Top Rhode Island Truck Accident Lawyer | Slepkow Law

A Rhode Island truck accident lawyer will help you get high compensation for your trcuking crash. Commercial vehicles, such as semi-trucks, multi-axle delivery vehicles, and other large vehicles used for commercial use are a serious matter when a passenger vehicle encounters them on the road. These vehicles carry significant momentum at high speeds or low speeds.  A small driving error by the driver of either a commercial vehicle or a passenger vehicle can create a serious incident, causing major injury or death. If you were injured in a truck accident in Rhode Island, contact a top truck accident attorney at a trucking crash law firm. Rhode Island truck accident attorneys at a top truck accident law firm can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.

Rhode Island truck accident lawyer

The majority of accidents in Rhode Island involving a commercial vehicle are due to the driver of a passenger vehicle committing unsafe acts. Such acts of driver error cause collisions between commercial and passenger vehicles. Below is a list of the most common causes of truck-involved accidents in the Providence, Warwick and Cranston areas:

Truck Accidents Involving Driver Error

• Traveling in  “no-zones” which are the areas beside or behind a commercial vehicle moving along a road or highway.

  Rhode Island truck accident lawyers

• Navigating a vehicle on the right side of a truck making a right turn.
• Failing to alter speed in anticipation of a commercial vehicle merging into or changing lanes.
• Attempting to pass a large truck without ensuring there is sufficient distance between vehicles to complete the maneuver.
• Trying to take a left-hand turn at an intersection without sufficient speed or distance to complete the turn as a truck is approaching.
• Failing to yield to the right of way causing a truck driver to take unsafe, rapid actions to avoid a collision.
• Positioning a passenger vehicle between two large trucks traveling along a road or highway.
• Pulling into traffic from the side of the road without sufficient speed to avoid an approaching truck.
• Leaving a disabled vehicle partially positioned on a roadway instead of moving completely off the road and onto the shoulder and/or abandoning said vehicle in a travel lane.
• Attempting to pass a large commercial vehicle in strong crosswinds or turbulence and being pushed out of position by the winds.
• Changing lanes in front of a commercial vehicle.

Truck Accidents Caused by Equipment Failure in Pawtucket and Woonsocket

Commercial vehicles are built using a significantly large number of intricate and finely-balanced parts that require regular maintenance and service. These  elements are put through hours of wear and tear which can cause failure or defect of any one more of these parts. If any system in a commercial vehicle is faulty or functioning improperly, the safety of the driver and any others sharing the roads can be jeopardized. This can cause serious or catastrophic events. Commercial vehicles which are improperly loaded, creating imbalances in weight and instability of the container can also cause accidents if the load should force the truck out of control or the trailer becomes unsecured while the truck is traveling. Such equipment or system failures that can cause accidents are:

• Worn-out brakes
• Balding tires
• Defective truck components
• Unsecured or unstable cargo loads
• Defective cargo straps
• Improper truck maintenance

Truck Accident Caused by Trucker Error 

Some of the most calamitous accidents involving commercial vehicles in Rhode Island are caused by trucker error, inattention, distraction or negligence or by driving in adverse weather conditions. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) states, “ Trucker error is a common cause of many commercial vehicle accidents nationwide.” These types of accidents in the Lincoln, Cumberland and North Providence are typically the result of diverse factors including:

• Driver inexperience – not using proper defensive driving skills or improper vehicle handling reducing vehicle safety.
• Incomplete or improper training and/or supervision by an employer.
• Driving unsafely in hazardous road construction areas.
• Truck drivers working beyond regular hours through unrealistic or delayed schedules or timetables set by companies forcing drivers to rush to meet deadlines, driving without proper rest breaks, driving while fatigued or stressed.

Fatal truck collision- Rhode Island wrongful death attorneys

In 2013, there were 3,964 people killed in crashes involving large trucks, only a half-percent increase from 2012. • An estimated 95,000 people were injured in crashes involving large trucks in 2013…” NHTSA

If a spouse, loved one or family member was killed in a fatal truck accident, contact a top Rhode Island wrongful death attorney. A RI wrongful death law firm will file a lawsuit against the driver responsible for a deadly truck crash.

Hiring a truck accident attorney

If you, or your loved one, have suffered serious injuries in a trucking collision involving a commercial vehicle, it is essential to hire an experienced Rhode Island personal injury attorney to handle the case. A reputable RI law firm who specializes in Providence Superior Court truck vehicle accident cases can negotiate with insurance companies to ensure you receive a fair and adequate financial settlement or take your case to trial in front of a judge and jury.

Your personal injury lawyers in Rhode Island can build a case on negligence, product liability or other legal theory to show how your accident was caused by a tired trucker, defective part, mechanical failure, poorly secured cargo, reckless driving or the negligence of others sharing the roadway.

In the event of a fatal truck accident, the surviving spouse, family member or children must retain a Rhode Island wrongful death lawyer or a RI truck accident attorney with extensive experience handling trucking collision wrongful death causes of action. A garden variety rear-end car wreck lawyer will not be sufficient in the event of a deadly trucking motor vehicle crash. Only the executor or the administrator of the estate of the deceased killed in the tractor trailer or 18 wheeler wreck can pursue wrongful death litigation in Providence Superior Court as a result of a fatal big rig collision.

Because of the immense size and weight of commercial vehicles, semi-trucks, big rigs, 18 wheelers and delivery vans often pose unique hazards to small passenger vehicles. Not only is the trucker required to remain alert of the potential hazards while driving, but others sharing the roadway in Rhode Island need to exercise due caution whenever a large truck is around. Any seemingly small error in driving, like quickly changing a lane unexpectedly, can cause catastrophic results, especially when one or both vehicles are traveling at high speed.

Truck Accidents Caused by Driver Error

The vast majority of commercial truck accidents in Rhode Island are the result of passenger vehicle driver error when the motorist commits an unsafe act that results in a collision with a large truck. The most common causes of Providence, Warwick and Cranston truck accidents involving driver error include:

• Lane changes in front of a commercial vehicle.
• Operating a passenger vehicle in a “no-zone” known as a specific area beside or behind a commercial vehicle in motion.
• Maneuvering a vehicle on the right side of a truck attempting to make a right turn.
• Failing to speed up or slow down when a commercial vehicle is merging or changing a lane.
• Unsafely passing a large truck, especially when there is not sufficient headway.
• Misjudging the speed of an approaching truck when turning left at an intersection.
• Merging into traffic inappropriately which causes the trucker to break quickly or maneuver the vehicle unsafely to get out of the way.
• Maneuvering a passenger vehicle between two large trucks in motion.
• Failing to accelerate sufficiently to avoid an approaching truck when pulling into traffic from the side of the road.
• Failing to move a disabled car off the roadway completely and onto a safe shoulder area. Abandoning a passenger vehicle and leaving it in a travel lane.
• Passing the large commercial vehicle only to be thrown out of position by crosswinds or air turbulence.

Truck Accident Caused by Equipment Failure in Pawtucket, East Greenwich and Woonsocket

Large commercial vehicles are complex and built with many moving parts that can easily fail by wear and tear or defective component. Any improperly working equipment can jeopardize the safety of the truck driver and others sharing the roadway. Any breakdown in the truck caused by malfunctioning parts can cause catastrophic results. Unstable loads and improper loading of cargo can also cause serious accidents when the load becomes unsecured while the truck is in motion. Many truck accidents are caused by equipment failure that involve:

• Worn-out brakes
• Balding tires
• Defective truck components
• Unsecured or unstable cargo loads
• Defective cargo straps
• Improper truck maintenance

Truck Accident Caused by Trucker Error 

Some of the most catastrophic accidents involving commercial truck vehicles in Rhode Island are the result of trucker error, inattention, distraction or negligence by driving in extreme adverse weather. In fact, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) notes that trucker error is a common cause of many commercial vehicle accidents nationwide. These types of Lincoln, Cumberland and North Providence accidents are typically the result of various factors including:

• An inexperienced driver who does not drive defensively or handles the vehicle properly to maximize safety.
• The lack of training or supervision by the trucker’s employer.
• Driving in hazardous road construction areas.
• Truckers attempting to meet unrealistic schedules or delivery timetables imposed by truck companies who force drivers to hurry, drive without brakes or stop when feeling fatigued or is excessively stressed.

“In 2013, there were 3,964 people killed in crashes involving large trucks, only a half-percentincrease from 2012. • An estimated 95,000 people were injured in crashes involving large trucks in 2013…” http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812150.pdf

Hiring a Rhode Island truck accident Lawyer or a RI semi crash attorney

If you, or your loved one, have suffered serious injuries in a trucking collision involving a commercial vehicle, it is essential to hire an experienced Rhode Island personal injury attorney to handle the case. A reputable RI law firm who specializes in Providence Superior Court truck vehicle accident cases can negotiate with insurance companies to ensure you receive a fair and adequate financial settlement or take your case to trial in front of a judge and jury.

Your personal injury lawyers in Rhode island can build a case on negligence, product liability or other legal theory to show how your accident was caused by a tired trucker, defective part, mechanical failure, poorly secured cargo, reckless driving or the negligence of others sharing the roadway.

In the event of a fatal truck accident, the surviving spouse, family member or children must retain a Rhode Island wrongful death lawyer or a RI truck accident attorney with extensive experience handling trucking collision wrongful death causes of action. A garden variety rear-end car wreck lawyer will not be sufficient in the event of a deadly trucking motor vehicle crash. Only the executor or the administrator of the estate of the deceased killed in the tractor trailer or 18 wheeler wreck can pursue wrongful death litigation in Providence Superior Court as a result of a fatal big rig collision.

A tractor trailer is gigantic. They’re over 60 feet long, and they can weigh 80,000 when fully loaded. They’re very dangerous instrumentalities when they’re out of control and crash into a passenger vehicle or car In Rhode Island. if injured in a Rhode island trucking accident then contact a RI truck accident lawyer

FMCSA numbers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) most recent statistics are from 2013. In that year, 3,906 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes across the country and in Rhode Island. About 73,000 people were injured. Trucks pulling a single trailer were involved in 60 percent of those fatalities. Trucks pulling double trailers accounted for about two percent of those fatalities.

Vulnerability and RI truck accident lawyer

Drivers and passengers in smaller vehicles and automobiles (autos) are particularly vulnerable when a tractor trailer crashes into them. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that the tractor trailers can weigh up to 30 times as much as a passenger vehicle. Because the trucks are also taller than passenger vehicles, there’s a very real danger of passenger vehicles being overridden by trucks in crashes.

Stopping distances

The IIHS also reports that the braking capability of a loaded tractor trailer is between 20 and 40 percent longer than cars to stop. Add wet or slippery roads and/or poorly maintained brakes to the equation, and the 60 foot long, 80,000 pound giant becomes exponentially more dangerous. A driver of passenger of a car is 23 times more likely to be severely injured or killed when involved in a tractor trailer collision.

Fatigued driving 

Driver fatigue is a factor in many  Rhode Island semi truck crashes . The FMCSA recently implemented a new regulation limiting a large truck driver’s time behind the wheel to 11 hours a day and 77 hours a week. Drivers are required to maintain logs of hours behind the wheel, but quite often they falsify their log entries so they can get more than 11 hours in a day.

Truck accidents and big rig collisions in Rhode Island usually involve violations of federal and state laws along with issues involving improper maintenance. On top of those issues, the  RI truck accident attorney  or RI truck accident lawyer representing a truck accident victim is immersed in medical records, reports and bills. It’s truly complex litigation that requires extensive experience, courtroom skill and medical knowledge. If you or somebody close to you was injured or killed in a large truck crash, don’t talk to the insurer of the driver. They’ll only try to attribute the cause of the accident to you. Contact a RI truck accident lawyer or a Rhode Island personal injury lawyer right away after a  Rhode Island truck accident. Innocent victims of negligent truckers deserve fair compensation.

If you have suffered injuries or damages as a result of being in an accident with the parcel delivery truck, you are likely wondering what legal steps and options you have to seek compensation. Unfortunately, determining exactly which party is at fault for causing the Rhode Island accident is often complicated, where liability or responsibility extends much farther than the driver of the delivery vehicle. Many parcel delivery companies including UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS (Postal Service), mail couriers, commercial freight trucks and others are global operations, delivering packages worldwide to fulfill the increasing demand to deliver packages on time. These companies move their freight and cargo quickly using different transport vehicles including vans, medium and light trucks, commercial box trucks and semi-tractor trailers.

Oftentimes, the drivers in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations are under intense pressure to ensure that the packages reach their destination on time, before rushing to make the next delivery at the following stop. It is usually this obsession with speed, efficiency and on-time delivery that creates serious and dangerous situations that cause accidents involving harm or death to innocent victim sharing the roadway.

Common Accident Causes

The most common causes for accidents, collisions and crashes involving parcel delivery trucks across the United States and in RI and Massachusetts (MA) include:

• Delivery truck drivers moving at excessive speed,
• Insufficiently maintained vehicles,
• Driver negligence, texting while driving, distracted driving
• Adverse weather conditions,
• Tailgating,
• Driver fatigue and stress, sleepy and tired driving
• Sudden braking,
• Defective tires that blowout,
• Defective or malfunctioning parking brakes,
• Failing to yield to another’s right-of-way,
• Inexperienced driving,
• Lack of sufficient training to operate a parcel delivery truck,
• Backing up without looking.

Most parcel delivery truck accident is caused predominantly by negligence, errors, mistakes, inexperience or distraction of the delivery truck driver. However, a skilled RI personal injury attorney or Rhode Island truck accident lawyer working on behalf of the victim can file a claim for compensation against the driver, the parcel delivery company and additional third parties that might also be liable for any damages, losses or injuries associated with the crash.

FMCSA Rules and Regulations

FedEx, UPS, DHL, Laser Ship and other parcel delivery companies along with their drivers are federally required to follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules and regulations. These laws include mandatory requirements of every commercial trucking company to operate safely on the nation’s roadways. These requirements include:

• All trucking companies must ensure that their drivers meet all training requirements.
• All trucking companies must offer their drivers access to alcohol and drug prevention programs.
• Every trucking company must maintain and repair their trucks to ensure each one operates safely.
• Every driver of a commercial trucking company is required to record their hours of service every day, week and month.

When Involved in an Accident in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Delivery truck drivers cause many serious crashes and car wrecks in urban environments, often by stopping unexpectedly and without warning. Even though most parcel delivery trucks are not as large and heavy is a big rig, they can still cause severe injuries and death.

Filing a claim or lawsuit for compensation is often complex. In many situations, the delivery vehicle might not have hit anyone, but the actions or inaction of the driver still caused the Warwick, Pawtucket, Cranston or Woonsocket car or motorcycle accident. In many situations, the driver will double park the vehicle and block a line of sight, where other motorists drive around the truck and hit other cars, bicycles / bikes or pedestrians.

Oftentimes, these types of cases requires the skills of an experienced East providence parcel delivery truck accident lawyer or Rhode Island truck accident attorney to prove liability and negligence. An experienced Rhode Island personal injury attorney will build the case for compensation after conducting a thorough investigation to determine any violations of proper safety measures and mandatory protocols.

If you, or a loved one, have been seriously injured in a delivery truck accident in Rhode island or Massachusetts, it is essential to contact a reputable Providence personal injury motor vehicle accident Injury law firm immediately. This is because fighting for compensation requires the best legal representation available to ensure your rights and the rights of your loved one are protected. In many cases, a trucking accident or collision involving a delivery truck leaves the injured party with catastrophic, life-changing medical problems.

In 2014, 32,675 people were killed in auto accidents, and although some crashes are not deadly, they can cause serious injuries that are expensive to treat and manage. When most people think of a motor vehicle crash in Rhode Island, they picture two small cars colliding with each other, but that is not always the case. If you were injured in a RI pickup truck accident than contact a Rhode Island truck accident attorney.

RI Pickup truck accident

Pickups and other small trucks are equally at risk when it comes to the dangers of  motor vehicle accidents in Rhode Island. If you were driving a small truck and were involved in an accident that caused serious injuries, then you might be wondering what to do next so that you can get help paying for your medical bills and other fees. (Source: Traffic fatalities fall in 2014, but early estimates show 2015 trending higher  NHTSA 47-15 Tuesday, November 24, 2015Contact: Derrell Lyles, 202-366-9550, Public.Affairs@dot.gov NHTSA plans nationwide planning sessions to strengthen behavioral safety efforts  

Insurance

It might be tempting to only depend on the  health insurance company and or med pay insurance policy to take care of your medical bills  as a result of a Providence truck accident but doing so would not be wise. Insurance medical bill payments can be a lot of help when it comes to small truck accidents, but they don’t  compensate for pain and suffering, disability and lost wages.  The good news is that you have another option when you need financial assistance. You could retain one of the best truck accident attorneys in Rhode Island who is also a RI pickup truck accident lawyer to seek compensation through settlement or the litigation process

Rhode Island personal Injury truck accident Claim

Those who have been involved in a small truck accident might be entitled to compensation for their lost wages, medical bills and emotional stress. If the other driver was texting, eating or distracted, in any way, at the time of the accident, they could be held legally liable for your injuries. Winning a personal injury claim can help you cover the gaps left in the insurance policy, and getting justice does not need to be difficult. If you believe that you might have a case, then take action right away.

Getting Started 

When you want to enjoy the best possible results in your RI Pickup truck accident, take some time to collect as much evidence as you can and get the names and contact details of each witness who was present during the truck-car wreck. Some people avoid going to the doctor when they don’t feel as though their injuries are serious, which is an error. An injury might seem minor now, but it could progress in the future. Getting a medical evaluation as soon as possible will stack the odds in your favor. Although winning your case will be difficult alone, enlisting the help of an experienced Rhode Island personal injury lawyer  who is also a Rhode Island truck accident lawyer will optimize your odds of winning in court. We encounter big rigs on our roadways just about every day in Rhode Island. They’re huge. They’re over 60 feet long and can weigh 80,000 pounds. Put speed and negligence behind all of that, and the chances for a fatally catastrophic accident increase exponentially.

2013 NHTSA Report

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reported that there were more than 360,000 truck accidents in the United States in 2013. More than 90,000 people were injured in those accidents, and 3,600 people died. Drivers and occupants of passenger vehicles comprised 67 percent of those, and 15 percent were motorcyclists, bicyclists or pedestrians. What’s startling is that the 2013 figures are 14 percent higher than those of 2009. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety relates that a surprising 60 percent of the deaths resulting from big truck accidents happened on roads that weren’t even interstates or freeways, while 30 percent did. Big rig fatalities on minor roads consisted of 10 percent of the deaths.

When truck accident fatalities in Rhode Island are investigated, at least one violation of state or federal law is usually uncovered. The five most common violations are:

• Distracted driving
• Fatigued driving
• Speeding
• Following too closely
• Improper loading or overloading

The Wrongful Death Act permits a family member to make a legal claim against a person who is alleged to be responsible for the death of another family member. The act specifies who can make a wrongful death claim and what kind of damages they can seek. They’re usually limited to economic damages like lost earnings or medical and funeral expenses. Some states even limit how much can be awarded in a wrongful death case.

As commercial trucking increases across the country and in Mass., in terms of sharing the road with large trucks and 18 wheelers, the news isn’t good when it comes to road accidents.

Large truck accident

Some of the worst accident  involve 18 wheelers and large trucks. And if you’re statistically minded, over a half million trucking accidents occur annually which results in more than 5,000 deaths as well as many horrific injuries. And if that statistic doesn’t hit home, perhaps knowing that one in every eight deaths in this country involves an 18 wheeler, tractor-trailer, semi-truck, or big rig.

Litigating 18 wheeler lawsuits

There are several reasons for these 18 wheeler big rig accidents, the least of which is the heavy layer of federal safety regulations that are redolent of long-distance trucking rigs. Another reason is the carelessness of other smaller vehicle drivers who may be in a blind spot, and totally ignore the warning on the back of 18 wheeler trucks that plainly states: “if you can’t see my mirror, I can’t see you,” or words to that effect.

Then there is vehicle failure and driver fatigue; but more often, its fatigue as well as speed. On the other hand some 18 wheeler drivers have not been properly trained or licensed to handle such a large vehicle.

That said no person is immune to being a victim in an 18 wheeler accident. And if the accident involves death or injury, you should be in touch with a truck accident attorney who specializes in these types of personal injury claims. Usually a “big rig” accident involves greater damage to a smaller vehicle, and such a duel between an 18 wheeler and the smaller car is no contest, and can lead to monolithic injuries, and even death. Ergo, this is the time when an injured party seeks legal advice from a professional law firm who handles such accidents.

Big rig crash in Massachusetts

A personal injury “big rig” accident attorney can be your “financial parachute” when it comes to handling reams of legal paperwork involved in proving negligence of the driver or trucking company in terms of ensuring by legal methods or court action, that all victims are compensated for their injuries. And since all 18 wheeler drivers and companies for the most part, are covered by liability and accident insurance, your legal team of specialists will attempt to make sure that your medical bills are paid promptly and in full. Ergo, it’s always best to let your attorney be your “quarterback” to evaluate, investigate, and negotiate with the insurance company to insure and verify that all compensation payments for injury and suffering are paid with alacrity before the insurance coverage expires.

Truck collision

Big rig and tractor trailer fatalities involve very complicated liability issues due to state and federal statute regulations coupled with the common law of negligence. You need to retain an aggressive and successful Rhode Island personal injury and  RI wrongful death lawyers. If a family member was injured or killed in a  RI trucking accident, you can contact an 18 wheeler big rig accident lawyer min Providence for a free consultation and case evaluation.  Victims of trucking negligence in RI deserve fair and just compensation.