While truck crashes can be considered motor vehicle collisions and thus share many of the same aspects of regular car crashes, their size and power make crash cases quite distinguishable from other crashes. As a personal injury lawyer specializing in truck crash cases in Missouri and Kansas, I thought I’d write this blog about the unique aspects of truck crash cases. Hopefully, it will help you understand these aspects and why, if you hire a lawyer, they should have experience with truck crash cases.
The Force of a Truck Collision
A truck can be a weapon of mass destruction. Some commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Even at a slow speed, physics dictates that a tremendous amount of force is transferred from the commercial truck to the object it hits. When that object is a small passenger vehicle with people inside, that force can be transferred into those bodies. That can cause extreme injury and death. When the truck hits multiple vehicles, mass destruction ensues. Read more about Why Increasing the Weight Limit For Large Commercial Trucks is Dangerous.
Commercial Truck Regulations
Trucks that are considered commercial motor vehicles must follow certain rules and regulations that normal vehicles do not. Because of their size and potential for harm, large trucks must follow special rules. Most of those are found in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and include rules like requiring a medical certificate to drive a large truck, pre- and post-trip inspections, and maintaining driver logs. If these rules are broken, and as a result a crash happens, the motor carrier can be liable for the injuries and damages the crash caused.
Evidence in Truck Crashes
There’s usually more evidence that can be collected in truck crash cases than regular car crash cases. Some of the special rules large trucks and their drivers must follow require them to document things and photograph or video things. For example, a commercial truck driver must document her pre- and post-trip inspections. Large trucks are also required to have event data recorders like airplane black boxes. Data can be downloaded from these devices when a crash happens. Read more about The Importance of Black Boxes in Car Crash Personal Injury Cases.
These are but a few of the unique aspects of truck crash cases. If you’re looking for a truck crash lawyer in Missouri or Kansas, or if you have any questions about truck crashes, please contact MRH Law. We are Kansas City truck crash lawyers, and have the experience and knowledge to help you out.
More Resources
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