Truck Accident Lawyers
If you suffer from serious injuries caused by a truck accident, you should know that the attorneys at Terry, Terry & Stapleton in Morristown, Tennessee have been helping injured victims for 48 years. Contact us today at 1-800-518-3779. We represent clients throughout Tennessee, including Rogersville, Newport, Morristown, Knoxville, Kingsport, Johnson City, Jefferson City and Greeneville.
The truck accident attorneys of Terry, Terry & Stapleton understand the devastation caused when large trucks are poorly operated and maintained – or when semi truck drivers speed, drive recklessly or are forced to ignore safety regulations in order to meet a delivery deadline. We go after trucking companies and their insurers aggressively.
Truck accidents are unlike passenger car collisions in several ways. Large trucks outweigh ordinary cars by tens of thousands of pounds. Eighteen wheelers are more difficult to maneuver and more likely to cause serious damage in a wreck.
Specific factors most commonly involved in truck accidents include:
- Driver fatigue – studies show that as many as 40% of all truck accidents may be attributable to driver fatigue.
- Driver negligence
- Tire blowouts
- Improper loading
- Sudden braking
- Drug and alcohol use
- Repeated driving violations
- Mechanical defects, such as a failure of the brakes, power train or steering system
- Unsecured load
- Overloaded trailers
In addition to these common risk factors, Tennessee roads pose unique hazards for the drivers of commercial trucks, including:
- Runaway truck zones – both I-40 and I-75 are known for difficult passages that are the sites of frequent collisions. Truck drivers must exercise extreme caution when traveling in these areas – and when drivers lack training or experience, all vehicles sharing the roadway also share in the risk.
- Winding, steeply pitched roads – As I-40 continues from Tennessee through North Carolina, the mountainous stretches are often blocked by a jackknifed truck. North of Knoxville, I-75 climbs to its steepest stretch onto the Cumberland Plateau, and then slopes back down sharply at Jellico Mountain. This drive can be dangerous for any driver, but an unfamiliar trucker can be responsible for an accident involving several vehicles with massive damage.
There are federal regulations in place to govern the trucking industry. Truck accident claims require an experienced attorney who knows those regulations and who understands how to deal with trucking companies. Trucking companies have a limited legal obligation to maintain certain driver documents for specific periods of time, after which they may be destroyed. Our knowledgeable attorneys are familiar with those legal obligations and will act quickly to preserve vital evidence.
The attorneys at Terry, Terry & Stapleton understand how to thoroughly prepare truck accident cases. We know that an effective case requires tracking down documents such as driver logs, toll receipts, tachometer records, bills of lading, weight tickets, police accident reports, driver check lists and driver records. We know that trucking companies will often try and circumvent the regulations put in place to regulate their industry – which is why we evaluate each case carefully to determine if any violations occurred.
Accident Checklist
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury as the result of a truck accident, the Morristown, Tennessee truck accident attorneys at Terry, Terry & Stapleton can help. If you need legal assistance with a truck accident claim or to schedule an evaluation of your case, contact us by calling 1-800-518-3779. We have helped our clients recover some of the largest legal settlements or courtroom verdicts in East Tennessee and the Southeast, including Hamblen, Hawkins, Greene, Sevier, Knox, Washington, Sullivan and Cocke counties.
