New Jersey is home to one of the most complex highway infrastructures in the nation. The sheer volume of vehicles traveling at any time on the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway, for example, is enough to cause a serious accident. Truck accidents are particularly dangerous because of the size and potential load of the massive tractor-trailers that use NJ roads every day. If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident caused by someone else’s negligence in Monmouth County, you deserve compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney at The Wilton Law Firm. We’ll take on the insurance companies and fight for the maximum compensation allowed by law for injuries sustained in a New Jersey truck accident. To schedule a free initial consultation with a legal team you can trust, contact The Wilton Law Firm today.
New Jersey Truck Accident Liability
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, sets guidelines that trucking companies must follow to ensure the safety of their drivers and other motorists on the road. While these companies and their employees generally attempt to follow the rules, accidents still happen. Some of the major causes of truck accidents include the following:- Driver Negligence – Truck driving can be solitary, tiresome work. A driver distracted by a cell phone, food, the radio, or other vehicles on the road can easily cause an accident by failing to yield, signal or stop when necessary. When the driver of a big rig fails to pay attention to what’s going on around them, horrific accidents can happen.
- Long Shifts – Truck drivers, especially those who make long hauls across state lines, spend lots of time on the road. While they aren’t supposed to work double shifts, poor weather, traffic, and sometimes unrealistic delivery deadlines, often cause them to work for far longer than they should. Driver fatigue or falling asleep at the wheel is a serious contributor to truck accidents.
- Inexperienced Drivers – Of course, truck drivers must obtain commercial driver’s licenses and be well-instructed on operating their vehicles. In a rush to get a driver out on the road, it’s entirely possible that an inexperienced 18-wheeler truck driver may not be ready for a haul. They may not fully understand the workings of the vehicle, or they may not be fully up-to-speed on safety guidelines or rules of the road. Driver inexperience frequently leads to truck accidents.
- Improperly Packed Loads – Many things can go wrong when a truck is being packed for a haul. When weight guidelines are not adhered to, or the load isn’t properly secured to prevent movement, serious accidents can happen as a result.
- Poor Truck Maintenance – Trucks must be routinely inspected to ensure tires, brakes, and all parts of the vehicle are in proper, working order. Missing an inspection or failing to see a problem and repair it can make a truck an accident waiting to happen.
