Kalamazoo Truck Accident Lawyer

Kalamazoo Truck Accident Attorney

If you have been injured in a crash involving a semi-truck, box van, passenger bus, or another commercial vehicle, you need a Kalamazoo truck accident lawyer who is well-versed in the complexities and challenges inherent to these cases. Trucking companies often have a team of attorneys protecting their clients, and you deserve a team that fights for you.

At Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, we boast decades of success representing the victims of serious accidents and injuries, including those involving the negligent operation or maintenance of large commercial trucks. We are known throughout Kalamazoo and Michigan for fighting aggressively with our expert personal injury attorneys in Kalamazoo for our injured clients, and we would be honored to put our skills to work for you and your family next.

Understanding Kalamazoo Truck Accidents

With around 9,000 traffic accidents occurring around Kalamazoo every year, it’s important for truckers and those who share the roads with them to be aware of the dangers. Kalamazoo’s unique city layout means that extra attention should be paid to dangerous areas like the Sprinkle Rd. and Cork St. intersection, the scene of nearly 70 accidents per year.

Semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles are the lifeblood of just about every American industry, which means that a busy and vibrant city like Kalamazoo can see hundreds of trucks coming in and out of town in a single business day. These large, heavily laden vehicles aren’t just bringing necessary products and materials to the people of Kalamazoo, however. They also carry inherent roadway safety risks with them.

Causes of Truck Accidents in Kalamazoo

American truckers are among the safest and most well-trained drivers on our roads, but just like any other group of humans, they can make mistakes. The same goes for their massive vehicles, which are usually well-maintained, but a single mechanical failure can lead to tragic and terrible results. Some common accident scenarios involving trucks and commercial vehicles include:

• Driver fatigue: Like many crucial segments of the American workforce, truckers are often asked to deal with long hours and difficult schedules. Thankfully, there are federal regulations in place to help with this issue. When shipping companies push the envelope by disregarding important federal Hours of Service regulations and forcing truckers to work unreasonable schedules, it can lead to catastrophic consequences.
• Distracted driving: Like any other motorist, truckers can sometimes get distracted by cell phones and other tech. In addition to that, there is a modern overreliance on GPS and other logistics gadgets, and it’s easy to see why some truckers may be even more susceptible to distraction than the average private motorist.
• Speeding: A speeding car is a danger to its driver and everyone else on the road for obvious reasons. Now imagine that this recklessly operated car is, instead, an imperfectly balanced truck-and-trailer combo weighing 30 or 40 tons, and it becomes easy to see why a speeding truck makes for a serious road hazard.
• Cargo issues: Not every truck accident can be blamed on the truck driver, of course. Overloaded or imbalanced trailers can cause even an experienced trucker to lose control of their rig in a jackknife or rollover incident, potentially contributing to property damage, injuries to other motorists, or even fatalities.
• Mechanical failures: Another cause of trucking accidents that can’t be placed on the truck driver involves mechanical failures. Sometimes, these failures can be traced back to poor maintenance or inadequate inspection policies by a third-party maintenance provider, potentially making a trucking injury case even more complex.
• Driving under the influence: Abusing alcohol or other substances is a bad and dangerous idea if you intend to operate any sort of vehicle, and those dangers are amplified significantly when the vehicle in question is a commercial truck weighing tens of thousands of pounds.
• Road conditions: Michigan presents all sorts of challenges for drivers, and that includes professional commercial operators. Slushy roads, sudden lake effect storms, bad potholes, and poorly marked construction zones can all contribute to trucking accidents just as easily as driver negligence can.

Who Could Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident Injury?

With this vast diversity in different types of Kalamazoo commercial truck accidents, it’s important to understand that there are also many different parties who could potentially be held legally liable for a truck accident injury. Some of these include:

• Truck drivers: Negligent, reckless, or intoxicated truckers can be held personally liable for the injuries they cause.
• Other motorists: When a third party causes an accident involving a commercial truck, such as by recklessly changing lanes in front of a loaded semi, they can be held liable for injuries, whether they were physically involved in the collision or not.
• Trucking companies: Whether through poor maintenance procedures, inadequate training benchmarks, or illegal schedules, many commercial truck injuries can be linked directly to negligent choices by truck lines, which consider their profit margins more important than the safety of their drivers and neighbors.
• Cargo loaders: When cargo is loaded so poorly that it causes an accident, it will need to be determined whether this is the fault of individual cargo loaders failing to do their jobs correctly, their employers failing to train and supervise them correctly, or both.
• Manufacturers: In certain situations, the manufacturers of commercial vehicles or commercial vehicle parts can be held liable for accidents caused by the failure of their products.

FAQs Kalamazoo, MI Truck Accident Law

How Many Truck Accidents Are Caused by Truck Drivers Driving Under the Influence?

A small but significant percentage of accidents involve truck drivers who are under the influence. In 2019, 2% of large truck drivers in fatal crashes had a BAC of 0.08% or above. That same year, 3.1% of large truck drivers had a BAC of at least 0.01% when involved in fatal crashes.

What Are the Federal Hours of Service Regulations for Commercial Truck Drivers?

The federal Hours of Service regulations dictate the driving limits for commercial truck drivers. The rules for drivers carrying property include mandated breaks and limits on the amount of time they can drive. There are exceptions for adverse driving conditions and short hauls.

How Do Truck Accident Lawsuits Work?

Truck accident lawsuits work like other types of personal injury lawsuits, wherein an injured party makes a legal claim for damages against the party or parties who are responsible for the injury. Commercial trucking accident cases can quickly become more complex than the average personal injury case, however, due to the involvement of multiple parties, such as commercial trucking lines, their employees, their insurance carriers, and their legal representation.

How Should I Choose a Truck Accident Lawyer?

If you are wondering how to choose a truck accident lawyer in the Kalamazoo, MI area, we recommend reaching out to the Michigan-based offices of Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, at your earliest convenience to set up a free consultation to determine if our services are right for you. Our team’s reputation throughout the state has been built upon an extensive track record of success in helping Michiganders, just like you, seek justice after being injured by someone else’s negligence.

Contact Kalamazoo Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accident claims are complex and high stakes, and no one understands this better than the team at Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC. When you’ve been injured by a truck, bus, or other commercial vehicle, you need a powerful and assertive advocate who knows how to take on commercial trucking lines and their insurance carriers. Contact our offices today to arrange your initial consultation and get to know more about our services.