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Essex County Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck Accidents can be some of the most devastating accidents on the road due to the heavy vehicle often colliding with a smaller vehicle. These accidents can leave serious injuries, medical bills, and other damages that have victims searching for an Essex County truck accident lawyer to provide representation for their injury claim so they can recover their just compensation.

truck accident lawyer at Omni Injury & Accident Law, P.C. is here to help these victims through the entire claim process. From providing accident investigation assistance to determining liability to filing a lawsuit and representing you in court, if necessary, our legal expert will leave no stone unturned to get you the compensation that you deserve.

How can a Essex County Truck Accident Lawyer Help You

Truck accident cases can be incredibly complex, with issues such as vicarious liability in truck accidents and preserving evidence commonly popping up. An Essex County truck accident attorney is an expert in dealing with the various issues that pop up, so your claim stays on track.

Furthermore, a truck accident attorney in Essex County, is familiar with the area’s traffic laws and conditions and understands where and why truck accidents commonly occur and is experienced in dealing with the local court system. Additionally, an Essex County attorney is familiar with dealing with area insurance adjusters and understands how commercial trucking companies avoid liability and will work to ensure that at-fault parties are held accountable.

Truck Accident Lawyer in Essex County

Frequently Asked Questions for Truck Accident

There are many reasons that truck accidents occur in Essex County ranging from pure accidents to reckless or unlawful conduct.  Some of the most common truck accident causes in Essex County include:

Driver Fatigue

Truck driver fatigue is a common cause of truck accidents. While driving hours of commercial truck drivers is heavily regulated nationwide by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) through hours of service rules, drivers can still get tired, or worse, they can exceed the driving hour limit prescribed by the hours of service regulations due to something like job consequences for late deliveries, resulting in fatigue.

Driver fatigue, caused by factors such as hours of service violations, antiviral drugs for a medical condition, or excessive daytime sleepiness, can affect a driver’s reaction time and judgment, making an accident more likely for a truck driver fatigue accident to occur. In addition to violations of the federal regulations, a failure to acknowledge signs of fatigue, such trouble keeping the head up creates dangerous situations, on the road as failure to notice fatigue is a factor in many fatigue-related accidents.

An attorney can assist with a driver fatigue truck accident lawsuit if you have been injured by the driver of a commercial motor vehicle’s drowsy driving in one of these accidents. Attorneys can work with the black box data in truck accidents to try to determine if the fatigued truck driver is in violation of driving hour regulations.

Distracted Driving

While the driver of any vehicle can be guilty of being distracted, the consequences of a semi-truck driver driving distracted can be catastrophic. Distracted driving is when a driver of a large truck’s attention is on something other than the road such as a cellphone, eating, messing with the radio, or anything else that distracts the driver from the road or has the driver zoning out. 

For example, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that texting while driving increases crash risk by 23 times. If you were injured in an accident by a distracted truck driver, you may have 18 wheeler accident claims that could result in substantial compensation.

Improper Maintenance

When an 18-wheeler is not properly maintained pursuant to trucking industry regulations, it can lead to a catastrophic collision. These accidents can be the result of a variety of issues such as brake failures, tire blowouts, steering malfunctions, FMCSA regulations violations , and more. 

Mechanical issues, brake failure and manufacturer liability for trucking companies, parts manufacturers and insurance companies can be incredibly costly so hidden evidence in truck accident cases may be an issue. However, an experienced attorney can use his legal expertise to find that evidence and get you just compensation.

Inadequate Training

Most trucking companies minimize liability by employing highly trained drivers; however, some companies cut corners and don't properly train their drivers. Poorly trained truck drivers can be a danger to the other motorists on the road. These drivers may lack the skills necessary to operate a commercial vehicle especially in complex situations and bad weather conditions.

As a result of this negligent hiring or training, these drivers are more likely to make errors and cause accidents. These accidents can not only result in property damage but also result in serious injuries to other motorists. If you think you were in a truck accident caused by inadequate training, you should get truck crash legal advice immediately.

Improper Loading

Improper loading of a truck is when a truck is overloaded with freight cargo, unevenly loaded, or has unsecured cargo. Improper loading can result in a truck losing control, rolling over, shifting of cargo, and even cargo being spilled onto the roadway.

These issues can result in hazardous conditions for other motorists such as cargo on the road, a freight vehicle accident, and even emergency road closures which can result in trucking company liability in addition to commercial driver liability from a truck accident lawsuit.

There are many different types of truck accidents that occur in Essex County ranging from the minor accidents to severe accidents that lead to injuries. Some of the most common accidents that occur in Essex County include:

Rollover Accidents

A truck rollover accident is when a truck rolls over on its side or roof. Rollovers are usually caused by a combination of factors such as driver error, vehicle instability, and other influences. Rollovers can affect other motorists, causing collisions or other hazards that may result in serious injuries or even death. If you’ve been injured in a rollover accident, a certified civil trial attorney can help you pursue a commercial truck accident lawsuit against the at–fault parties.

Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife accident is a type of semi truck accident that occurs when the truck’s trailer swings out to one side creating a V-shape with the cab. This could be caused by driver error, mechanical failure or poor road conditions. A jackknifed truck presents many dangers as it can block multiple lanes of traffic which can lead to multi-vehicle collisions that result in serious injuries. These accidents can lead to multiple claims causing insurance companies and commercial trucking companies to often offer lowball settlement offers to minimize exposure.

Brake Failure Accidents

Brake failure accidents are a type of truck accident that occurs when a truck’s brakes stop working or work incorrectly. Brake failure is most commonly caused by improper maintenance. Brake failure accidents can be particularly devastating as the truck may not be able to stop or slow down at all, potentially resulting in high-speed collisions. Evidence in truck accident cases can be key for brake failure cases.

Defective Tires Accidents

defective tires can result in a blowout that can lead to a truck losing control and causing dangers such as collisions. Defective tires can be caused by a manufacturing or a maintenance issue meaning that multiple parties could be liable including manufacturing third-party liability. Hiring an attorney post accident will give you the services of an expert for collecting evidence in truck accident claims to determine liability and violations of trucking laws and regulations so you can hold all of the right parties responsible.

Runaway Truck Accidents

Runaway truck accidents are when a truck driver has lost the ability to stop or slow down his vehicle making the chances of an accident much higher. Runaway truck accidents can be caused by brake failure, improper loading, excessive speeding, or road conditions. These accidents could be due to someone’s negligence or wrongdoing making brake failure and manufacturer liability possible to add to big rig accident settlement negotiations and a trucking accident claim.

Blind Spots

Blind spot accidents are often caused by a driver’s negligence when they fail to look or account for a blind spot causing a collision. These accidents have the potential to be catastrophic especially if the accident occurs at higher speeds. Victims of these accidents are eligible to pursue compensation with the help of an attorney who advocates for your truck accident victims rights so you get the compensation that you deserve.

Rear-End

A rear-end truck accident is when a truck collides with the back of another vehicle due to the driver’s negligence such as distracted driving or a mechanical problem like brake failure. These accidents can be serious because of the potential size difference between the vehicles potentially causing serious injuries. Black box data truck accident information can be recovered by a skilled attorney which can provide  evidence of negligence or wrongdoing.

Under-Ride

An under-ride accident is when another vehicle slides under the truck or the trailer. These accidents could be caused by poor visibility, speeding, or mechanical issues such as brake failure. These accidents can cause serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage. If you are in one of these accidents, an Essex County personal Injury lawyer can engage in a commercial truck accident settlement negotiation to get you a fair settlement.

Under New Jersey law, there are three major types of damages that truck accident victims can recover to compensate them for their physical, financial, and emotional injuries. The three major types of damages are:

Economic Damages

Economic damages encompass many things including medical expenses such as the cost of medical treatment, medications, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. They also include property damage compensation for things like vehicle repairs and any personal items damaged in a big rig accident. Additionally, economic damages can compensate you for lost wages from missing work due to the accident and lost future earnings if you can no longer work in your previous job.

Non-economic damages

Non-economic damages are designed to compensate truck accident victims for damages that are not easily quantifiable by a dollar amount. This can include pain and suffering damages designed to compensate the victim for the physical pain, discomfort, and distress caused by the injuries incurred in trucking accidents. It can also include emotional distress damages to compensate for the trauma, anxiety, depression, and other physiological issues caused by the accident.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are designed to punish at-fault parties for truly egregious or reckless behavior when said behavior was malicious. These damages are only awarded in truly egregious cases and rarely in New Jersey.

The statute of limitations in New Jersey for personal injury cases, such as truck accident cases, is typically two years from the day the injuries occurred, but there are exceptions. It is critical to consult with an experienced Essex County Truck Accident Lawyer right away to avoid missing any important deadlines.

Contact a Essex County Truck Accident Attorney Today

If you have been injured in a truck accident due to truck driver negligence or wrongdoing, you deserve to be compensated. The team at Omni Injury & Accident Law, P.C. is here to help, providing skilled legal representation throughout the entire process. 

Our legal expert will investigate the accident, take on the insurance company and trucking company tactics that try to get you to settle for less, and represent you in truck accident litigation to seek a positive verdict.  We work on a contingency fee basis so you don't pay unless you recover compensation. Contact Omni Law today to set up a free consultation for a free case review of your case’s merit and potential value.

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