Truck Wrecks

Truck wrecks can be serious and fatal. In fact amongst all vehicle accidents, truck wrecks are most fatal.

A truck wreck or accident can be caused reasons including the following:

• Lack of training or experience on the part of the truck driver
• Overloaded or oversized trucks
• Poorly maintained truck brakes
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Truck drivers driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol
• Aggressive driving behavior
• Running off the road
• Unsafe safety systems, reflectors, lights, and other warning devices
• Speeding over the limit or driving at high speeds beyond the road and weather conditions
• Fatigued or tired driver; driving too long and too many hours without rest
• Driving in conditions of poor visibility due to fog, snow, rain, or smoke (e.g. Truck rain accident)
• Dangerous or reckless truck driver with a long record of wrecks and fatal traffic accidents
• Failure of truck to install an under-ride protection under-guard.

Truck wrecks caused by defective engine or steering components injure many people every year. Even when no physical injuries occur as a result of a truck wreck, often cause toxic and hazardous chemical spills that endanger both the environment and innocent passersby. The fatality rates in truck wrecks are substantially higher than in vehicle-to-vehicle collisions, as is the rate of catastrophic injuries involving brain injury, spinal cord injury, dismemberment and other serious injuries. Federal regulations require that a commercial carrier maintain a truck driver's log for at least six months unless otherwise ordered by a court of law. Commercial trucks are also required to carry some levels of insurance coverage, depending on materials hauled.

A victim of a truck wreck can collect compensation for property damage, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or for the wrongful death of a family member. However the victim must establish that:

• the driver or commercial carrier operated or maintained the truck in a negligent manner or
• there was negligence on the part of the truck driver. The truck driver failed to act as a reasonable person would in similar circumstances or the driver or carrier failed to adhere to safety regulations.

If you have been involved in a truck wreck in West VA, an insurance adjustor may contact you and ask you to either give a statement or sign a release.

If you sign a release, you may end up giving up your rights or reducing the value of your claim. If you or any of your loved ones have suffered a truck accident, you are entitled to claim damages and compensation for the injuries suffered. Auto accidents in West VA are not uncommon, and when this happens, Anapol Schwartz can direct you to their truck accident attorney who lives and works in West Va.