Federal Trucking Accident Lawyer in Las Vegas
When a collision occurs between a large commercial truck and a smaller commuter vehicle like a sedan or SUV, it is usually the occupant of the smaller vehicle that bears the brunt of the damage.
Why? Because the sheer disparity in size usually means the impact is absorbed by the smaller vehicle.
Many people may not realize that a fully loaded commercial tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. That is 25 times more than the typical sedan. When a commercial 18-wheeler is traveling at 65 miles per hour down a Las Vegas highway, they take much longer to stop. If the operator of the tractor-trailer is unable to stop and hits a car at that rate of speed, the resulting crash can be catastrophic.
Holding the Truck Operator and Their Employer Accountable for Your Injuries
If you were badly hurt in an accident involving a large commercial truck, you could be dealing with huge medical bills from serious injuries. On top of exorbitant medical bills, you could be forced to change occupations or stop working completely due to the severity of your injuries. For example, many truck accident victims are left to try and recover from the following trauma:
Accident Caused Due to Ignoring Federal Trucking Regulations
In some cases, the truck operator was negligent due to their flagrant violation of federal trucking regulations. For example, there are regulations in place regarding required rest breaks. If a commercial truck driver ignores these mandatory rest breaks, they may become drowsy or fatigued, which can lead to a serious accident.
In addition to suing the truck operator, an accident victim can file a claim against the employer of the truck driver under respondeat superior. This legal theory allows the employer of the driver to be held accountable because the employer is vicariously liable for the negligent actions of their Nevada employees when those negligent acts occur during the course of their employment.
Negligent Hiring
If a commercial trucking company knows it hired a driver with a record of negligence behind the wheel and maintains that person’s employment, the trucking company can be held responsible directly under the legal theory of negligent hiring, negligent entrustment or negligent supervision.
A federal trucking company owes the public a high duty of care to properly train and supervise truck drivers that they employ and put behind the wheel. This includes ensuring the drivers are following all state and federal trucking regulations, are not falsifying their logbooks and are getting adequate sleep.
When these duties are not being met, the federal trucking company can be held directly liable in a personal injury lawsuit.
Federal Law Governing Commercial Truck Insurance
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mandates that commercial trucks be adequately insured. For example, a tractor-trailer carrying non-hazardous goods that weigh more than 10,001 pounds, must be insured for at least $750,000 in collision coverage. In many instances, large truck companies have insurance policies that are even larger (typically in excess of $1 million in coverage).
What Our Clients Say
I suffered a devastating auto accident in Las Vegas due to someone else's fault. I was fortunate enough to call LV Personal Injury Lawyers who helped me in the most effective and client-friendly way possible.
As you can see, there are many different ways to hold a truck operator and the truck company accountable for your harms and losses. To get a better assessment of your legal options, it is important to retain the services of a skilled and experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorney.
Hurt By a Federal Trucking Driver? Contact LV Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one was seriously hurt in an accident involving a large commercial truck, you are likely struggling with significant, potentially debilitating injuries. You also may be looking at a pile of medical bills that you cannot possibly pay. And if you are out of work due to your injuries, you may not even be able to pay your rent and other expenses.
The skilled and aggressive attorneys with LV Personal Injury Lawyers are here to help. If the federal trucking driver and/or the company that employed the driver, was negligent, you may be entitled to financial restitution for your harms and losses.
Please contact our Las Vegas personal injury attorney Zachary D. Clayton today for a free, confidential case review.
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