18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer
At Farrah Martinez, PLLC, we handle car wrecks and collisions caused by 18-wheelers or any other commercial vehicle. Truck accident lawyers are personal injury lawyers that handle accidents involving commercial vehicles. A commercial vehicle is an 18-wheeler, a charter bus, certain limousines, a dump truck, a vehicle that weighs over 10,001 pounds or any vehicle designed or used to transport more than 8 people for compensation.
18-Wheelers are Regulated by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Commercial truck drivers are held to a higher standard than those who drive regular passenger vehicles. 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles operate very large vehicles, carry large and heavy loads and oftentimes those loads contain hazardous or even flammable materials. Commercial vehicles are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA’s mission is to prevent commercial vehicle related accidents and injuries.
18-Wheeler and Commercial Vehicle Accidents Require Quick Action
Accidents involving commercial vehicles require you to act quickly to preserve information that is vital to your claim. For example, federal regulations only require truck drivers to maintain driving logs for six months. The fact the driver is involved in an accident does not automatically trigger a longer maintenance time. Information contained within the log might be key to proving the driver did not follow federal and state regulations.
Speak with 18-Wheeler Attorney before Driver’s Insurance Company
The insurance company of the commercial vehicle will often contact you in an effort to “help” resolve the claim. The claims adjuster will ask you to provide a recorded statement. In general, I advise my clients not to provide a recorded statement. This is never a good idea if you have not consulted an 18 wheeler accident lawyer. These statements can and will be used against you at a later time. Keep in mind that the insurance company is actively working to protect their interest and will even hire an investigator to collect evidence to fight your claim in an attempt to reduce the amount of compensation you receive.
Reasons for 18-Wheeler and Bus Accidents
- Lack of sleep
- Pressure to meet deadline
- Driver fatigue from too many hours worked
- Poorly maintained tires
- Poorly maintained brakes
- Poorly maintained trailers
- Reckless driver
- Violations of driving laws
- Inadequate driver training
- Drug or alcohol use
