Providence Truck Accident Lawyer
Modern commerce requires the use of trucks, and they dominate our nation’s highways. From delivery vans to construction trucks, to huge double-rigged semi trucks, these monsters of the road dwarf passenger cars. So when an accident occurs involving a large truck and a car, the car and its passengers hardly have a chance. The disparity in size and weight is so great that fatalities and catastrophic injuries are a common result. Large trucks were involved in 333,000 traffic crashes in 2012 on U.S. highways, causing 3921 fatalities and another 104,000 non-fatal injuries.
If you or someone in your family has suffered the loss of life or health as a result of an accident in Providence caused by a large commercial truck, you probably have many questions about how to proceed to protect your right to a legal settlement. You may be inundated with medical bills, unable to work, and in pain. Or if you have lost a loved one in a fatal truck crash that was the truck driver’s fault, your emotional suffering and sense of unfairness may be overwhelming.
This is a time when you need the help and support that an experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorney can provide. If the crash was caused by negligence on the part of the truck’s owner, driver, or maintenance provider, you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation that will help you through this difficult time. Select an attorney with a practice devoted exclusively to personal injury law and who has been in practice for many years. In Rhode Island, you will find the level of experience you need and the compassionate support you deserve when you call the law offices of attorney Ronald Resmini in Providence.
Driver Error: the Leading Cause of Truck Accidents
In the trucking business, time is money. Truck drivers are all too often pressured to deliver their load in the very least amount of time possible. Although federal regulations mandate regular rest periods, drivers sometimes manage to circumvent the rules and spend long hours on the road without the required amount of rest, resulting in stress and exhaustion, which can interfere with their focus and alertness, making accidents more likely to occur. They may rely on drugs to help them stay awake and able to work longer hours, pushing through their fatigue. Because of the desire to keep their trucks on the road, trucking companies sometimes overload a truck, delay required maintenance, or skip inspections, creating unnecessary hazards in the interest of increased profits.
Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents
These are some of the most common reasons for truck accidents to occur:
- Driver fatigue
- Driver distraction
- Insufficient driver training
- Alcohol or drug use
- Speeding
- Improper equipment maintenance
- Overloading
- Under-filled tankers
- Failure to secure cargo properly
- Improper securing of trailer to tractor
- Hazards on the road
- Missing underride guard
- Aggressive driving
- Failure to maintain tires, resulting in tread burn and blowouts
- Stopping suddenly in traffic
- Failing to check blind spots during turns and lane changes
- Braking suddenly on a curve or when going downhill, causing the truck to jackknife
- Over-correcting when wheels run off the pavement
Kinds of Truck Accidents
Trucks are hard to maneuver, slow to stop in an emergency situation, and have larger blind spots, making lane changes and turns tricky. Uneven loading and sloshing liquids in tankers can make trucks unstable and difficult to control. Accidents come in many types, including among others:
- Collisions caused by unsafe lane changes and turns
- Jackknifes
- Tire blowouts
- Rollovers
- Under-ride accidents
- Oil Spills
- Toxic chemical releases
- Fires
Types of Injuries from Truck Accidents
A fully loaded semi truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, so any type of collision is serious and may result in life-threatening injuries. At the Resmini law firm, we see extremely serious injuries that require years of medical treatment and rehabilitation, and sometimes permanent disability requiring a lifetime of intensive personal care and assistance with the most basic tasks.
The ability of the victim and family to cope with a catastrophic injury is often dependent on receiving a large enough settlement or verdict to cover the costs involved. Some of the types of injuries that occur include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Spinal cord damage, often with paralysis
- Internal injuries and bleeding
- Severe fractures
- Catastrophic burns
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Nerve damage
- Debilitating chronic pain
- Psychological disturbance, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)
- Death
Hiring the Right Lawyer for Your Truck Accident Injury Case
When choosing a lawyer for your Providence personal injury case, it is important that you choose someone with specific experience in truck accident case. There are two reasons why this is especially important:
- Your lawyer must be thoroughly familiar with federal and state trucking regulations.
- Your lawyer must understand the long-term ramifications of catastrophic injuries and the costs and damages involved.
For the expertise that comes with four decades of focused experience in truck accidents and serious personal injury cases in Rhode Island, choose the Resmini law firm. Call today for a free consultation. You will have no out-of pocket expenses, and you will only pay legal fees if we win money for you and your family. Don’t wait. Let us begin our investigation now, while evidence is still fresh and before statutory time limits expire. Call the Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, Accident & Injury Lawyers, Ltd. at (401) 751-8855 today.