A trucking accident cause of accident in Rhode Island requires a skilled and experienced RI Truck accident lawyer. Not every Rhode Island Personal Injury lawyer has the skill and expertise to properly handle a pickup truck, semi- truck or box truck crash.
Do not retain an inexperienced truck accident lawyer in RI
Be very careful! Do not retain a RI car accident attorney who only or predominantly handles garden variety rear end whiplash auto collision claims. These Providence area and Pawtucket lawyers may be in way over their head at the very start of the tractor trailer trucking collision litigation.
Establishing that the various entities such as the trucking company, mechanics or a long haul trucker is at fault for a deadly crash can be a daunting proposition for a new or inexperienced truck wreck solicitor.
Trucking litigation in Rhode Island is complex
The trucking accident litigation process is extremely complicated and requires a firm understanding of the complexities of federal, state and local regulations, safety standards rules and laws. A RI truck accident lawyer will know how to obtain crucial evidence to win your Pawtucket, Woonsocket or Lincoln Truck wreck claim.
A Providence Superior Court truck crash lawsuit may involve thousands of dollars or perhaps tens of thousands of dollars of out of pocket expenses. These 18 wheeler or tractor trailer collision litigation costs are usually paid by Providence trucking negligence lawyers and reimbursed when the attorneys obtain a settlement or judgment in favor of their seriously injured client.
Hire the best Rhode Island truck accident attorney
This means that you need an established RI trucking collision law firm or RI truck accident lawyer with deep pockets to front the litigation costs to get you the maximum settlement or judgment possible. A small town lawyer from Barrington, Bristol or Warren may not have the resources or support staff, paralegals to fight deep pockets corporate America to get you the injury funds you are entitled to.
Retaining a national settlement mill, trucking lawyer is also a huge mistake since these attorneys may be unable to litigate the matter in Rhode Island Courts. They are also unfamiliar with the trucking litigation process and rules in Providence Superior Court or federal Court for the First Circuit District of RI.
Do not retain a RI truck crash lawyer without resources to litigate
A solo attorney could quickly become overwhelmed by the case costs and pressure a quick low dollar settlement. A smaller firm may want to avoid a lawsuit because of the costs of retaining the best truck accident Reconstructionist as well as other medical experts.
At the end of the day, a RI truck accident victim must retain one of the best Rhode Island personal injury attorneys.
Search federal trucking regs here:
Tragically, many large and medium size truck wrecks with motor vehicles, pedestrians or bicycles result in fatalities. If your spouse, child or loved one was killed in a fatal RI truck and car crash then you need a RI truck accident attorney who not only aggressively litigates trucking accidents but is also a savvy top RI wrongful death attorney.
The Rhode Island Supreme court has made it abundantly clear that “The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers and attorneys in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer / attorney as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.”
Therefore, the crucial question to ask your Providence personal injury attorney is how many truck accident cases have you handled and how many jury verdicts have you prevailed in.
Light and medium sized trucks lead to a large percentage of trucking accidents in Rhode Island and across the United States. The national Highway Traffic Safety Administration states “A passenger vehicle is a motor vehicle weighing less than 10,000 pounds; the category includes passenger cars and light trucks (pickup trucks, vans, SUVs, and other light trucks).” NHTSA
“The size and weight of the large commercial truck increases the likelihood of catastrophic injuries or death when involved in a RI or MA collision with a passenger vehicle. Professional truckers spend long hours behind the wheel every day carrying loads weighing up to 80,000 pounds or more, which can be disastrous when colliding with a passenger vehicle weighing just over 3000 pounds.”
When law makers are considering the issue of truck collisions in RI / MA and in the United States, they are usually referring to large trucks such as big rigs, semis, tractor trailers, long haul trucks and 18 wheeler trucks.
However, a motorist in Rhode Island is much more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash with a pickup truck, suv, dump truck, flatbed trucks, or garbage truck, then a big rig.
“There were an estimated 9,754,000 vehicles involved in police-reported traffic crashes, 96 percent (9,387,000) of which were passenger vehicles (passenger vehicles include passenger cars and light trucks (pickup trucks, vans, SUVs, and other light trucks) weighing 10,000 GVWR or less). There were 45,586 vehicles involved in fatal crashes, of which 78 percent (35,346) were passenger vehicles. In 2012, there were 21,667 passenger vehicle occupants who lost their lives in traffic crashes, and an estimated 2.09 million were injured.” NHTSA
More unusual motor vehicle wrecks occur when a car or bike is rear ended by a log truck, refrigerator truck, delivery trucks, box truck or cement mixer truck.
Large truck truckers are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash with a smaller car or a motorcycle. Also minivans, Sports utility Vans, crane trucks, recreational vehicles ( rv / mobile homes) and tow trucks colliding with bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians and automobiles can also be deadly.
WPRI reported, “SCITUATE, R.I. (WPRI) — The driver of a tractor trailer was killed early Friday morning after the vehicle crashed into the woods and rolled over onto its side. According to police, a tractor trailer that was carrying canned goods broke through the guardrail and rolled over into the woods on Route 6 near the Route 101 split in Scituate. About two dozen rescue and emergency vehicles from Scituate police, Rhode Island State Police, and local fire departments responded to the crash around 4 a.m.” WPRI
“If you are injured in a Semi Truck Crash, Tractor Trailer accident or other truck accident, you should immediately hire a reputable Rhode Island Trucking Accident Personal Injury Attorney or a RI truck accident attorney. They will ensure that you’re not stuck dealing with the financial repercussions and various other consequences due to another’s negligence. Dealing with various issues after a RI truck accident can be quite intimidating. Many car, motorcycle, bicycle or bike accidents with a truck result in death, traumatic brain injury, hospitalization and other serious injuries.”
“In 2012, there were 3,921 people killed and 104,000 people injured in crashes involving large trucks (gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds) In the United States, 333,000 large trucks were involved in traffic crashes during 2012.” NHTSA
Causes of trucking accidents in Rhode Island and Massachusetts:
–Distracted Driving– some truckers get so bored while they are driving that they utilize their cell phones, watch a video or engage in texting while driving. If the motor vehicle accident in RI is caused by distracted driving or texting and driving then it is important to retain a Providence Personal injury Lawyer who has experience litigating distracted driving car and trucking accidents.
–Drowsy driving- Many truckers feel pressure to get their freight or load to its destination on time. Truckers also feel the pressure to be more productive and log more miles in a 24 hour period. Truckers in RI and Ma often do not get enough sleep and negligently commit tired, sleepy or drowsy driving reckless conduct which puts other motorists and cyclists at risk.
The New York Times reported: “Drowsy driving is a leading cause of crashes and highway fatalities, according to federal officials. Just this month, driver fatigue has been cited in deadly accidents in Madison County, Ohio; Austin, Tex.; and Marseilles, Ill. In all, more than 30,000 people die on highways annually in the United States; crashes involving large trucks are responsible for one in seven of those deaths.” NY TIMES
–Drugged Driving- there is perhaps nothing more dangerous than a drugged, stoned or drunk pickup truck driver racing recklessly across the streets and Roads of Rhode Island and Providence plantations. This type of gross indifference to human life can often lead to innocent pedestrians or civilians being killed or maimed as a result.
–Mechanical failure: “Trucking accidents are often caused by mechanical failures — the two biggest culprits being brake failures and defective tires. In fact, a recent study sponsored by Department of Transportation (DOT) found that 29.4% of all large truck crashes involved brake failure, brakes out of adjustment, or other brake-related issues.” nolo
Many other trucking crashes are caused by road conditions or weather conditions such as snowy, rainy or foggy weather or icy, snowy, wet or oily roads. Many truck accident are also caused by speeding, GPS use, eating while driving or reckless driving.
