A lot of types of accidents can happen on the road and when they involve a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle, the consequences can be devastating. But, a lot of factors apply to big commercial truck accidents that don’t apply to other motor vehicle accidents. An Albuquerque Truck Accident Lawyer can assist victims of these accidents to ensure they get the justice and compensation they deserve after sustaining serious injuries. The following are factors specific to accidents that involve big commercial trucks:
Size and Weight
While an average passenger vehicle weighs from 3, 000 to 5, 000 pounds, a tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80, 000 pounds. Because of the differences in weight and size, an accident between a big truck and a small passenger vehicle leads to the car bearing a significant impact. In addition, the size of the vehicles can affect their stop time, which makes it harder to stop at high speeds.
The Danger that Cargo Poses
Huge commercial trucks transport different kinds of cargo. Their load can include flammable or hazardous materials, which may make an accident even more dangerous. Unsecured cargo may break loose into traffic and cause accidents.
Company Instructions
Trucking company policies may require truck drivers to be continuously delivering cargo for several hours. Because of the policies, truck drivers may also need to deliver cargo no matter the traffic or weather. Unfortunately, this can result in driver fatigue and hazardous driving conditions, that could result in catastrophic accidents.
Significant Insurance Coverage
Usually, semi-truck accidents are more serious than collisions caused by passenger cars. Because of this, truck companies purchase millions of dollars worth of interstate truck insurance policies for their vehicles. And because of the significant amount of money on the line, these companies will use all resources available to defend their claims and avoid liability.
Accident Investigation
After a truck accident, drivers should report the incident to their supervisors right away. This way, the trucking companies and their insurance provider can begin an investigation as quickly as possible. Often, their investigation team includes highly experienced investigators, attorneys, and other experts.
Truck accident investigations can be quite extensive and it can be hard to determine fault because more than one party may be involved. The investigators may look into the involvement of the truck driver, trucking company, semi-truck owner, loaders, and maintenance workers. A truck accident lawyer can investigate an accident on behalf of the victims.