Chandler Truck Accident Attorney

Accidents involving large trucks often result in much more severe injuries and fatalities than those involving other types of vehicles. If you have suffered serious injuries or have lost a close family member in a truck accident, a Chandler truck accident lawyer at Lamber Goodnow will work hard to recover the compensation to which you are entitled. Our attorneys understand how to build strong cases for our clients that clearly show the liability of the truck drivers and other responsible parties so that we are much likelier to recover full compensation to pay for all of our clients’ losses.

The Chandler attorneys at Lamber Goodnow have substantial resources, legal knowledge, and litigation skills, and they use them to fight for the rights of people and their families when they have been injured in truck accidents because of the negligent actions of others. We are prepared to invest in accident investigations when needed and do not charge any legal fees until and unless we recover monetary compensation through settlements or verdicts. Contact Lamber Goodnow today to learn how we can fight for your rights.

Truck Accident Causes

To investigate the causes of truck accidents, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducted the Large Truck Crash Causation Study. Researchers reviewed data from 120,000 large truck crashes and found that 87% were caused by driver errors and negligence.

The FMCSA identified all of the following types of driver negligence that led to truck crashes:

• Distracted driving
• Inattentive driving
• Tailgating
• Poor surveillance
• Speeding
• Misjuding the speed of travel of other vehicles
• Poor control of the truck’s direction
• Overcompensating
• Drowsy driving
• Drugged or drunk driving
• Medical problems
• Fatigued driving
• Illegal maneuvers
• Lack of familiarity with the roads

The FMCSA also identified some issues that were unrelated to the driver, including road and weather conditions and poor maintenance of the trucks.

FMCSA Regulations for Trucks

The FMCSA is the federal agency that creates and enforces regulations for the U.S. trucking industry. The agency has enacted numerous regulations that are designed to increase the safety of the transportation industry and prevent accidents. Most of the regulations that govern truck drivers can be found in 49 CFR Part 383.
The following requirements for truck drivers are found in Part 383:

• Drivers are not allowed to drive for more than 11 hours out of 14 working hours per day. Once they do, they must have at least 10 hours in a row off from work before they can work or drive again.

• Drivers are not allowed to drive after they work for 60 hours during a workweek for seven days in a row or 70 hours in eight days in a row. The driver must then have at least 34 hours off from work before they can restart the seven- or eight-day work cycle.

• Drivers are only allowed to carry a single driver’s license from their states. This license is a commercial driver’s license and can only be issued once the driver has passed knowledge and skills tests. Those who want to transport hazardous materials must take and pass additional tests to get Hazmat endorsements.

• Drivers must take and pass physical exams every two years to continue working as commercial truck drivers.

• Drivers can’t carry alcohol in their truck cabs and can’t drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02% or higher.

• Drivers must have electronic logging devices (ELDs) installed in their trucks to record the hours they spend behind the wheel.

• Drivers must adhere to all of the loading and load securement rules.

• Trucks should display critical information, including their DOT numbers, Hazmat markings, and others.

Trucking carriers and drivers must also follow numerous other regulations, including unfit driver regulations, safety regulations, driver disqualification regulations, and more.

Statistics: Arizona Truck Collisions

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) reports that 10,713 trucking accidents happened in 2020 in the state. Out of the total accidents, 2,423 resulted in injuries, and 105 resulted in fatalities. Arizona has state laws that apply to commercial trucks operating within the state to try to address the dangers of truck collisions.

Trucking companies and drivers must follow both state and federal trucking regulations and laws. Some of the state laws that apply to trucking carriers and drivers include rules about the maximum times per day drivers can drive, maximum truck sizes and load weights, quality control, commercial licensing, and others.

Important Arizona Laws

A few of the most important Arizona laws that govern trucking are listed below.

Maximum Speed

Under ARS § 28-709, truck drivers who drive the following commercial trucks can’t drive faster than 65 mph unless the state has posted a higher or lower maximum speed limit:

• Trucks or truck combinations having gross weights of more than 26,000 pounds except for vehicles that are designed to carry 16 + passengers
• Trucks pulling pole trailers that weight 6,000 or more pounds

Maximum Lengths

Under ARS § 28-1095(c), Arizona has established the following maximum length rules for trucks and truck combinations:

• Combination of tractors and semitrailers and combinations of tractors, semitrailers, and forklifts – maximum of 57.5 feet
• Combination of truck tractors and semitrailer/trailers- maximum of 28.5 feet
• Cominations of trucks and trailers- maximum of 28.5 feet
• If the length of a semitrailer is more than 53 feet, the total length of the combined tractor and semitrailer can’t be more than 65 feet on the highways in Arizona.
  However, there is an exception for combinations traveling on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s designated national truck route. State and local authorities must consider hazards when they designate streets.
• Combination of a vehicle transporter and a semitrailer – maximum of 75 feet

You can visit the Arizona Department of Transportation’s website or call (602) 712-8851 to learn more about the trucking and licensing regulations in Arizona.

Defendants in a Truck Collision Lawsuit

Truck accidents are generally much more severe than other types of accidents and might be caused by multiple factors and defendants. This makes these types of cases more complex than other car accident claims. Some of the potentially liable parties in a truck collision include the following:

• Truck driver
• Truck company
• Shipping company
• Truck or trailer owner
• Third-party repair facility
• Defective truck part manufacturer, designer, distributor, and retailer
• Entities (private or public) responsible for road maintenance

Trucking companies that employ truck drivers might be vicariously liable for accidents when their drivers negligently cause accidents while they are working. If you are injured in a truck accident with a driver who is an employee of the trucking company, the company might be responsible for paying compensation to you because of the actions of its driver. Trucking companies must carry liability insurance in much higher amounts than the policies required for individuals.

Many trucking carriers hire drivers as independent contractors. A truck company will not be vicariously liable for an independent contractor’s negligence because of the absence of an employer-employee relationship. Even if you learn that the driver in your case was an independent contractor, the company might still hold direct liability if it negligently hired, supervised, or retained the driver. A Chandler truck accident attorney at Lamber Goodnow will also investigate to determine whether the driver might have been misclassified by the trucking company. If the driver should have been classified as an employee instead of an independent contractor, the company might still be vicariously liable.

How We Investigate Truck Accidents

Truck accident claims are typically complex due to the number of potential defendants, laws, regulations, and other factors. These factors make an in-depth investigation important. Some trucking carriers also might try to destroy evidence to try to evade responsibility. A Chandler truck accident lawyer at Lamber Goodnow understands how important it is to work quickly to prevent critical evidence from being lost or spoliated. Your lawyer will send a preservation letter to the company to tell it to preserve important evidence. We also work with investigators and experts to help us understand all of the factors that caused truck accidents. The following types of evidence might need to be gathered in a truck accident claim:

• ELD logs
• Data from the truck’s black box
• Maintenance and repair logs
• Training manuals and procedures
• Background of the driver
• The driver’s personnel records
• Truck’s capacity and load securement records
• Indicators of driver fatigue, distraction, or drowsiness
• Others

We investigate all aspects of truck accidents to help us identify all of the potentially liable parties we should name as defendants.

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