A ski trip gone bad

A New Jersey family was on their way to Vermont for a ski trip in 2002. Unfortunately, they didn’t get far. According to news reports, their SUV (sport utility vehicle) was broadsided by a tractor trailer truck on the highway as the SUV swerved to avoid another tractor trailer that had smashed into a bridge and exploded. That truck, registered in Canada, shouldn’t have been traveling on that road as it was too tall to fit under the bridge.

As a result of the accident, one family member sustained serious brain damage and eventually died. The family sued the Canadian driver, as well as his employer and insurance carrier, and was awarded $29.4 million.

Trucking industry is highly regulated

While the circumstances surrounding this accident were particularly horrific, trucking accidents generally cause significantly more damage than accidents involving smaller vehicles such as cars or small trucks simply due to the size of the vehicles. As a result, the trucking industry is highly regulated. Drivers are limited to the number of hours that they can work in a single day, what type of freight can and cannot be hauled on certain roadways, how tall their truck can be, how much it can weigh and many, many others.

While these regulations are intended to reduce the number of fatalities on our roads; the truth of the matter is that accidents will happen. When they do, it’s important to make sure that you’re represented by someone who knows what rules apply to the trucking industry. Rest assured that the defendant’s insurance company will do whatever it takes to pay as little on the claim as possible or avoid paying it altogether.

If you’ve been injured in a trucking accident, contact a lawyer whose practice focuses in this area of the law to discuss your situation confidentially. Consultations are free and without obligation.