Have you been injured in an accident caused by another driver’s trailer? Commercial trucks are subject to more formal regulation than private vehicles, but all drivers towing trailers share common responsibilities.
You may be entitled to financial compensation regardless of the type of trailer that caused your accident. Contact Fieger Law’s team of car accident attorneys to help you navigate your trailer accident case and pursue monetary damages for your injuries.
Driver’s Responsibilities for Trailers
Drivers have responsibilities for the trailers they tow, just like they have responsibilities for any vehicle they drive. These obligations apply to activities the driver takes before heading out on the road and their driving behavior.
Before the driver gets in the vehicle, they must make sure the trailer has had any scheduled maintenance, check tire condition and pressure, fasten the hitch and safety chains securely, and ensure the electrical system is working correctly. They should also check that the cargo is loaded correctly and secured with tie-downs, especially for an open trailer.
When pulling a trailer, drivers must maintain a safe speed as determined by road conditions, follow all traffic laws, and keep more space from cars in front of them. Stopping a trailer takes longer than stopping a car. Drivers should always use a tow vehicle with the necessary equipment to safely pull and stop the trailer.
If you’ve been in an accident where the other driver didn’t uphold these responsibilities, contact the Detroit car accident lawyers at Fieger Law to determine if your accident entitles you to compensation. We can review the evidence of your case and discover whether the driver disobeyed traffic laws or did not perform due diligence in loading or securing their trailer.
How Trailers Cause Accidents
Trailers come in a range of sizes, but they can all lead to catastrophic injuries or death if they become detached from the vehicle pulling them. Some other ways that trailers can cause accidents include:
Improper tow vehicle
If the truck or other vehicle used to pull the trailer is not rated for the trailer’s weight, it can be challenging to stop and cause the trailer to sway.
Trailer sway
Trailer sway happens when the trailer moves side to side behind the tow vehicle. It may cross into other lanes and cause an accident. In some cases, it may tip over. A poorly chosen tow vehicle, improperly balanced load, unsecured cargo, and driving too fast can cause trailer sway.
Mechanical failure
Poor trailer maintenance makes mechanical failure more likely and includes brake failure, blown tires, taillights or brake lights that don’t work, hitch failure, and tires falling off the trailer.
Blown tires can damage your vehicle if you’re close to them and leave hazards on the road. Lights that quit working make seeing the trailer difficult at night or in rainy or foggy conditions, leading to collisions.
Hitch failure causes the trailer to become separated from the tow vehicle, and unless the driver uses safety chains, it poses a danger to everyone on the road until it comes to a stop.
Failure to secure cargo in an open trailer
If a driver hauling an open trailer doesn’t secure the cargo with tarps or tie downs, some of the cargo may fly out and hit your car or land on the road, causing damage to your car or causing you to swerve around the hazard. It can land on your windshield and reduce your ability to see the road or directly impact you or your passengers, causing severe injuries.
Fieger Law offers dedicated legal services to help you get fair compensation for your car accident. Whether the other driver skidded on ice and lost control of their trailer or failed to tie down their cargo, we fight to protect your rights and help you win maximum damages to cover your accident-related expenses.
Your Legal Options
If you are injured in a trailer accident, you have legal options. When you work with Fieger Law, we can assist you in filing a personal injury claim to cover your medical expenses and pain and suffering caused by the accident. If the driver’s insurance company doesn’t pay, we can take your case to court and pursue damages through the legal system.
It is critical to hire an experienced attorney to get the compensation you deserve. Your Fieger Law car accident attorney can determine how much compensation you should be entitled to, including economic and non-economic damages.
Your personal injury lawyer can also investigate the accident by interviewing witnesses and discovering the other driver’s insurance coverage limits. If you were involved in a truck accident, your lawyer will negotiate with the trucking company and their legal team, so you don’t have to. We will also represent you in court if necessary.
Fieger Law has extensive experience handling personal injury claims. We are ready to aggressively fight for you and help you claim the compensation you are owed for injuries you receive due to the driver’s negligent behavior.
Get a Free Consultation and Learn Your Next Steps
With over seven decades of experience, Fieger Law knows how to fight for our clients’ rights. Our law firm handles personal injury lawsuits all over the country, and we have won over $500 million in compensation for accident victims nationwide.
Contact our law firm today for your free case evaluation and learn your next steps. There is no cost to you unless we win.