Kentucky Semi-Truck Accident Lawyers

Many truck accident cases involve the negligence of the trucking company itself rather than a truck driver. The average trucking company oversees dozens of trucks and drivers, as well as operations such as cargo loading and ground traffic control. Trucking companies have many business responsibilities, including hiring reasonably safe drivers and properly training them. Negligence during hiring or training that ultimately leads to a truck accident could point to truck company liability.

Another common mistake truck companies make is improper fleet maintenance. Big rigs require daily inspections and regular truck maintenance to operate safely and efficiently. Drivers must also conduct daily vehicle checks. Otherwise, trucks could experience serious equipment breakdowns that cause traffic accidents. Brakes going out or tire blowouts, for example, could make a truck driver lose control of the vehicle and crash. It is the truck company’s legal responsibility to properly maintain and repair its trucks.

Improper load securement and lost cargo loads could also point to trucking company responsibility for an accident. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enforces strict cargo securement laws all truck companies must obey. Finally, issues such as a trucking company pressuring its drivers to exceed maximum hours of service regulations could lead to liability for accidents. Truck companies can be negligent in many different ways that ultimately lead to accidents, often in the name of profitability. It is our mission to hold negligent trucking companies accountable for their actions.

Wrongful Death Claims in Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are often fatal for occupants in passenger vehicles. In 2017, 4,657 fatal accidents in the U.S. involved large trucks. Thousands of victims lose their lives in collisions with commercial trucks each year. If you lost someone close to you in a recent truck accident in Kentucky, hire a wrongful death attorney from the Law Firm of Flora Templeton Stuart for assistance with your claim. A civil lawsuit could bring justice to your deceased loved one, as well as lead to compensation for your damages.

In both Kentucky, you have one year from the date of your loved one’s death to file a wrongful death claim. You may have grounds for a wrongful death claim if someone else – such as a truck driver or trucking company – negligently or recklessly caused your loved one’s fatal injury. Many fatal truck accidents give surviving loved one’s grounds to bring wrongful death lawsuits against the trucking company and/or other parties. You must be a relative or a representative of the deceased person’s estate for the right to file.

A successful wrongful death claim could benefit your family in many ways. First, it could bring you much-needed closure, justice, and peace of mind. It could prove the trucking company or another party was negligent, and that this is what caused your loved one’s fatal accident. Second, a successful suit could force the trucking company to improve its safety protocols, potentially preventing future truck accidents. Third, it could end in compensation for your damages. Your family could receive an award for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, funeral costs and more. Speak to a truck accident lawyer to find out if you have the power to bring a wrongful death lawsuit today.