Most drivers are aware they should avoid a truck’s blind spots, but it is not always possible. The truck driver is responsible for the safe operation of the rig, even when someone is in a no-zone.
Blind-spot truck accidents in Little Rock happen frequently and can cause severe injuries. The skilled semi-truck collision attorneys at Rainwater, Holt & Sexton could guide you through the claims process and help ensure the compensation you receive reflects the seriousness of your injuries.
Truckers have large blind spots around their vehicles. However, learning to track nearby vehicles is a fundamental component of truck driver training.
Commercial drivers learn to maintain as much space around the truck as possible. Their training teaches them to keep their eyes moving so they do not miss another vehicle approaching a blind spot. Technologies such as exterior cameras and lane departure warning systems can help them avoid collisions with vehicles in their blind spots.
When a collision happens, it is often due to a trucker’s negligence. The driver might have been fatigued, used alcohol or drugs, or driven recklessly. Our Little Rock attorneys could investigate a blind-spot wreck to determine why the trucker failed to notice your vehicle and hold the transportation company accountable for your injuries.
Drivers must use reasonable care to avoid harming others while operating their vehicles. That means keeping the vehicles in good repair, obeying traffic laws, and staying attentive while driving. Commercial drivers have a heightened responsibility and must use the utmost care on the roads.
State law follows a fault-based system to manage claims arising from wrecks. The driver at fault for the crash must compensate the other parties for their losses. If a trucker is in a wreck, any deviation from best safety practices that might have contributed to the accident is evidence of negligence, which triggers liability.
When our attorneys in Little Rock investigate a blind-spot tractor-trailer crash to gather evidence of negligence, they might subpoena the driver’s cell phone records to determine whether the driver was texting or talking in the moments before the wreck. They could review footage from in-cab cameras, entries on the trucker’s electronic log, and the data on the truck’s black box for clues about why the crash happened. They might also scrutinize the truck’s maintenance records and the trucker’s delivery schedule to determine whether the trucking company was negligent in failing to maintain its vehicle or imposed an unrealistic schedule on the driver.
If you suffered an injury in a semi-truck crash, seeking legal help right away is critical. Transportation companies have teams of lawyers and investigators to defend them against claims, and you are unlikely to receive fair treatment unless you have equally aggressive lawyers fighting for you.
In a blind-spot wreck, the trucking company will almost always try to hold you responsible. Arkansas Code §16-64-122 prevents you from receiving compensation if you are more than 49 percent responsible for the wreck, so there is a strong incentive to assign fault to you. A Little Rock attorney could fight back against these attempts and prove that the trucker was at fault for a collision because they failed to track your presence in their blind spot.
Victims of blind-spot truck accidents in Little Rock need experienced lawyers to get fair compensation. At Rainwater, Holt & Sexton, we have been achieving excellent results for our injured clients for more than 20 years. Contact us today to find out how we may help you.
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