Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

When large commercial trucks roll over, they become a serious hazard to everyone else on the road. If you were hurt or your loved one was killed in a truck rollover accident, you may have the right to financial compensation for your injuries. The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein and Affiliates P.C. is a skilled Massachusetts truck accident law firm that is dedicated to helping truck accident victims and their families. Our team is here to provide you with the support you need, as well as relentless advocacy at every stage of the legal process.

Truck Rollover Accidents

A truck rollover accident is an accident in which the truck overturns onto its side or roof. Trucks are particularly prone to this kind of accident because they have such a high center of gravity. Rollover accidents can lead to devastating harm. While only 2.1 percent of crashes involve a rollover, rollover accidents accounted for nearly 35 percent of all deaths from passenger vehicle crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data from the NHTSA also found that over half of all truck fatalities are due to rollover crashes. Truck rollover accidents can have a number of causes, including:

• Improperly loaded vehicles;
• Unsecured cargo and freight;
• Tired drivers;
• Unsafe lane changes;
• Excessive speeding;
• Insufficient truck maintenance.

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Given the sheer size and weight of trucks, accidents involving these vehicles can lead to catastrophic, even deadly, injuries. Unfortunately, blind spots are a leading factor in many truck accident cases. If you were injured in a truck blind spot accident, you need to reach out to a seasoned Massachusetts truck accident attorney as soon as possible. With over two decades of experience, Barry Feinstein & Affiliates, P.C. has been helping victims of big rig and semi-truck collisions recover the compensation they rightfully deserve.

Blind Spots Leading to Accidents

Every vehicle has blind spots that inhibit a driver’s ability to see certain areas around the vehicle. A blind spot refers to an area where the truck driver’s view is obstructed. In other words, a blind spot is the space around the truck that the driver cannot directly see through the rear view mirrors or the side mirrors. A truck’s blind spot can be so significant that it is often referred to as “No Man’s Land.” In fact, entire vehicles can hide in the blind spots of big trucks. When a truck driver cannot see other vehicles on the road, changing lanes can be extremely dangerous, and vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes can be struck, crushed or forced off the road.

Liability in Blind Spot Accidents

Truck drivers have a duty to drive safely, including checking all mirrors and all blind spots. If you believe that your wreck was caused by a truck driver’s failure to check his or her blind spot, you may be able to recover damages through a negligence claim. Negligence occurs when a truck driver fails to use the level of care and caution that a reasonably prudent truck driver would use under the same or similar circumstances. For example, if a truck driver caused an accident because he or she failed to check blind spots before changing lanes, that driver would likely be considered negligent and on the hook for any resulting damages.

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Truck accidents caused by wide turns can lead to serious, long-term harm for everyone involved. If you have been injured in such an accident, you have the right to pursue compensation for your losses through a personal injury claim. The skilled Massachusetts truck accident attorneys at Barry Feinstein & Affiliates, P.C. pride themselves on holding negligent truck drivers and, in some cases, trucking companies accountable for the harm that they cause.Truck drivers must be very careful when making a turn, due to the sheer size and length of their vehicles. A wide turn takes place when a driver’s vehicle spills into another lane while turning. In many cases, the truck driver does not even realize the turn is too wide. For instance, when making a left turn, the back of the truck could swing around the center of the intersection as opposed to staying in the left lane, thereby causing an accident. A wide turn can sometimes be unavoidable, but in those cases, the truck driver should be extremely cautious and make sure the turn will not injure a pedestrian or another driver. Common causes of wide turn accidents include but are not limited to:

• The truck driver failing to check a blind spot properly;
• The driver being under the influence of alcohol or drugs;

Jackknifed trucks can cause devastating accidents. If you or someone close to you suffered an injury in a jackknife truck accident, you need to reach out to a skilled Massachusetts truck accident attorney without delay. At The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein & Affiliates P.C. , we will examine the facts of your case and help you get the justice and compensation you rightfully deserve. We understand how stressful dealing with an accident can be, which is why we will handle your case with the utmost compassion.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a total of 3,986 people died in large truck accidents in 2016. Seventeen percent of these deaths were truck occupants; 66 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, whereas 16 percent were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists. Some of these deaths were due to jackknife accidents. A jackknife accident occurs when the two separate parts of the truck, the cab and the trailer, fold in on itself at the point of separation, forming a 90-degree angle “v” shape. In other words, a jackknife wreck happens when the trailer part of the truck swings out to one side, resembling a partially opened blade of a jackknife.

When a trailer begins to jackknife, it creates an extremely dangerous situation for other vehicles on the road. A jackknifing trailer can collide with or sideswipe other vehicles, which can actually cause the entire tractor-trailer unit to roll over. A rollover poses its own risks, such as potential spills of dangerous cargo and the potential for the truck to catch fire. Given the sheer size and weight of the truck, smaller passenger vehicles are at great risk for severe, even deadly, injuries when these accidents take place. Jackknife accidents can happen for a number of reasons including, but not limited to:

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Underride accidents typically cause serious and even fatal injuries. People who survive such accidents often suffer life-changing injuries that can be emotionally draining and extremely costly to treat. If you or a loved one has been injured in an underride accident, you need the help of a trustworthy Massachusetts truck accident attorney. At The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein & Affiliates P.C. , we are committed to aggressively representing clients and families who have been affected by underride accidents.

Underride accidents take place when a car goes partially or fully underneath a truck or trailer in a collision. In other words, underride accidents refer to accidents in which a passenger vehicle strikes a truck and goes underneath it. Even at relatively low speeds, these collisions can have devastating consequences for individuals in the smaller vehicle. To decrease the chances of underride accidents, trucks often use guards, which are metal bars intended to prevent cars from sliding under the trucks. However, the effectiveness of these guards has been questionable, especially when cars are traveling at high speeds.

Unfortunately, underride accidents are more common than you may think. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 400 people die each year due to underride accidents. In addition, more than 5,000 occupants of passenger vehicles suffer serious injuries in these types of accidents each year. Underride accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:

Truck accidents can lead to serious and long-term injuries for everyone involved. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a truck accident that was not your fault, you may be able to recover damages through a personal injury lawsuit. At The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein & Affiliates P.C., our seasoned Massachusetts truck accident attorneys are committed to providing personalized and detail-oriented representation to our clients throughout the entire legal process.

According to the United States Department of Transportation, approximately half a million trucking accidents occur across the country on an annual basis. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that about 5.6 percent of all deadly crashes in Massachusetts involved large trucks. Even though the commercial trucking industry is legally obligated to follow strict rules and regulations, the reality is that drivers often ignore them and end up getting into serious accidents. Some causes of accidents include but are not limited to:

• Drowsy driving;
• Distracted driving;
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs;
• Excessive speeding;
• Unsecured or overloaded cargo;
• Mechanical failures; and/or
• Not following legal rules and regulations.

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Commercial trucks often haul large quantities of heavy cargo across the country, including in the state of Massachusetts. When a truck driver fails to secure cargo properly, the consequences can be devastating. If you or someone close to you has been injured due to items improperly loaded onto a truck, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein & Affiliates P.C., our Massachusetts truck accident lawyers are committed to helping clients hold negligent truck drivers accountable for the harm that they cause through their negligence. We can evaluate your case and help you identify each potentially liable party.

Falling debris or loose cargo from trucks can cause serious harm not only to other motorists on the road but to bicyclists and pedestrians as well. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets certain requirements for securing cargo. Truckers and trucking companies must comply with these regulations by carefully tying their loads onto their big rigs and correctly distributing the weight. In addition, cargo on trucks must be able to withstand certain forces associated with acceleration and deceleration. These rules are designed to minimize the risk of a falling debris accident.

Falling debris accidents may be results of overloading a commercial truck, not securing the cargo properly, or even parts of a defective truck falling off. Truck accidents caused by falling debris can happen in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: