Speeding Truck Accident Lawyer

Speeding in a passenger vehicle is inherently dangerous. Driving above the speed limit will take longer to slow down and come to a complete stop. Moreover, the risk of losing control of your vehicle and colliding with another driver is higher.

Now, imagine a speeding accident involving a large commercial truck. Trucks’ size and weight make them more likely to cause catastrophic injuries, property damage, and death in an accident. Unfortunately, many truck drivers still exceed the legal speed limit despite the inherent dangers.

Did you suffer injuries in a speeding truck accident? Or perhaps lose a loved one because of a speeding truck driver? If so, you may be entitled to legal compensation from negligent parties.

The truck accident lawyers at Injury Lawyers Team, sponsored by Rosenfeld Law Offices, can serve as your legal advocates in your pursuit of justice. Contact our law offices today for a free consultation about your trucking accident case.

All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team will remain private under an attorney-client relationship.

Why is Speeding More Dangerous for Trucks?

Speeding is a leading cause of motor vehicle accidents, regardless of the type of vehicle involved. However, trucks pose a greater risk to truck drivers and other motorists because of the following reasons:

Trucks usually weigh 20 to 30 times more than regular passenger cars and have greater ground clearance, making it easier to lose control due to excessive speeding.
Loaded tractor-trailers require 20 to 40% more distance than passenger cars to come to a complete stop; the discrepancy is more significant on slippery roads and trucks with poor brakes.
Trucks have a high center of gravity, increasing the risk of tipping.
Trucks have large blind spots, making it difficult for truck drivers to see other motorists or objects.

What Are the Speed Limits For Truck Drivers?

The maximum speed limit for trucks ranges from 55 miles per hour (mph) to 85 mph. The posted speed limit on highways and roads varies from state to state, with the most conservative maximum limit in California at 55 mph and the highest in Texas at 85 mph (for some roads). Some states have lesser speed limits along rural and urban interstates.

Moreover, speed limits vary depending on the time of day. Several states have nighttime speed limits that are lower than daytime limits. Some states also lower the posted speed limit on specific roads where drivers are at high risk of hitting wildlife.

Types of Speeding Truck Accidents

A speeding truck can cause an accident in several ways, including:

Rollover Accidents: A truck’s high center of gravity increases its rollover risk. Rollover accidents can be caused by turning too quickly or tripping over an object (e.g., pavement, guardrail, curb).
Underride Accidents: An underride accident occurs when a smaller vehicle collides with a truck and slides underneath. Trucks usually cause underride accidents by driving too fast and failing to stop before crashing into the car in front of them.
T-Bone Accidents: Also known as side-impact collisions, T-bone accidents occur when a vehicle collides with another car from the side.
Head-On Collisions: These accidents occur when the front of two vehicles collide with each other.
Rear-End Collisions: A rear-end collision is when a vehicle hits another from the back.

Regardless of the type of collision, a truck accident can be catastrophic for everyone involved. Due to the size, weight, and length of large commercial trucks, big rig crashes often involve serious injuries, costly property damage, and death.

Other Factors in Speeding Truck Accidents

A truck driver speeding can be the singular cause of a truck accident. However, there may be other serious factors that come into play, such as:

Driver Fatigue: Commercial truck drivers often have deadlines to meet, and in some cases, drivers are on the road for more than 12 hours a day. A driver with inadequate sleep or excessive fatigue may have less coordination and concentration while driving, increasing the risk of an accident even when not speeding.
Strict Deadlines: Some drivers speed to stay on schedule, putting themselves and other motorists at risk.
Intoxicated Driving: A truck driver intoxicated by drugs or alcohol has impaired coordination, concentration, and reaction time. Furthermore, intoxication affects judgment and impulse control, leading drivers to engage in highly aggressive driving behaviors such as speeding.
Distracted Driving: Talking on the phone, texting, eating, and other distractions make driving dangerous, even more so if the truck moves at high speeds.
Improper Loading: Trucking companies must ensure that all cargo is loaded correctly to avoid objects from shifting in transit. Otherwise, improperly loaded freight may imbalance the truck’s center of gravity and cause it to tip, jackknife, or crash. Speeding increases the risk of cargo moving in the trailer.
Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Some trucking accidents result from poorly maintained vehicles. A truck with poor brakes, faulty turn signals, or inadequate mirrors increases the risk of an accident.
Wide Turns: Large trucks must swing wide when turning to avoid hitting the curb and other vehicles. When a truck makes a wide turn while moving too fast, it may roll over due to its high center of gravity.
Poor Road Conditions: Potholes, inadequate lighting, uneven roads, and other poor road conditions can result in vehicle accidents. The risk is even higher for large commercial trucks, more susceptible to losing control and going off-road.

Common Injuries in Accidents Involving Large Trucks

Truck drivers and occupants in passenger vehicles involved in speeding accidents may suffer severe injuries, such as:

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and other head injuries
Spinal cord trauma and paralysis
Fractures
Cuts, burns, and bruises
Dismemberment
Internal bleeding
Organ trauma
Seat belt injuries
Death

What to Do if You Get into a Truck Accident

No one wants to think about getting into a car accident, much less one involving a truck. However, it pays to know what you should do in case you are involved in a truck accident:

Get to a Safe Area: Pull off to the roadside to avoid further injury or collisions. Stay where you are unless doing so is dangerous, e.g., on a highway with vehicles moving at high speeds.
Call the Authorities: Call 911 immediately. The police will help you move your vehicles and document the scene. Request multiple ambulances if there are two or more people injured.
Apply First Aid: Use first aid on yourself and other injured parties while waiting for help. Do not move an unconscious person unless keeping them where they are is dangerous.
Document the Scene: Unless you must go to the hospital immediately, try to document the accident scene. Take pictures and videos of all vehicles involved in the crash. Note the time, location, date, and the information of the truck driver and any possible witnesses.
Go to a Doctor: Have a doctor check your injuries, even if they seem minor. Some injuries seem insignificant at first but become worse later on. Seeking medical attention immediately after the accident will help ensure all your injuries receive proper treatment.
Monitor Your Condition: Keep a journal to record your pain, ongoing emotional trauma, and other effects of your injuries. Call your doctor if you experience worsening signs or symptoms.
Contact a Truck Accident Attorney: You need a truck accident lawyer to file a legal claim against the truck driver, trucking company, and other at-fault parties in your accident.

Who May Be Liable in a Speeding Commercial Vehicle Accident?

When seeking compensation for a trucking accident, you may be dealing with multiple parties, including:

The Truck Driver

The negligent truck driver might be the primary defendant in your case unless the accident was caused by something other than driver error (e.g., a poorly maintained vehicle in the care of their employer).

The Trucking Company

Trucking companies often have partial liability in truck accidents. Most companies have liability coverage for their drivers, making insurers responsible for paying for accident-related expenses. A trucking company may be held fully accountable if the motor vehicle accident was caused by negligence (e.g., failing to properly load a truck or follow maintenance schedules).

Another Driver

The negligence of other drivers causes some commercial truck accidents. For instance, a car driver may cause an accident if it suddenly overtakes a truck. However, the truck driver may still be liable if they were speeding when the accident occurred.

Filing a Speeding Truck Accident Claim

Truck drivers must legally follow posted speed limits on the roads like every other driver. Failing to do so constitutes negligence and may be punishable by law.

If you are involved in a speeding truck accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your damages. However, for your claim to be successful, you must prove the following:

The truck driver owed a duty of care to you (all drivers must exercise reasonable care to avoid injury to others)
The truck driver breached their duty of care
This breach resulted in the truck accident
The truck accident directly caused your injuries and other damages

Evidence

The primary evidence you need in a speeding truck accident is proof that the driver was speeding. Fortunately, many commercial trucks have recording devices similar to black boxes on aircraft.

An experienced attorney can help you recover data from the truck’s recording device, showing how fast the commercial vehicle was going when the accident happened.

Your attorney will also collect other relevant forms of proof, including:

Photos of injuries sustained
Medical records
Pictures of the accident scene and property damage
Surveillance footage
Witness accounts

Compensation

By filing a personal injury claim, you could recover financial compensation for the following economic and non-economic damages:

Medical Bills: Compensation for medical expenses, including hospitalization, surgery, medication, emergency transportation, and future anticipated medical bills.
Pain and Suffering: Compensation for physical and non-physical injuries, including physical pain, emotional distress, mental trauma, etc.
Property Damage: Compensation for personal property lost or damaged in the truck accident.
Lost Wages: Compensation for wages and income lost while recovering from the accident.
Disability: Compensation for disability-related damages if the injured party becomes permanently disabled, including mobility aids, loss of future earning potential, rehabilitation, etc.
Loss of Quality of Life: Compensation for quality of life lost as a direct result of the accident.
Wrongful Death: Compensation for death-related damages if the victim dies due to the accident, including funeral and burial costs, pre-death medical treatment, grief, etc.

The extent of your damages will largely determine how much compensation you deserve. Your truck accident attorney will estimate the potential value of your settlement during your free consultation.

Negotiating a Settlement

Truck accident victims often file personal injury claims against at-fault parties to obtain financial compensation. However, insurers usually offer victims amounts far less than their claims may be worth.

Have your personal injury lawyer negotiate with the insurance company to ensure you receive fair financial compensation for your damages. They will present evidence to prove the other party’s liability in the truck crash to obtain the maximum amount for your claim.

The Role of Your Speeding Truck Accident Lawyer

A skilled attorney can help you recover your deserved financial compensation by:

Investigating how and why the trucking accident occurred
Establishing the liability of all the responsible parties
Collecting evidence to support your claim
Filing your claim within the statute of limitations
Negotiating your settlement with the other party’s insurer
Filing your claim in civil court, if necessary

How to Avoid a Car Accident Involving a Speeding Truck

Although speeding truck accidents are rarely anyone’s fault other than the truck driver, you can reduce the risk of an accident occurring by:

Driving as far away from speeding trucks as possible
Giving trucks enough clearance when they are turning
Not crowding the intersection, especially when a truck is trying to turn into your lane
Staying out of a truck’s blind spots
Watching for trucks’ turn signals to anticipate what they are trying to do
Letting trucks pass in front of you, even if you think you have the right of way

Hire an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney to Resolve Your Case

Speeding trucks cause car accidents far more devastating than any other vehicle. Fortunately, truck accident victims suffering severe injuries can seek justice by filing personal injury claims or wrongful death lawsuits.

Did you or a loved one sustain injuries, trauma, and other losses due to an accident involving a speeding commercial vehicle? If so, you have the legal right to pursue damages from at-fault parties.

The speeding truck accident lawyers at Injury Lawyers Team can help you seek justice against speeding vehicle truck drivers, their employers, and other parties at fault. Our affiliate attorneys have decades of combined experience obtaining adequate financial compensation in countless truck accident cases through litigation and out-of-court settlements.

Contact our personal injury attorneys today for a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team will remain private under an attorney-client relationship.

Our attorneys handle all accepted personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t have to pay for our legal services unless we win your case.