Truck driving is a tough job and it comes with an immense amount of responsibility on top of the technical challenges of handling a “big rig” properly, safely and efficiently. Not only do drivers have to know the roads, make good time, and drive safely, but they must also understand the legal risks of the work. They are required to make a specific number of rest stops at set intervals. They are not allowed to use drugs, even legal stimulants when driving. They can even be found at fault for accidents if they simply drove too aggressively or persisted during unsafe conditions or with unsafe loads. As one expert explained, “a truck may have been traveling within the posted speed limit, and still have been going too fast for road conditions.”
What Does the Trucking Accident Lawyer Do?
Essentially, this means that almost any driver of a passenger vehicle involved in an issue with a big rig is also a driver or passenger in need of a trucking accident lawyer.
Truck accident law is a specific area of the law, and it exists to protect the passengers of vehicles injured or killed as the result of a collision with a commercial truck or big rig. As one expert has explained, “Liability in these cases is premised on the doctrine of negligence. Because the negligent party is a professional truck driver, multiple sources of law will apply.” That means that you will have to have a lawyer familiar with traffic laws, regulations of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and civil liability rules.
Multiple Defendants
Keep in mind that your trucking accident lawyer may pursue the driver for compensation through the courts, but there may be more to the story. There can be a liability on the part of the trucking company, the maker of the truck, and even the manufacturer of the parts or the mechanics tasked with installing them. There is so much liability because there can be many causes. It takes an expert to know just how to prove damages and demonstrate liability in so many ways.
If you feel you need help with a trucking accident in the New Milford area, Fisk & Monteleone, LTD. specializes in personal injury and helps drivers injured in trucking accidents of any kind. Contact them today for a free consultation.
