The expert blog 2713

ECM Black Box Data and ELD Records in Tractor-Trailer Crash Claims After a serious semi-truck crash, the most precise record of the last seconds before impact is often stored inside the truck itself. People call it the black box, yet the term covers several separate systems. For a truck accident attorney, knowing which device keeps which data shapes the first evidence requests in a claim. What the black box means on a commercial truck Most heavy trucks have an engine

Underride and Jackknife Crashes: How They Happen and Who May Be Responsible Underride and jackknife crashes are two tractor-trailer crash types that often cause severe injuries. In an underride crash, a smaller vehicle slides partly or fully under a trailer or truck body. A jackknife occurs when the tractor and trailer fold toward each other, often blocking several lanes. Each raises its own evidence questions for an 18-wheeler accident lawyer. How underride happens A

Who Is Liable in a Car Crash? Most car crash claims start with the other driver, but the driver is not always the only party who may be responsible. The vehicle owner, an employer, a government agency or a parts manufacturer may also play a role. Sorting out who may be legally responsible is an early task for a car accident attorney, because each party may have separate insurance. Driver negligence A negligence claim asks whether a driver failed to use reasonable care

How Hours of Service Violations Can Shape a Truck Accident Claim When a tractor-trailer crash happens late in a long run, an early question is whether the driver had stayed inside the federal hours-of-service limits. Fatigue rarely leaves skid marks, so the answer usually comes from records rather than the roadway. A truck accident attorney looking at one of these claims usually starts by comparing the driver's logs against every other record of the trip. How the federal

Who Can Be Held Responsible for an 18-Wheeler Crash? A tractor-trailer crash often involves more than one responsible party. The driver, the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, the company that loaded the cargo and the manufacturer of a defective part can each play a role. Identifying every responsible party is an early job for a truck accident lawyer, because each party may carry its own insurance. Claims against the driver Most claims start with the driver's

What FMCSA and NHTSA Data Show About Truck Accidents Federal crash data gives a national picture of how often large trucks are involved in serious crashes. The figures below come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and each one is tied to its data year. A tractor-trailer crash lawyer may cite figures like these for background, but statistics describe patterns across many crashes, not wh

What FMCSA and NHTSA Data Show About Truck Accidents National crash data shows how often large trucks are involved in serious crashes. The figures below come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and each one is tied to its data year. A truck accident attorney might use figures like these for context, but statistics describe patterns across many crashes, not what happened in a single one.

Rear-End and T-Bone Collisions: How Fault Is Decided Rear-end and T-bone collisions come up again and again in injury claims. The name of the crash describes how the vehicles met, but it does not decide who was at fault. An auto accident lawyer reviewing these crashes usually begins with the sequence of events, from each car's speed to the signals that controlled traffic. Why rear-end crashes happen Many state traffic laws bar drivers from following another vehicle mo