According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are more than 11 million semi-trucks registered in the United States. These large vehicles were responsible for transporting 73% of the cargo throughout the country last year — over 14,5000 million tons of freight.
At Bertoldo Carter Smith & Cullen, our Las Vegas, Nevada truck collision attorneys know that semi-trucks are not the only commercial vehicles on our roadways that can cause catastrophic injuries. With an overwhelming number of commercial properties in Clark County, our personal injury lawyers want to ensure our residents’ rights are protected after they are injured by one of these large trucks.
Why Are Commercial Truck Collisions Different From Passenger Vehicle Crashes?
Commercial trucks have more weight and mass than other vehicles, and often cause catastrophic damage and injuries, including brain injuries, back, and neck injuries in Las Vegas that can change lives.
These severe injuries can lead to long-term medical care, extensive time away from work, and overwhelming expenses that result from both.
How Can I Help Prevent a Large Truck Collision in Las Vegas?
Each type of commercial truck poses a different risk to cars and SUVs traveling alongside. When drivers can identify potential dangers, it provides the opportunity to predict their movements and possibly avoid collisions with these large vehicles.
Semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, big rigs, and 18-wheelers
No matter what you call these oversized vehicles, their size makes them vulnerable to several different types of collisions, including:
- Tipping on sharp curves
- Roll-overs caused by high crosswinds
- Jack-knifing when stopping too quickly
- Blind spots extending twenty to thirty feet behind the trailer
Construction vehicles, dump trucks, concrete trucks, and garbage trucks
Las Vegas is consistently changing, with each new construction project aspiring to out-build the most recently completed structure.
Along with the hundreds of millions of dollars that are required for these elaborate projects come semis carrying building materials, crane trucks, dump trucks, concrete trucks, and commercial vehicles that can cause significant damage, including:
- Cargo loads spilling onto the roadways
- Heavy loads causing crushing collisions
- Flying debris
Delivery trucks, box trucks, and straight trucks
Box trucks are visible throughout Las Vegas, delivering products to the hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions throughout the city daily.
These delivery trucks can cause significant property damage and serious injuries to passenger vehicles through:
- Improper ramp usage
- Blind spot collisions
- Backing into smaller vehicles while maneuvering pick-ups/drop-offs
- Tipping dangers when traveling too quickly or taking sharp turns
No matter what type of large-truck collision you have been injured in, there is potential for more than one negligent party to be held responsible for your recovery. The truck’s driver, the trucking company, the manufacturer, and even a third-party contractor could be responsible for your collision, and the injuries that resulted from their individual or combined negligence.
It is important to understand that the transportation company who owns the truck or who employs the driver will strongly defend their position, and most have corporate attorneys who will step in right away to preserve their bottom line.
What’s more, is the insurance company lawyers will do everything possible to minimize the value of your truck collision claim, seeking to have it dismissed from the onset of your case.
Do not attempt to counter the negligent party, their insurance company, or corporate attorneys alone. Contact our experienced Las Vegas truck collision lawyers today by calling (702) 505-8115 to learn more about our successes inside and outside the courtroom to gain the confidence you need to face the negligent party who caused your injuries with confidence.