One of motorists’ biggest fears in sharing the road with tractor-trailers is being struck by them. One of the reasons this scares them is because the sheer size difference between a passenger car and an 18-wheeler is significant. A semi-truck can also weigh significantly more than a car. On top of all that, truckers spend long amounts of time on the road, which may lead to fatigue, resulting in driver errors. 

Below we’re going to discuss how many tractor-trailer crashes occur annually and how often truck accidents are fatal. We’ll also detail what can be done to prevent these crashes and what options you have if a truck accident claimed the life of your loved one here in Lexington, KY. 

As you drive down the interstate, you’ll often see many weight stations sprinkled along your path. If you’ve ever wondered why tractor-trailers have to be weighed, there are various reasons why that’s the case.

One reason is that overweight trucks can cause significant damage to bridges and roads. Another reason is government officials in some jurisdictions impose a tax depending on a trucker’s load. Weighing trucks is also done for safety-oriented reasons, which we’ll unpack below.

Getting into an accident with a large commercial truck is a terrifying experience. If you are fortunate enough to survive without catastrophic injuries, it’s likely that you still have to cope with doctor’s visits, steep medical bills, damage to your vehicle, emotional trauma, securing a rental car, and taking time off work to recover. In the midst of what is always a very challenging period, you may also be contacted—often quite persistently—by an insurance adjuster from the trucking company’s insurance provider.

Answering questions regarding the safest speed for commercial trucks to travel on highways involves more than simply knowing the posted speed limit. Speed limits are designed for the best of weather, road, and visibility conditions. The law stipulates that vehicles should travel at a speed that is reasonably safe for the conditions, even if that speed is less than the posted limit.

And tractor-trailer drivers need to account for all relevant conditions even more than most vehicles’ drivers. Large commercial trucks are roughly 20 – 30 times the size of passenger vehicles by weight, and are prone to a slew of dangers smaller cars don’t need to worry about. Accidents too often occur when large trucks travel too fast for the conditions. For passenger vehicle drivers who share the road with 18-wheelers, it’s important to know what to do in case of a truck accident. Truck drivers, for their part, need to be aware of all the legal speed limits in the states they travel, and—even more importantly—when to slow down.

Truck drivers go through a lot of training and certifications in order to drive their large trucks on the road. This means that they know about their rig and how to maneuver it on the highway. However, they can still make mistakes that lead to collisions with other vehicles around them because they’re still human like every other driver on the road.

When they act negligently and cause a collision, everyone involved is at risk for serious injuries. A truck accident lawyer from the Law Office of Todd W. Burris can help you recover from your damages and ensure that you get justice for what you’ve been through. Let’s take a look at the common signs of a negligent truck driver so you can know when one caused your collision.

Driving through Georgetown, Kentucky can be an appealing experience—our picturesque streets make travelling to your destination more enjoyable, or if Georgetown is your destination, you might be driving through on the way to your next activity. However, since we’re located between three major cities in Kentucky, we see a lot of truck traffic on our roads.

Even if you are paying attention to the road and driving carefully, even the most trained truck driver could make a mistake that causes a collision. If you’ve been in a truck accident in Georgetown, you could use the help of an attorney. At the Law Office of Todd W. Burris, we understand how detrimental a large truck wreck can be, which is why we’re here to support you and get you justice.

Commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers require specialized knowledge in order to operate and drive safely. In the event a trucking company negligently hires its drivers, there’s an increased risk that an accident will happen.

Crashes involving commercial trucks are particularly dangerous for passenger vehicles because of the sheer size and weight difference between the two. It’s crucial for truckers to understand how best to operate their vehicles and how to avoid potentially dangerous situations. Before we look at the problems associated with negligent hiring, let’s take a look at what the typical qualifications are for a truck driver.

In December of 2019, a firetruck from the Richland Fire Department ran off the road and flipped, and another truck from the same company was called to respond to the accident. Thankfully, firefighter Jerry Mills who was driving the truck that flipped made a full recovery from his injuries from the crash. Though accidents involving fire trucks don’t happen as often as other vehicular accidents, they easily can become very dangerous for everyone involved.

After an accident with a firetruck, you could be seriously injured, out of work, and left with bills for tons of damage. A Lexington personal injury lawyer from the Law Office of Todd W. Burris can help you recover compensation for all of the damages you’ve endured from your accident.

If you’ve been involved in a truck accident and are planning on seeking compensation for your losses, it’s important to ensure you have the evidence needed to build a strong case. When you work with a lawyer, they will help you obtain a copy of the truck accident report, which will have crucial information for your claim.

Obtaining a copy of an accident report varies by state and city. To understand how you can obtain a copy, let’s start by looking at when truck drivers are legally required under federal law to report a crash.

When a semitruck is in a collision, sometimes it can cause a jackknife, which is when the cab and trailer fold in toward one another. The two parts of the up to 80,000-pound vehicle form a 90-degree angle, which is not only dangerous, but also looks unnatural and scary. In very bad accidents, the angle is even smaller, which can cause the cab and trailer to collapse into themselves.

Jackknife accidents are dangerous for semitruck drivers and regular vehicle drivers alike. Commercial truck drivers are in danger during a jackknife because the trailer hitting the cab can be deadly. Drivers of the surrounding regular vehicles are also in danger if they are in the path of the trailer, cab, or truck as a whole while folding. Even though the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that less than five percent of fatal accidents involve jackknifed tractor trailers, they are still serious scenarios to be aware of.