Contact us today.
We understand the trucking industry and how to get you all the compensation you deserve if you have been severely injured in a truck accident.
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A truck accident can occur anywhere. In 2019, more than 5,000 large trucks got into fatal crashes. That’s a 43 percent increase from 2010.
Drivers need to learn about trucks and how to avoid accidents with them. Yet many of them have questions about what to do.
What are the first steps every driver should take? What should they do when they are out on the road? When is the right time to call a truck accident lawyer?
Get the answers and you can keep yourself safe from truck accidents. Here are some essential accident prevention tips.
Maintain Your Vehicle
If your car isn’t functioning, you can get into an accident. You need to keep your lights, engine, and suspension fully functioning. When you haven’t used your vehicle in a while, run some tests.
Turn on your lights and look out through your windshield. If you can’t see more than 100 feet ahead of you, you need to make some adjustments.
Set your seat back so you can see over your dashboard. Scrub your windshield and clean your car window interiors with spray and a dry towel. If your lights are dim or misaligned, take your vehicle into a repair shop.
Open your hood and take a look inside your engine. Your stocks of engine oil and coolant should be full. If either one is depleted, fill it up to the top.
Do not rely on the lights in your dashboard. Your engine may get a clog or start to overheat without you noticing. If you smell a strange odor or hear an odd noise, pull your vehicle over and make another inspection.
To test your suspension, put your vehicle in park, then press down on the front of it. Release and notice how many times the vehicle bounces.
If it bounces multiple times, you need to have the suspension adjusted. Then perform the test again to see if you fixed everything.
Plan Out Your Trips
The less time you spend on the road, the less chance you have of getting into an accident. Before you step inside your vehicle, plot your route out. Download an app or take out a map and chart your course.
Most trucks travel on highways and around commercial centers. See if you can find a route to your destination on backroads and through residential areas. This may increase your time on the road, but it will keep you safe.
You should never drive for longer than eight hours. Try taking a break every two hours, in which you get out of your vehicle or take a nap.
Avoid driving at night or during inclement weather. Find a place off the road where you can stop and wait for conditions to improve. Never try to outrun a storm, as you do not know what the weather is like up ahead.
Practice Good Defensive Driving
To avoid accidents, a defensive driver should adopt many different strategies. You should drive at a reasonable speed below the speed limit. If it is raining, you should drive at least ten miles per hour below the limit.
Leave plenty of space between yourself and other vehicles. Trucks require more room to stop than cars and motorcycles. Move one lane over whenever possible.
If you must drive in the same lane as a truck, drive behind it. It may operate slowly, but you should never go in front of a truck. Most trucks strike cars from behind and cause significant damage.
Signal all of your turns, even if you are merging to another lane. This gives time for truck drivers behind you to slow down.
If a truck is merging onto your lane, get out of its blind spot. Assume that it is moving faster than you are and adjust your position accordingly.
You should not drive distracted. Put away your cell phone, food, and noisy devices. Do not touch your radio when you see a truck near you.
If you spot a reckless driver, get off the road as soon as possible. Take a note of their license plate and call the company the driver works for.
When to Call a Truck Accident Lawyer
After a semi-truck accident, calling a truck accident law firm may not be on your mind. But you should call for one as soon as possible.
The sooner you call one, the sooner your truck accident attorney can start their investigation. They can interview witnesses while the accident is fresh in their minds. They can talk to your doctors and assess damages as you are receiving treatment.
You should call a lawyer after any tractor-trailer accident. Tractor-trailers are massive vehicles that can cause a lot of damage. You can expect to pay a lot in medical and repair bills, and you need to file a lawsuit to get money back.
You should also call a lawyer after an accident with a commercial driver. Many companies have insurance that can offer substantial payouts.
You may not have gotten injured in the accident. But you may suffer from psychological distress. You can claim damages and file a lawsuit for this.
How to Avoid Truck Accidents
You can avoid a semi-truck accident by following some basic tips. Keep your vehicle in good shape. Make sure the headlights, engine, and suspension are all in operation.
Plan out where you are going to go. Avoid highways and driving at night.
Leave plenty of room between yourself and a truck. Get out of their blind spots and signal your turns. Never drive distracted or impaired.
Need an experienced truck accident lawyer in South Carolina?
When you get into an accident, call a great truck accident lawyer in Columbia, Lexington, or Orangeburg, SC. Burriss & Ridgeway Law Firm has more than 50 years of experience.
Contact us today.
We understand the trucking industry and how to get you all the compensation you deserve if you have been severely injured in a truck accident.
Related
A Step by Step Guide on What to Do After a Semi Truck Accident
7 Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
7 Reasons You Need a Trucking Accident Lawyer in SC
