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Holding All Negligent Parties Accountable For Truck Accidents

Car drivers are at a disadvantage against truck drivers both on the road and off. On the road, trucks greatly outweigh cars, leading to dangerous situations and a high probability of serious injuries or death in the event of a collision. Off the road, truck drivers, truck owners and transportation companies often have in-house legal teams and aggressive corporate insurers and their attorneys at their disposal.

The Experience You Need To Get The Compensation You Deserve

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a truck, you face Goliath in the form of a corporate trucking firm or a national, corporate insurer. You need sound, caring and aggressive legal assistance. Since its founding in 1978, Gillis Law Firm has handled hundreds of serious injury and wrongful death cases for truck accident victims in New Haven and the surrounding areas.

Our Connecticut truck accident lawyers understand the complex issues and questions that arise with these accident and injury claims. We seek maximum compensation on behalf of victims and their families, and have recovered significant settlements and awards in truck accident claims.

We work diligently to properly understand the cause of each accident. Our attorneys work with accident reconstructionists, investigators and medical experts to fully investigate cases and prepare them for resolution. To learn more, contact Gillis Law Firm online, or call 866-603-9810 today to schedule your free initial consultation.

The Causes Of Truck Accidents

While some truck accidents can be blamed on no one, many are the direct result of negligence on the part of truck drivers and/or trucking companies. We thoroughly investigate truck accident injury claims to determine how the accident took place and to identify liable parties. Examples of truck driver negligence include:

  • Excessive speed or aggressive driving, including failure to maintain a safe distance
  • Driver fatigue (often caused by a failure to take federally mandated rest breaks)
  • Drug/alcohol abuse
  • Truck overloading and weight violations
  • Failure to properly secure loads, or to check breaks, tires and lights
  • Failure to take proper precautions in adverse weather conditions

Examples of truck company errors include:

  • Failure to prevent driver fatigue: Trucking companies have dispatchers who should know when a truck driver has logged too many miles and may be fatigued. Federal trucking laws require tractor-trailer operators to take adequate rest breaks to prevent driver fatigue.
  • Negligent hiring of truckers: This includes the hiring of a truck driver who has a lack of experience, lack of training or a bad driving record.
  • Negligent maintenance : Tires, lights and breaks must be carefully monitored and replaced when necessary. Other parts and safety devices must be checked and properly maintained.
  • Negligent loading: Trucks have specific weight requirements. Overloaded trucks are more difficult to stop due to their weight and are more likely to rollover if the weight is not properly distributed.

We have the skill and experience to investigate what can be highly challenging cases involving allegations that can be difficult to prove. We have a long record of success in subpoenaing logbooks or other company records, challenging their accuracy and building strong cases prior to both negotiations and trial.

Driver Fatigue

Vehicle accidents involving semitrucks, tractor-trailers and commercial vehicles are often caused by hard-to-detect circumstances. When the brakes worked properly, the load was well-secured and traffic was light, the obvious question immediately arises; what caused this accident?

Many truck accidents are caused by driver fatigue. Drivers push themselves for many reasons, the most common one being money. By skipping breaks and by ignoring federal laws governing road-time and sleep laws, truck drivers can complete driving jobs more quickly, which saves money. Truck companies also often stand to gain by faster deliveries and often tolerate, ignore and even encourage the breaking of break and sleep laws by drivers.

When truck accidents are caused by fatigued drivers, car, motorcycle and light truck drivers are usually the victims. If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident in Connecticut, the Connecticut truck driver fatigue accident attorneys of Gillis Law Firm can provide experienced and results-driven legal help.

Gillis Law Firm has a “No Recovery, No Fee” policy. We understand that truck accidents can cause significant financial challenges. We front all your court costs and only get paid when you get paid. Contact us to learn more.

Improper Maintenance And Failure To Conduct Safety Checks

Many auto accidents are caused by general human failure and simple driving errors. Often, though, truck accidents are caused when trucking companies and truck drivers negligently fail to follow federal truck maintenance standards and fail to take reasonable care to ensure that trucks are safe. When preventable truck accidents and injuries occur due to gross negligence and the failure to maintain trucks, it’s important to hold parties accountable and to pursue available compensation.

At Gillis Law Firm, our partners each have more than 20 years of experience handling truck accident claims. We have recovered significant settlement and jury awards following the failure to:

  • Check brakes and tires
  • Prevent the overloading of trucks
  • Secure loads
  • Ensure that blinkers, lights and other truck features work properly

Failure to ensure that trucks are loaded and maintained properly can quickly lead to dangerous conditions on the road and preventable “accidents.” We have handled cases in which the driver drove a truck relying solely on trailer brakes, and cases involving trailers that were overloaded to reduce costs and save money. We have also handled cases following hastily secured loads, resulting in deadly spills. Poor maintenance is often compounded by speeding, which can stress tires and brakes and destabilize loads.

Construction Zones And Workers’ Compensation

If you have been injured in a truck accident while on the job, you may be confused about your legal rights. Do you have a liability claim, a workers’ compensation claim, or both? Who will the defendant or defendants be? And who can help support you and advocate for your rights against insurers, hearing officers and others?

The New Haven construction zone truck accident lawyers of Gillis Law Firm have handled dozens of auto accident claims resulting from collisions and runovers on construction sites and industrial sites. We can work to ensure timely and full payment for medical bills and lost wages under the workers’ compensation program.

If the truck driver or any other negligent party was a contractor, subcontractor or another party who wasn’t your employer or employee, you may be able to file a third-party claim against that party. Third-party claims can result in lump sum payments that far exceed workers’ compensation benefits. In addition to workers’ comp, which will help address your immediate financial issues, your third-party claim can compensate you for pain and suffering, and other larger, life-altering losses. To learn more, schedule a free consultation with us.

Serious Injuries And Fatal Accidents

The phrase “commercial truck” covers a wide range of truck sizes, but most have one thing in common: They are large. In fact, semitrucks can weigh up to 80,000 lbs and are, on average, 70 to 80 feet long. Compare this to the average car, which is around 5,000 lbs, and it is clear why commercial truck accidents frequently cause deaths or catastrophic injuries.

The effects of a truck accident can last a lifetime. This is true whether you have lost a loved one or have suffered an injury. Even minor injuries, such as soft tissue damage, can cause pain throughout a life. Brain damage can permanently alter a person’s mental abilities. Paralysis requires adjustment to a new and more difficult lifestyle. There could be years of rehabilitation, multiple surgeries and other medical challenges.

Furthermore, if you were injured in a way that prevents you from doing your job, you may experience significant wage loss and the emotional challenges of finding a new job. If you have lost a loved one in a fatal accident, no amount of money can bring him or her back — but compensation can ease the emotional and financial burdens of your loss, and help you achieve closure. These are all things we consider when negotiating for our clients or advocating for them in court.

Call Our Firm Today

Have you been injured in a truck accident? At Gillis Law Firm, in New Haven, Connecticut, our attorneys have handled complex and fatal commercial truck accident cases for decades. We understand the challenges involved in these cases and are prepared to develop and present your strongest case possible.

To speak with us in a free consultation, please call 866-603-9810 or send our firm an email. We offer evening and weekend appointments, and our office is conveniently located next to the courthouse in downtown New Haven, near free parking. Se habla español.