18-Wheeler Truck Accident Lawyer in Jackson, Mississippi
If you are involved in a Mississippi trucking accident while driving the highways of our state, your life may be permanently altered because collisions involving massive tractor-trailers can cause unparalleled carnage and injury. Collisions involving tractor-trailers (semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, big-rigs) pose unique hazards and require specialized legal representation because the trucking industry is subject to extensive federal and state regulations, and they involve complex litigation issues. At Kellum Law Firm, P.C., we have been providing effective legal representation to those who suffer devastating injury in Mississippi trucking accidents for more than 20 years.
Most of us have at least driven by a trucking accident in some form, including jack-knife accidents, tractor-trailer rollovers, under-carriage trucking accidents and other types of big rig collisions. The severity of these dangerous motor vehicle collisions is rooted in the fundamental physics of a collision involving vehicles that may differ in weight by more than 25 times. Fully loaded tractor-trailers may be as heavy as 80,000 pounds while an average passenger vehicle may weigh only 3,000 pounds. This enormous disparity in weight between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles explains why the party that suffers permanent injury or wrongful death in a collision involving a tractor-trailer is an occupant of the other vehicle in excess of 95 percent of the time.
Because of the overwhelming force of impact in tractor-trailer collisions, these accidents frequently result in permanent injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, fractures, amputation of limbs, severe damage to internal organs, and other severe injuries. These types of serious injuries can mean enormous emotional distress and anxiety along with intense pain and grueling physical recovery. The financial pressure of mounting medical bills and prolonged periods of being unable to work may compound these emotional and physical challenges. Our Mississippi tractor-trailer accident attorneys are dedicated to representing our clients in obtaining monetary damages to alleviate these financial hardships so that our clients can focus their efforts on recovering from their physical injuries.
The Particular Challenges in Litigating Truck Accident Cases in Mississippi
The trucking industry is essentially divided into interstate trucking that involves trucks that transport cargo across state lines and intrastate trucking that involves trucks that operate exclusively within Mississippi. Our Mississippi tractor-trailer accident attorneys have a thorough understanding of both state and federal regulations that set forth important safety rules to reduce the risk of fatal trucking accidents. These regulations cover a broad range of issues that include:
- Proper securing of a load
- Maximum weight and length of a tractor-trailer combination
- Hours of service rules that specify the duration of a driving shift and breaks to prevent fatigue
- Mandatory drug and alcohol screenings
- Bans on cell phone use
- Rules regarding medical fitness for operation of a big-rig
- Pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspection
- Background checks regarding driving record and other issue prior to hiring
- It is not hard to see how violations of these safety regulations could increase the risk of a serious trucking accident in Mississippi. There are also many other types of unsafe operation of commercial trucks that may contribute to a trucking accident in Mississippi like speeding, failing to check no zones (truck blind spots), improper following distance, and similar unsafe driving behavior.
Impact of Special Evidence Challenges in Mississippi Trucking Accident Lawsuits
Commercial carriers understand that their drivers are involved in many motor vehicle collisions that can cause catastrophic injury or wrongful death so they are adept at distorting or eliminating critical evidence. Although commercial truck drivers are required to maintain logbooks that document a driver’s non-driving on-duty time, time behind the wheel, rest periods, vehicle inspections and other safety issues, these logbooks are so routinely altered or manipulated that they are unofficially referred to as “lie books” in the trucking industry. Our experienced Mississippi trucking accident lawyers may analyze other documents like receipts for gas, lodging bills, maintenance records, and other documents to expose distortions in a driver logbook that may be designed to hide driver fatigue or the failure to perform inspections or maintenance.
Many tractor-trailers also have “black box” data recorders that are similar to those used on airplanes to determine the cause of a commercial airplane crash. These data recorders can provide evidence to expose logbook misrepresentations, information about operation of the vehicle immediately prior to the collision, maintenance problems and more. Unfortunately, commercial trucking companies are only required to maintain this black box information for a relatively brief period of time following a motor vehicle collision. Many trucking companies will put a big-rig back into service as soon as possible so that the data from the accident is erased.
If our experienced Jackson, Mississippi trucking accident law firm is contacted promptly after a commercial trucking accident, we take affirmative steps to preserve such evidence because we are well aware of trucking industry practices. We will frequently take action to avoid having the tractor-trailer repaired and put back in service, which can compromise the ability of an accident reconstruction expert to develop a sound theory on the cause of the accident because there is no vehicle damage to interpret.
Many truck drivers intentionally violate trucking regulations or otherwise engage in unsafe driving practices to increase the speed that they can complete runs or reduce the number of trips. Commercial carriers may not only turn a blind eye to such practice but actually encourage such behavior in the name of higher profits. If you or your loved one has been the victim of a trucking accident in Mississippi, we have been committed to providing effective legal representation and zealous advocacy to semi-truck accident victims for over 20 years. Our dedicated Mississippi tractor-trailer accident lawyers at Kellum Law Firm, P.C. offer compassionate representation and zealous advocacy so contact us immediately at (601) 969-2709 to learn how we can help.
Kellum Law Firm, P.C.
1438 N State St
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 969-2709
