What Makes Truck Accidents Different From Other Roadway Accidents?

If you have been in an accident with a semi-truck, you need to know that it is not the same as getting in an accident with other vehicles. Moreover, what makes an accident with a semi-truck different is also what makes it difficult to pursue a personal injury case if you sustain harm. 

Size and Weight

A fully loaded truck is many times heavier than a normal car. Thus, even if the semi is moving at low speeds, the truck can be hard to turn and stop. Also, because of the force involved, semis tend to cause a lot more damage than other vehicles. However, just because your car is mangled and the occupants have sustained horrific injuries does not necessarily mean the cause of the accident was anything other than mundane. Thus, when you sit down to review the facts in a truck accident case, you may need to be ready to accept the fact that you may have caused the accident after misjudging how a semi truck was going to behave. 

The Cause of the Accident

A trucking company will typically own the trucks that its drivers operate. They may handle maintenance for their truck in house, but they they might also contract with a separate company to perform the maintenance. They might also allow the companies who contract to ship with them to handle the loading of their own goods. The reason for this is that some equipment or materials can be tricky to pack, and the company who makes the goods is most likely to be the one who knows all of the peculiarities involved in packing their goods. All of these considerations make it difficult to determine fault in trucking accidents. For example, the cause of an accident could easily be driver error, but it could also be neglected maintenance, or a poorly packed load that shifts and causes the driver to lose control. Thus, if you were not at fault for the accident, it is important to study out the facts surrounding the accident and clearly determine who was. 

Even if you have been in other accidents and pursued a successful personal injury case, you still may be poorly equipped to pursue an injury case after being involved in a trucking accident. Working with a lawyer who is familiar with trucking cases will allow you to take advantage of their expertise in pursuing your case to a good end. 

Contact legal professionals like Scherline And Associates to learn more.