Knoxville Truck Accident Lawyer
Experienced Knoxville Truck Accident Attorneys Serving Injury Victims Statewide
According to the Department of Homeland Security, as many as 963 people are killed in traffic-related accidents every year. Following improperly, failing to yield the right of way, and general careless driving are some of the most common causes. For instance, in 2015 alone, there were around 172,057 accidents caused by distracted driving. While most car accidents involve standard vehicles, the most devastating injuries are sustained in collisions involving large trucks. Contact our experienced Knoxville truck accident lawyers for more information.
Common Causes
Some of the most common causes of accidents involving large trucks include:
- Speeding;
- Driver fatigue;
- Improperly loaded cargo;
- Inattentive operation of the vehicle; and
- Driving under the influence.
If another driver’s negligent acts caused an accident in which you sustained an injury, our Knoxville truck accident lawyers will help you begin the process of recovery.
Types of Injuries
While the causes of accidents involving trucks are largely the same as those for collisions involving standard vehicles, the results are usually much more devastating. This is in large part due to the fact that larger vehicles like semi-trucks are much heavier and so can cause especially serious damage.
Semi-trucks are also used to transport large or dangerous products that create an additional chance of injury. For instance, if a negligent truck driver’s carelessness causes a roll-over or other type of collision, the force of the impact may cause heavy cargo, such as cement pipes, lumber, or even toxic materials, to spill onto the roadway.
Injuries that most often result from accidents involving trucks include:
- Spine or neck injuries: Damage of this type can range in severity from minor whiplash and herniated discs to permanent nerve damage and paralysis.
- Broken bones: Because semi-trucks are so much heavier than standard vehicles, impacts during collisions are especially forceful. As a result, broken bones, fractures, dislocations, torn tendons, and damaged ligaments are all much more likely to occur. Depending on the portion of the body that was injured, broken bones can take years to fully heal and may require multiple painful surgeries and months of rehabilitation and physical therapy.
- Severe lacerations: Deep cuts from flying debris are also much more common in accidents involving large trucks, which have significantly more metal and glass than the average automobile. Lacerations will require stitches, staples, or even additional surgeries. Severe cuts can easily become infected, requiring hospital stays and heavy doses of expensive antibiotics. Even once these injuries heal, they will most likely leave permanent scarring.
- Burns: Burns are much more likely to occur in accidents involving trucks because the higher impact can result in rupturing gas tanks and subsequent explosions. There is an even higher risk of burns if the truck was carrying a toxic material when it crashed. Burns range in severity from mild, which are equivalent to sunburns, to serious third- and fourth-degree burns, which are extremely prone to infection and require painful skin grafts and multiple surgeries.
- Soft-tissue damage: The terrific impacts involved in truck accidents lead to a much higher incidence of soft-tissue injuries in victims. Organ damage can easily cause internal bleeding, which, if left undetected, can cause permanent damage or death.
- Traumatic brain injuries: One of the most devastating consequences of a truck accident is a traumatic brain injury. Many injuries to the skull and brain result in permanent damage, making it impossible for a victim to function at the same level after the accident. Head injuries can range in severity from concussions and fractures to comas and can even result in death.
Whether your injury was minor or severe, our Knoxville truck accident lawyers will help protect your interests and obtain the compensation you deserve.
Federal and State Regulation
Because transporting goods via truck is such an important part of interstate commerce, both state and federal regulations require that drivers meet certain standards. A failure to do this can not only cause serious injury or even death, but also opens drivers up to liability if they do not operate their vehicles reasonably. For instance, drivers of semi-trucks must be sure to adhere to the rules dictating the following:
- Maximum driving time;
- Load weight limits;
- Cargo loading procedures;
- Driver fatigue;
- Condition of the vehicle;
- Regular safety and load inspections; and
- Distracted driving.
In many cases, a truck driver’s actual operation of the vehicle is not a cause of the accident. However, a driver will still be held liable for negligence if he or she failed to properly load any cargo or to check that the vehicle was running safely.
Knoxville Truck Accident Compensation
Because injures can be so severe, the costs associated with being the victim of a trucker’s negligent driving can be extremely high. At Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette, we can help ensure that you recover the costs of medical care, including surgeries, hospital stays, medication, physical therapy, other rehabilitation methods, and long-term care.
We understand that injuries can also keep a person from keeping his or her job or performing at the same level as before the accident, and we will do all that we can to make sure that you receive any lost wages or lost earning capacity so that you can your family can begin the process of healing together. Pain and suffering can be difficult to quantify, but in many cases, courts are willing to award a judgment against negligent parties for the suffering that their acts caused.
Tragically, many lives are lost as a result of a collision with a semi-truck. This is devastating for the families left behind, but we can help ensure that the spouse or surviving children of the decedent are well-provided-for financially.
Contacting the Knoxville truck accident lawyers at Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette Today
The Knoxville truck accident lawyers at Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette will investigate your claim thoroughly and do everything we can to protect your interests. We represent our clients on a contingency basis so you will not owe us anything unless your case is successful. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident due to a truck driver’s negligence, please contact us at (866) 958-4414 for a free initial consultation.
