Truck Accidents

Cases involving semi-trucks or commercial motor vehicles are drastically different than the typical run-of-the-mill automobile collision. The term “Commercial Motor Vehicle” includes eighteen-wheelers, dump trucks, box trucks, freightliners, bucket trucks and a vast array of other large vehicles. There are volumes of Federal and State laws that apply to specific types of commercial motor vehicles as well as to the industries that require them. It is absolutely critical that you hire a truck accident attorney who is familiar with the law and has experience in handling trucking and commercial vehicle collision cases specifically so that every potential violation is explored

Any auto crash is a tragedy. However, truck crashes can be especially dangerous, because eighteen wheelers and other commercial vehicles are so large that the damage they inflict on smaller vehicles and the occupants are usually much more devastating. When large trucks collide with smaller passenger vehicles, motorcycles, or pedestrians, the results are often catastrophic. These accidents can result in grievous injuries, including head injury, spinal cord injury, broken bones, paralysis, and even death.

Semi-truck accidents are especially complex. Tractor trailer drivers have many regulations they must follow. An attorney must investigate such a case carefully to find out if the crash is due to a violation of weight restrictions, truck driver fatigue, improper truck maintenance, or other negligence. Our attorneys begin investigating your case immediately after meeting with you in a free initial consultation. Contact us to discuss your truck crash concerns from one of our knowledgeable attorneys.

We work with accident reconstruction experts to determine the cause of a truck’s actions such as:

• Brake failures
• Tire blowouts
• Speeding
• Load shifting
• Reckless driving
• Drunk driving

We consult with your doctors and other medical professionals to find the full extent of your injuries and the long term impact to your job, your family and your quality of life. Let our experience, skill and aggressiveness work for you.

The companies who operate commercial motor vehicles and their insurance companies typically have damage control personnel on staff that are trained to respond to collisions immediately to try to minimize the potential liability exposure of the company for their negligent conduct. It can be critical to your case that your personal injury attorney acts quickly to obtain and document any evidence before it disappears. We will begin our investigation immediately, and we have experts ready to go at any time.

Knowing what to look for and how to obtain the information is very important in trucking cases. Your attorney must be qualified to determine which of the following actions are required immediately after a commercial motor vehicle collision:

• Examine the black box that records truck speeds and brake applications
• Investigate truck driver activities recorded on GPS systems
• Review drivers' log books and federally-required records of pre-trip and post-trip inspections.
• Obtain receipts, bills of lading, orders and other documentation of the load
• Acquire driving histories, drug and alcohol tests
• Subpoena vehicle maintenance records
• Secure photos, statements and police reports
• Obtain toll tags, records and vehicle weight tickets
• Examine pay stubs and work records
• Take measurements of skid marks, vehicle damage and the scene

At the O’Keefe Firm, we have qualified trucking accident attorneys ready to take immediate steps to preserve evidence and uncover the true facts.