Review: New Jersey Truck Accident

 The New Jersey Turnpike acts as a major thoroughfare for the eastern United States, and as New Jersey trucking regulations constrain all large trucks to its national highway network, more trucks are traveling on New Jersey’s high-speed roads each year. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the leading causes of large truck crashes are speed, distraction/inattention, and impairment due to fatigue, alcohol, or illness. Unlike traditional motor vehicle accidents, which tend to involve vehicles of similar weight and body length, large trucks pose a unique danger to New Jersey drivers.

Common Types of New Jersey Truck Accidents

Because large trucks, such as 18-wheelers, are designed to unhitch their loads, a common type of New Jersey truck accident involves “jackknifing,” which occurs when a truck and its trailer lose synchronization and fold into one another. The most common cause of “jackknifing” is loss of traction between the road and either the tractor or trailer wheels, which is particularly dangerous on high-speed roadways such as the New Jersey Turnpike. “Jackknifing” can be caused by a multitude of conditions, including,

  • Improper braking;
  • Poor truck wheel conditions;
  • Slick roads, and
  • Light trailer loads, which change the truck’s weight distribution and reduce stability.

A truck can jackknife unexpectedly, even in slow traffic conditions, if the load is light and heavy brake pressure is applied. As the driver of a traditional motor vehicle, you may not be able to avoid the body of a large truck careening through multiple lanes of traffic, which can cause severe, if not fatal, personal injuries.

Truck Accident Liability

If you have been involved in a large truck accident, it is important to consult a New Jersey truck accident lawyer and not simply a New Jersey personal injury attorney. The reasons for this are that most truck drivers are acting within the scope of their employment at the time accidents occur, which changes the dynamic of liability and your ability to recover for any personal injuries sustained. For example, if the truck accident occurred because the truck driver sideswiped a vehicle in his or her blind spot, this would likely be considered ordinary negligence, and you may be able to recover damages from the truck driver’s employer. If, however, the truck accident occurred because the driver was under the influence of alcohol, you may be able to recover from both the negligent truck driver and his employer for its negligence in hiring an untrustworthy employee.

Contact an Experienced New Jersey Truck Accident Lawyer Today

By contacting a qualified New Jersey truck accident attorney, you may greatly increase your chance of recovering monetary compensation for your injuries. John C. Iannelli, Attorney at Law is your go-to New Jersey truck accident and personal injury attorney. If you or a loved one has been injured in a large truck accident, call 856-227-2434 today for a free consultation with one of New Jersey’s leading truck accident lawyers.

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