Tempe Truck Accident Attorneys
Skilled trial lawyers when semis, rigs, box trucks, or any truck causes death or harm
Truck drivers often speed, drive while distracted, or drive carelessly. The trucking and shipping companies often fail to monitor their drivers and pressure their drivers to meet unreasonable schedules. Trucks cause serious injuries and cause more fatalities because of their excessive size and weight. Their unusual dimensions can make them very hard to drive and to respond to emergencies.
At Plattner Verderame, P.C., our Tempe truck accident lawyers demand justice for injured victims and the families of anyone killed by a truck driver. We understand who is liable besides the truck driver and how to determine the cause of a truck accident. We work with your doctors and employers to verify all your damages, and document your pain and suffering.
Types of Tempe truck accidentss
Whether a truck driver is driving a small truck to make local deliveries or the truck driver is a commercial truck shipping inventory into and out of Tempe, if they cause an accident, the driver deserves to be held accountable. In 2018, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation, pickup trucks were involved in more than 36,000 accidents. Other trucks involved in fatal crashes and non-fatal crashes included tractor trailers, concrete mixer trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks, tanker trucks, tow trucks, and other truck combinations.
Trucks, like cars, can be involved in single-truck crashes, rear-end collisions, sideswipes, head-on crashes, and broadside crashes. In addition, trucks, because of their size, cargo, and operation difficulties, are also often involved in:
- Rollovers. Due to a different center of gravity than cars, trucks are susceptible to rolling over when the driver goes around a curve too fast or drives too fast.
- Jackknifes. In this type of accident, the tractor and trailer end up at right angles to each other. Tempe jackknife accidents can kill or harm the driver. Other drivers can be injured as they try to steer around or avoid the jackknifed trailer.
- Spilled cargo. Cargo and inventory should be properly secured. The cargo should meet approved weight limits. If cargo spills, any driver near the spill can be involved in an accident running over the spill or trying to avoid the spill.
- Multi-vehicle accidents. When trucks rollover, jackknife, or spill cargo; they often cause chain-reaction accidents as other drivers try to avoid the truck. In trying to avoid the truck, these other cars may crash into each other, into the truck, or run off the highway.
- Improper backing up. Trucks that load cargo at shipping sites need to use spotters and other precautions when they back out into traffic. Failure to back out properly can cause a truck accident with any driver on the main road.
- Wide turn accidents. Truck drivers that make wide turns, especially right turns, often can’t see the vehicles directly behind them or directly to the side of the vehicle. As they make a wide turn at an intersection, they can crush any vehicles in their path. Truck drivers need to take extra safety measures when making a wide turn.
- Blind spots. Blind spots can also cause a truck accident in Tempe. Trucks don’t have windows to look out of which means drivers need to rely on mirrors to see around the truck. Mirrors can’t catch the blind spots where cars might be too close to the truck.
If truck parts are defective and the defect is the cause of a death or injuries, then the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of the truck parts may be liable. Drivers of commercial trucks must have a commercial license.
Why do Tempe truck accidents happen?
Our Tempe truck accident lawyers work with investigators and other professionals, when necessary, to determine why the accident happened. Showing that the driver was negligent for any reason is a general requirement for proving liability.
Some of the contributing factors include:
- Driver fatigue. Truck drivers are required to take regular rests during the day and to limit the number of hours they can drive. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires that truck drivers and the trucking companies that hire them ensure that drivers comply with the FMCSA day and hour regulations and many other truck safety regulations.
- Faulty truck maintenance. The FMCSA also requires that trucking companies and drivers inspect their vehicles before all trips. If there are safety issues involving any part of the truck, the truck should be taken off the road until proper repairs or maintenance work is completed.
- Inexperience. Every truck is different. Truck driving requires an understanding of how the truck operates, how to turn the truck without hitting other vehicles, how to handle heavy loads, and other operational issues. If truck drivers don’t have the proper training, the driver and the trucking company that hires them can be held liable.
- Driver distraction. In addition to driver fatigue, Tempe truck drivers may become distracted because they’re talking on the smartphone, watching a GPS system instead of listening to it, eating, adjusting the radio or CD player, or for other reasons.
- Speeding. Time is money. However, before money comes safety. Trucking companies and truck drivers who fail to monitor truck driver speed should pay for the deaths and injuries going to fast causes.
Drivers who violate any Tempe or Arizona driving regulation may also be liable for the truck accidents they cause.
How does a Tempe truck accident lawyer help accident victims?
Our experienced injury lawyers begin each case by working with the police and professionals who can examine the accident site, speak with witnesses, and take pictures and videos of the trucks and vehicles. We conduct extensive discovery of defendants and witnesses including oral and written question.
We work with your doctors to fully assess your medical diagnosis, prognosis, and pain and suffering. Our lawyers work with your employers and financial professionals, when needed, to verity your income losses. We also work with appraisers and repair shops to determine the cost to fix or replace your vehicle.
One of our main goals is to file claims against every responsible person or party. When truck accidents occur, the following may be liable:
- The truck driver that caused the accident
- The trucking company the hired the driver
- Any shipping company or broker that used the truck driver’s services
- A maintenance company that failed to repair the truck properly
- A manufacturer that designed defective truck parts
- The state or a Tempe government unit that failed to design a road properly
Other defendants may also be liable depending on the facts of the case.
Once it is clear who is liable, how the accident happened, what your injuries are, and what your damages are, we work to settle your case by negotiating with the insurance adjuster. If the case can’t be settled fairly, we ready your case for trial before a jury.
Strong advocacy for Tempe truck accident victims
Truck accidents are often life-altering. Any surviving injury victim or, family member in the event of a wrongful death, has the right to demand justice. To speak with an aggressive Tempe truck accident lawyer, call Plattner Verderame, P.C. 602.266.2002 or contact us today to schedule a free appointment.