Bad weather truck accidents in Nashville often lead to serious injuries due to the large size and weight of a commercial truck. The causes of these accidents are varied and may include rain, snow, ice, fog, or high winds. Each type of weather condition poses its own unique danger that can affect how well a driver controls their vehicle.
If you have been injured in a bad weather truck accident, please call our firm today for a free case evaluation with a knowledgeable truck accident lawyer.
Determining who is at fault for weather-related trucking accidents is often difficult. Bad weather is beyond human control, but a motor carrier must still exercise a duty of care under such conditions by taking steps such as lowering the truck’s speed and increasing trailing distance. Truck drivers may also be required to use headlights and other safety precautions to prevent an accident during adverse weather conditions in Nashville.
Apart from exercising reasonable care on the roads, truck drivers must also follow federal and state regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires drivers to exercise extreme caution in hazardous conditions. Under FMCSA regulations, if the weather conditions become dangerous, truck drivers must stop their vehicles altogether until it is safe to get on the road again. Nashville truck accident attorneys are well-versed in FMCSA regulations, and if a truck driver broke bad weather protocol, our legal team can use these regulations to prove liability.
If you have been involved in a bad weather trucking accident, it is important to immediately collect all of the evidence to build a strong case. Our legal team collects the weather reports from the date of the accident, such as the weather data and location of the accident, to prove that adverse conditions existed.
Another important piece of evidence is visual evidence showing how bad the road conditions were, where the vehicles were located, and the damage to all the cars involved.
Our Nashville legal team will also collect electronic logging devices, event data records, maintenance records, and driver logs to obtain important information regarding the truck’s braking patterns, speed, and overall actions leading up to the severe weather accident.
The purpose of a truck accident suit is to compensate a victim who has suffered an injury due to the truck driver’s negligence, reckless conduct, or intentional actions. The type of compensation for a suit depends on the specific circumstances of the case and the injuries sustained. Common types of compensation include:
A loss of consortium is a type of damage award that compensates a family member for the loss of support, companionship, and affection due to the injury or death of a loved one. This legal theory recognizes that when a person is injured due to the negligence or intentional conduct of a truck driver, their family members also suffer significant losses beyond monetary damages.
Nashville bad weather semi-truck accident lawyers also handle punitive damages claims. Punitive damage awards go beyond compensatory damages because they penalize the truck driver and their company to prevent similar conduct in the future. Punitive damages are not awarded in common negligence cases, rather, they are provided when an act is particularly egregious, reckless, or intentional.
A seasoned lawyer understands the complexities of relevant state statutes, case law, and legal procedures that could apply to your bad weather truck accident in Nashville. Ponce Law can make sure that your rights are protected and your interests are served throughout the legal process. Call today to book your introductory case consultation.
