The state of Virginia ranks 9th in the top ten states with the most serious truck accidents, according to the Factor Finders website. If you have been involved in a Chesterfield, VA truck accident, you may be left with serious—even catastrophic—injuries. You could be struggling to get the medical treatment you need and unable to work and make a living due to your injuries. Should you find yourself in such an untenable position, your very best course of action is to contact a Chesterfield truck accident attorney.

You need an advocate in your corner right now more than ever. You need someone who truly cares about your future and will fight for your right to an equitable settlement. Even though money will not change the accident or your resulting injuries, it can help you get the treatment you need.

When a Tronfeld, West & Durrett attorney takes your case, you can finally take the time you need to heal while we deal with the insurance company and all other legal issues. We understand that you are anxious and stressed about your future and even angry about the negligence that resulted in your personal injury. We are ready to help you through this difficult time, always working for the best outcome possible.

Why Are Truck Accidents Usually So Serious?

Truck accidents usually leave those in the passenger vehicle with severe injuries. This is due to the sheer size difference between a large commercial truck and a passenger vehicle. A large commercial truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when it is fully loaded, while a passenger vehicle generally weighs from 2,500 to 4,000 pounds. That is a significant difference when the passenger vehicle is struck. Further, not all large commercial trucks have underride bars—the bars that prevent a vehicle from sliding under the truck, shearing away the top of the passenger vehicle. If the truck driver is hauling a hazardous material, the consequences can be even more severe.

Types of Injuries after a Truck Accident

Those involved in a truck accident may end up with serious catastrophic injuries, which can include:

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Head injuries
  • Emotional distress
  • Internal injuries
  • Permanent disabilities
  • and many other injuries that require months, years, or a lifetime of medical interventions and rehabilitative therapies.

Medical expenses can mount quickly—and alarmingly. Those who have severe injuries from a Virginia truck accident may also be unable to return to the work they did prior to the accident. In such cases, it is imperative to have an experienced Chesterfield, VA truck accident attorney who will fight for you, your family, and your future.

For answers to your questions about a truck accident in Chesterfield, call:
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Truck accident causes

The roadways, traversed by massive commercial trucks, can sometimes become arenas of unforeseen challenges. Truck accidents can result from a combination of factors, including driver error, vehicle issues, and external factors. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents are:

  • Driver fatigue: Long hours and fatigue can lead to slowed reaction times and increased risk of accidents.
  • Speeding: Exceeding speed limits increases the severity of crashes and reduces the time available to react to hazards.
  • Improperly loaded cargo: Improperly loaded cargo can lead to loss of control, rollovers, and other accidents.
  • Equipment failure: Malfunctioning brakes, tires, or other equipment can result in accidents.
  • Poor weather conditions: Slippery roads, reduced visibility, and other weather-related factors can make accidents more likely.
  • Inexperienced drivers: Lack of experience can contribute to accidents involving truck accidents.
  • Highway conditions: Poor road maintenance, construction, and confusing traffic signals can cause accidents.

As your committed legal advocates, we strive for justice in the aftermath of accidents and actively promote preventive measures. Your case can also set a precedent and serve for truck accidents to be mitigated, ensuring safer highways for everyone.

What to do After a Truck Accident?

Experiencing a truck accident resulting in personal injury can be overwhelming, but taking the right steps is crucial. As your trusted Chesterfield Truck Accident Attorney specializing in personal injury cases, we provide guidance on navigating the aftermath of such incidents and strongly recommend to:

  1. Prioritize safety: Ensure everyone is safe and seek medical attention for injuries, move to a safe location, if possible, and report the accident to law enforcement.
  2. Seek medical attention: Even for seemingly minor injuries, seek prompt medical attention.
  3. Gather information: Collect details about the accident, including names and contact information of parties involved, witnesses, and law enforcement officers.
  4. Preserve evidence: Safeguard any evidence related to the accident, such as the vehicle, personal belongings, and clothing.

Remember, the decisions you make immediately following the accident can profoundly impact the outcome of your case. Prioritizing safety, seeking prompt medical attention, and diligently gathering crucial information are the initial steps toward securing your rights.

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Who Is At Fault In A Chesterfield, Va Truck Accident?

Truck accidents are unique in that rather than a single defendant—the person responsible for the accident—there can potentially be more than one defendant. The truck driver could be at fault for the accident if he or she was overly fatigued, distracted, careless, reckless, or impaired. The trucking company could be liable if it knowingly allowed the truck driver to exceed his or her allowed number of behind-the-wheel hours. The trucking company could also be liable if it failed to fully vet the truck driver with a full background check or failed to ensure the driver was properly trained.

If the accident was caused by shifting cargo or cargo that slid off the trailer entirely, then the loading company could be held liable. If the accident was due to faulty brakes, tires, or another truck mechanical issue, the maintenance company could be held liable. Finally, if the accident was caused by a defective truck part, then the manufacturer could be held liable. It could be that more than one individual or entity is responsible for your accident. Because of the complexities associated with a truck accident, it is always a good idea to have a knowledgeable Chesterfield, VA truck accident attorney by your side from start to finish.

How Can Bad Truck Brakes Potentially Cause a Serious Truck Accident?

A large number of trucking accidents are directly related to brakes that have malfunctioned or were simply not maintained properly. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has determined that as many as one-third of all trucking accidents are at least partially tied to the misalignment of the truck brakes, total brake failure, problems the truck driver has when braking, or other brake maintenance issues. Still, other auto accidents can be linked to an overloaded, overweight truck that causes the brakes to heat up, brake installation done incorrectly, or brake lines that are worn out. These types of truck accidents include rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, side impact accidents, rollover accidents, underride accidents, and more. It is rare that truck brakes simply fail completely—although possible—but accidents caused by deficient maintenance of the truck brakes can nonetheless be responsible for an accident with serious injuries.

Truck brakes are prone to failure due to the weight of the truck. An 80,000-pound truck requires considerably more force to slow down than a passenger vehicle. Further, since trucks travel so many more miles than your average passenger vehicle, the brakes receive much more use. This can cause brakes to wear out relatively quickly Even though brake maintenance for large commercial trucks is federally mandated, accidents caused by truck brake issues continue to occur. This means that if your truck accident is the result of bad brakes or poorly maintained brakes, your truck attorney will use this as leverage to ensure you get the settlement you need and deserve.

Chesterfield, VA Truck Accidents Caused by Aggressive Driving

Truck drivers drive thousands of miles each year to deliver loads on time. They eat on the run, sleep when they can (usually in tiny truck sleepers), and are away from home for days or weeks at a time. Trucks may break down, traffic can stall the trucker’s progress, shippers, receivers and dispatchers want quicker deliveries and the trucker may also be dealing with family problems—sometimes from 2,000 miles away. Because truckers are only paid for the hours they are behind the wheel of the truck, the financial pressure is also enormous. When taken as a whole, you can see how some truck drivers may have little patience with other drivers, especially when they feel those drivers are impeding their on-time deliveries. While aggressive driving is becoming more and more common among all drivers, semi-truck drivers tend to be the more common perpetrators.

By virtue of the massive size of an 80,000-pound truck as compared to a much smaller passenger vehicle, many truck drivers develop an inflated sense of being the “boss” of the road. These drivers may come to believe they are not bound by the rules of the road and therefore hold onto the right-of-way even when collisions with motorists could ensue. These drivers may drive aggressively as a matter of course rather than a one-time behavior due to a particularly stressful day. Of course, even the driver who rarely engages in aggressive behavior could cause a fatal accident on the day that stress boils over. The best truck drivers have learned certain coping skills as a way of managing the stress of truck driving while others use aggressive driving behaviors as a means of letting off steam.

When Driver Distraction or Driver Fatigue Causes a Chesterfield, VA Truck Accident

Commercial truck drivers can typically drive up to eleven hours at a time it’s easy to see how they can become exhausted. Because these truckers can be under time constraints, they are often unable to stop and rest. Truck drivers are also subject to the same types of driver error and driver distraction as any driver. Due to their long hours on the road, semi truck drivers typically eat while driving, talk on their cell phones, fiddle with the radio, or try to watch the GPS in unfamiliar cities. Anything that takes the driver’s eyes or attention from the road and the vehicles around him can lead to a serious accident and is considered distracted driving.

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Truck accident laws in Virginia

Within Virginia, truck operators are obligated to comply with a stringent array of trucking laws. These directives cover factors ranging from weight limitations to designated hours of service: 

  • Hours of service regulations: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) limits commercial truck drivers to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
  • Commercial driver’s license (CDL) requirements: Virginia requires a CDL for operating large commercial vehicles, with specific endorsements needed for different types of cargo, such as hazardous materials.
  • Weight limits: Virginia enforces a maximum gross vehicle weight limit of 80,000 pounds for commercial vehicles, with specific roads or bridges possibly having lower limits.
  • Drug and alcohol testing: Commercial drivers in Virginia are subject to both state and federal drug and alcohol testing, including various scenarios like post-accident and random testing.
  • Vehicle maintenance and inspection: Laws require regular maintenance and inspection of commercial trucks, focusing on critical components like brakes, lights, and tires.
  • Insurance requirements: Virginia mandates liability insurance for commercial trucks, with minimum coverage levels varying based on the vehicle type and cargo.

Load securement: FMCSA guidelines dictate strict regulations for cargo securement to prevent load shifting during transport.

Why Hire Tronfeld, West & Durrett As Your Truck Accident Lawyer

As you can see, truck accidents can be much more complex than “regular” passenger car accidents. This means that not only could your catastrophic injuries be much more severe, but there could also be more than one defendant. It is important to have a knowledgeable truck accident attorney in your corner who has helped others who were in very similar situations. At Tronfeld, West & Durrett, we pride ourselves on always keeping our clients’ best interests at heart.

We want to ensure you are able to get the medical treatment you need and deserve without worrying about medical bills. We want to ensure you receive lost wages for the time you are away from work, and pain and suffering damages as well. We believe you deserve all this and more. You were injured through no fault of your own and we will always go the extra mile to see that you and your family are taken care of following your semi – truck accident.

If you are looking for an experienced, knowledgeable, empathetic Chesterfield truck accident attorney to fight for your justice and against the insurance company, then look no further. The Tronfeld, West & Durrett serious injury team of Jay Tronfeld & John Newby can help those in Chesterfield County and Midlothian file a personal injury claim. We will not let an insurance company take advantage of you—since 1972 our truck accident lawyer team has obtained settlements or jury verdicts for accident victims of truck accidents. We are experienced, local lawyers helping our neighbors in need.

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What Are the Most Common Types of Personal Injury Claims?

Automobile accidents are, by far, the most common type of personal injury claim. There are more than 17,250 car accidents every day in the United States, and many of those accidents are the direct result of negligence or carelessness on the part of a driver. Auto accidents can cause injuries that result in lifelong medical issues and pain. Therefore, holding the careless driver responsible is extremely important.