Truck accidents occur each and every day on our nation’s highways. Unfortunately, due to the size and weight of these trucks and 18-wheelers, these accidents tend to inflict greater damage and injury to both vehicles and passengers.
There are many laws, both state and federal, that must be complied with and when someone is involved in a collision with a truck owned by a trucking company, they will need to retain an attorney who knows all of the “ins-and-outs” of these laws.
For example, there are certain rest statutes that drivers must comply with that limit the amount of hours per day they are behind the wheel. If these guidelines have been violated in any way and a fatigued driver is involved in an accident with injuries, an experienced lawyer needs to know how to uncover all of these types of facts.
At Stillman and Friedland, we search deep into assets of the companies and owners involved, as well as their hiring and training processes to determine if an unqualified driver may have been involved in the accident. The background of a driver is essential, which includes his personal records and potential substance abuse.
Errant hiring is a common cause of these types of accidents resulting in the death or catastrophic injuries of passengers in much smaller vehicles. In some cases, punitive damages may come in to play. This is compensation above and beyond the normal award amounts for things such as medical expenses and pain and suffering. Punitive damages are instituted to discourage similar conduct in the future by both the defendants and other related parties.
If you have been injured as the result of a truck accident, call the attorneys at Stillman and Friedland today. We can be reached by phone, through email or by “Live Chat,” where a representative can assist you 24 hour per day, 7 days a week.
We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and please be careful on our Tennessee roadways when driving in the coming weeks.
