If you or a loved one was recently in a truck accident in Martinsburg, WV, contact the truck accident lawyers at Manchin Ferretti Injury Law for a free consultation. You could be eligible for financial recovery. We know how to go up against truck companies and other parties in pursuit of fair compensation.
Commercial trucking is a unique industry with dozens of rules and regulations – most of which are in place to improve the safety of the roads. Unfortunately, many trucking companies and truck drivers break these rules, either negligently or intentionally to save time and money.
Crash cases involving commercial trucks are different than standard car accidents. Big rigs, their drivers, their owners, and trucking companies must abide by unique federal laws. An understanding of these laws and how breaking them can cause traffic accidents is imperative for winning a personal injury case. An accident lawyer in Martinsburg will know exactly how to navigate a truck accident case and negotiate with aggressive insurance claims adjusters on your behalf. Hiring a lawyer can protect you from bad faith tactics such as underestimating your losses or disputing liability. A Martinsburg truck accident lawyer will strengthen your case and improve the odds of securing financial compensation for serious losses.
The potential value of your truck accident claim will depend on many factors. First is the severity of your injuries. In general, you will receive greater compensation for catastrophic and serious injuries than minor injuries. Second is the value of your related losses. A Martinsburg, WV truck crash lawyer can help you calculate damages such as past and future medical bills, lost wages, lost capacity to earn, intangible losses and more. Third is the actions of the defendant. You may receive greater compensation as a form of punishment against the defendant for gross negligence, recklessness or intent to harm. Hiring a lawyer may enable you to maximize your financial recovery through proven negotiation and litigation tactics.
There may be various parties that can be held liable in the event you are involved in a truck accident in Martinsburg. The truck crash lawyers at Manchin Ferretti Injury Law have extensive experience investigating these cases, and we understand what it takes to gather the evidence necessary to prove liability. When you look at the list above of common types of truck accidents, you can see that many of them revolve around the negligence or carelessness of one or more parties. This could include:
Every truck company has a responsibility to reasonably prevent accidents. This responsibility involves obeying federal safety regulations, inspecting trucks daily, paying for repairs, training drivers properly and taking many other steps to ensure the reasonable safety of each transport. When truck companies and their drivers breach these duties, truck accidents can happen. Common types of truck accidents include:
This type of accident can occur anytime a truck driver focuses their attention on something other than the roadway. This often includes cell phones or other electronic devices.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) places strict requirements on how many hours a driver is allowed to operate during each day and during each workweek. These regulations are in place to prevent fatigued driving, and failing to follow these regulations is incredibly dangerous driving behavior.
Truck drivers who operate while under the influence of alcohol or drugs are putting the lives of others on the roadway in danger. No truck driver should operate with any alcohol or illegal narcotic in their system. However, truck drivers also need to be very aware of what type of prescription medication they use, as these drugs can also impair driving ability.
All large commercial trucks have significant blind spots. Traditional vehicle drivers need to do their best to stay out of these blind spots. Truck drivers should always check their blind spots before making a lane change or turn.
Trucks drivers often need to make wide turns, especially when they are making right-hand turns. However, making these wide turns can result in the truck entering other lanes and crashing into vehicles.
It takes large trucks longer distances to slow down, and rear-end collisions are often devastating for those inside passenger vehicles.
T-bone accidents involving large trucks are common at intersections. If a truck driver or passenger vehicle driver fails to follow traffic laws, T-bone accidents are much more likely to occur.
Override accidents occur when a large truck runs over the back of a passenger vehicle. Underride accidents occur when a passenger vehicle rides under the back or the side of a large truck. Both types of accidents can result in devastating injuries for those inside a passenger vehicle.
Due to the length of large commercial trucks, it is not uncommon for a collision to involve multiple vehicles.
Large trucks are more prone to rolling over in the event they are driven recklessly or involved in an accident. A rollover event increases the chance that there will be a multi-vehicle collision. It could also increase the chance that hazardous material will spill onto the roadway.
The cargo on the truck bed of a commercial vehicle could come loose and lead to devastating accidents on the roadway. It is incredibly important that truckers secure all loads, particularly when operating open-air truck beds.
An unfortunate reality of truck accidents is that these incidents often lead to catastrophic injuries for passenger vehicle occupants. In many cases, these victims sustain temporary- or long-term disabilities. At Manchin Ferretti Injury Law, our Martinsburg truck accident lawyers regularly help clients who have sustained the following:
Our attorneys also regularly help victims who have sustained significant emotional and psychological drama caused by the crash and the subsequent injuries. It is not uncommon for truck accident victims to suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, anger, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While these injuries may not be as visible as the ones listed above, they are just as real and can inhibit a person’s daily life.
Commercial trucks on the roadway can be divided into various types in classes. Often, you hear of trucks being divided into various classes by weight. However, for simplicity, we want to discuss some of the most common types of commercial trucks you will encounter in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
If you are curious about whether you have a case, and if so, how much it could be worth, please contact the truck accident attorneys at Manchin Ferretti Injury Law. We offer free initial consultations where you can speak directly to a lead attorney about your recent truck accident at no cost or obligation to hire us. You and your family may be eligible for compensation to cover your economic and non-economic losses. Learn more by scheduling a free case evaluation. Submit our online contact form or give us a call at (304) 264-8505 today.
