My Parents Were Injured In An Accident Involving A Tractor-Trailer Truck. Should We Hire An Attorney For Personal Injury Damage?

Question:  My parents were headed to the Sierra Mountainsfor a ski weekend when they were involved in an accident with a tractor-trailertruck that jackknifed on the interstate. We are still awaiting the cause of the accident, but preliminary factssuggest that icy roads were a factor in the accident.  Should we hire an attorney to obtain compensationfor their injuries?

Response:  Interstate trucking accidents have become adeadly plague on American roads as huge trucks dominate the open road.  These trucks are often involved indevastating accidents which include rear-end, head-on, under ride and jackknifeaccidents.  A jackknife occurs when thesemi-tractor trailer loses traction and the towed cargo continues to moveforward pushing the vehicle, which rotates at the hitch point, causing thetruck to spin or rotate out of control where it ends up facing backwards. Whena commercial vehicle is traveling at a high-rate of speed, a minor error canresult in serious injury such as brain trauma, loss of limbs, broken bones andeven death.  Some of the causes of truckjackknife include:

• Truck mechanical failure
• Truck equipment failure
• Improper braking
• Negligence
• Overload of cargo trailer
• Wet road surfaces
• Excessive rate of speed
• Icy roads
• Sharp Turns

Althoughgovernment agencies and the trucking companies have attempted to reduce thefrequency of truck accidents, these deadly crashes still claim too many casualtieseach year.  You should speak with anexperienced interstate trucking accident attorney who will help you maneuverthrough the complex legal system to ensure that you get the help you need.

Answered by Linda Adams

Additional Resources: TruckAccident Lawyers