themselves to meet deadlines and maximize profits. Careful examination of records after a trucking accident often shows serious and even fraudulent violations of the FMCSA safety regulations.
However, trucking companies are only required to maintain their records for six months. Unless an attorney obtains these records before they are destroyed, the injured person or the survivors of a person killed in a truck wreck will have a very difficult time proving that the trucking company’s negligence caused the crash.
Injured in a Truck Crash? George A. Malliaros Can Help
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident with a semi-truck or other large commercial vehicle, call the Law Offices of George A. Malliaros now at (978) 452-6641 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free initial consultation with an attorney. We handle personal injury cases on a contingent fee arrangement, which means we only charge you attorney’s fees if and when we achieve a monetary award or settlement on your behalf.
Remember: it’s important that you move quickly and contact us so we can preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and call on physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. Additionally, the statute of limitations could take away your right to legal action if you wait too long, so don’t delay — contact us and schedule your free consultation now.
References
Large trucks. (2016, February). Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Retrieved from http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/large-trucks/fatalityfacts/large-trucks