Tractor Trailer Accidents

When a tractor trailer is involved in a collision, it will almost always produce serious injuries to all parties involved. Due to their massive size and shape, and their heavy cargo, tractor trailer accidents can cause serious brain and spinal cord injury, and in the worst cases death, to pedestrians and other drivers and passengers. Unfortunately, these accidents are quite common in Massachusetts.

Tractor trailer accidents occur in a number of situations. For example, if the items being towed are not secured properly to the trailer bed, they can fall off and injure other drivers and pedestrians on the road. Or, if the trailer itself is not secured properly to the vehicle and unlatches, it will cause devastating injury to individuals in the trailer’s wake. Finally, operating a tractor trailer requires a fair amount of training as drivers need to know how to make turns, what speeds they can safely drive at, which depends on what they are carrying, and how to tie down loads and secure the trailer to the vehicle. A lack of training on these issues can cause accidents and injuries as well.

If you have been injured as a result of a tractor trailer accident, you should first seek medical attention. You should also call the police and make sure to get the contact information of every other party involved in the accident. Then, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney. It is crucial to contact an attorney as soon as possible in order to gather evidence from the scene of the accident, locate and interview any eyewitnesses, and photograph your injuries. You have several legal options, depending on the specifics of your case, and you need an expert attorney who can determine the proper individuals and companies to sue, and get you the compensation you deserve.

If a defect in the trailer or vehicle itself, or the parts attaching the trailer to the vehicle caused your injury, you may be able to sue the designer, manufacturer, and seller of that trailer or vehicle or parts under products liability law. Designers, manufacturers and distributors of products have a duty to place only reasonably safe products in the stream of commerce for consumers. If an unreasonably safe product is sold and causes injury, each party within the chain of distribution can be liable for the injury caused.

If your injury was caused by the negligent or reckless conduct of the driver of the tractor trailer, whether in driving or in loading and securing the cargo, you can file a regular tort suit against that individual, and his or her employer. You will have to prove that the individual failed to exercise reasonable care in operating the tractor trailer and that this failure caused your injury.

Vehicle training is the responsibility of the company that employs the driver and when they fail to give proper training, or when they fail to ensure that their drivers are driving safely and that their equipment is well maintained, the company is liable for injuries caused to others. If your injury is due to a training problem, you can likely sue the driver’s employer.

If you have lost a loved one in a tractor trailer accident, you can file a wrongful death claim against the responsible parties and recover damages for loss of companionship, loss of income, medical bills, and funeral expenses.

The personal injury team at the law offices of Altman & Altman has decades of experience handling personal injury cases, and tractor trailer accidents in particular. We will work with out network of medical experts and truck accident experts to determine the exact cause and extent of your injuries and to investigate any equipment malfunctioning involved, and we will determine which individuals and companies are liable for your injuries. We will then design an aggressive litigation strategy to get you the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free and confidential case consultation. You will meet one-on-one with an expert attorney who will fully explain your legal rights and options. Our team will be by your side at every step of the process and we will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your questions. We will explore every legal avenue available for you to recover your damages.