Tupelo Jackknife Accidents
Truck Accident Attorneys Serving Injured Victims in Tupelo
Accidents caused by jackknifing can have life-threatening consequences for those directly involved and can even affect those beyond the accident, such as family members. Jackknifing is when the cab and trailer of an articulated vehicle, e.g., a commercial truck, bend into a V- or L-shape while uncontrollably skidding. Weather conditions – icy and rainy especially – can also greatly contribute to the dangers of jackknifing. Regardless of the weather, however, jackknife accidents are extremely dangerous and usually involve several injured victims in personal vehicles. If you were injured in a jackknife accident , you should contact the Tupelo truck accident lawyers of Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz to discuss your case because you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Our firm of 30 attorneys and over 120 staff members has been helping injured victims in Mississippi and throughout the South for over 30 years – recovering more than $1.5 billion on behalf of those victims.
Proving a Trucker or Trucking Company’s Liability for a Jackknife Accident
The sad truth about jackknifing is that it can usually be avoided if the truck driver exercises ordinary care, such as proper braking, regular monitoring of their trailer, and driving at appropriate speeds based on weather and road conditions. For example, if the roads are icy, it could be beneficial for a truck driver to drive slower and check their trailer regularly; otherwise, a truck driver would be more likely to jackknife and hit you as you are driving down U.S. Highway 45 or another roadway in the Tupelo area. Many of these accidents occur due to a loss of traction – sometimes in cases of inexperienced drivers locking their wheels by slamming on their brakes. However, if the driver is able to prevent jackknifing but fails to do so by taking appropriate measures, you may have a case in which you could be compensated for your injuries – injuries for which many victims in the Tupelo area seek medical care at Med Serve, which is located at 844 South Madison, Tupelo, MS 38801.
Many drivers have the opportunity to act reasonably to prevent jackknifing but do not because of being distracted or poorly trained. If you have been injured due to a poorly trained or distracted driver jackknifing, it may be in your best interest to assert a claim for negligence. To be able to recover damages for such a claim requires the injured victim to prove that the driver failed to act reasonably and caused the injuries you sustained. In some instances, the driver’s employer can be held vicariously liable, which requires the plaintiff to establish that the negligence occurred in the course and scope of the defendant driver’s employment and was the reason the truck driver jackknifed.
In some cases of jackknife accidents occurring due to inadequate or no training in the prevention or correction of jackknifing, the responsibility may directly lie with the trucking company, which is significant because of the higher levels of insurance trucking companies are required to carry in comparison to individual drivers. These higher levels of insurance are crucial because there may be many people involved in a jackknife accident that are seeking to recover damages. There is also the theory of negligent training or the theory of negligent hiring to possibly invoke in cases of an employer failing to properly train the driver or an employer who hired an incompetent driver, respectively.
Discuss Your Case with a Truck Accident Attorney in Tupelo
Jackknife accidents can leave devastation in their wake – resulting in broken bones, disfigurement, paralysis, brain trauma, and permanent scarring. If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking crash , you should contact the Tupelo truck accident attorneys at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz. We fight on behalf of injured victims throughout Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas, including in Tupelo, Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Caruthersville, Hayti, Oxford, Starkville, Grenada, Columbus, Meridian, Jackson, Little Rock, and Jonesboro. Contact our office by calling 800-LAW-4004 or by completing our online form to set up a free consultation with a motor vehicle collision attorney. NST is the way to go.
Most car accidents are preventable and occur as a result of errors by one or more drivers. To prove liability, you will need to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the driver owed you a duty of care, which was breached, and that your injuries resulted from the driver’s carelessness. Damages that may be available in these cases often include medical expenses, lost income, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.
Truck drivers are required to follow numerous detailed regulations, including rules related to hours of service, keeping a logbook, and maintenance procedures. Many of these regulations are intended to protect other people on the road from harm. In some states, if a driver violated a law that was enacted to protect the public, the violation can create a rebuttable presumption of negligence. Trucking companies are also required to follow a number of regulations, including rules related to background checks of drivers and proper supervision. They often may be held directly or indirectly liable for a truck accident.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates applications for disability benefits. Although many people pay into this system throughout their lives, many legitimate claims are initially denied, and this process may be less straightforward than claimants expect. The SSA uses a five-step sequential evaluation to determine whether to grant benefits to an applicant. Each step is considered in a set order. We can present your case in a persuasive manner and help you appeal a denial of a meritorious claim if needed. This could include representing you in a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Workers’ compensation functions slightly differently in each state. In Tennessee, for example, businesses that employ five or more employees must carry workers’ compensation insurance. If you are injured on the job, you may recover benefits, such as medical costs and disability. Neither your employer’s nor your own culpability for your injuries will prevent you from collecting these benefits. However, it may still be a struggle to obtain benefits from your employer’s insurer. We can help you navigate this challenging process.
If you were harmed by a health care professional’s failure to use the appropriate level of care in providing treatment to you, you may be able to recover compensation. Most medical malpractice lawsuits require retaining an expert to determine the accepted standard of care and explain what the defendant did that fell short of this standard, as well as how the inappropriate conduct caused the patient’s injuries.
When you buy a toy, car, medication, or other product, you do not expect to be hurt. If you are injured, you may have grounds to file a product liability lawsuit. There are three types of defects that may be actionable: manufacturing, design, and marketing (also known as failure to warn). Manufacturers may be held accountable under multiple different theories, including strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, and concealment. For example, if you take a drug that causes you to develop cancer, but you were not told that a potential side effect of the drug was developing cancer, you may have grounds to hold the manufacturer strictly liable for its failure to warn you of the risk.
Nursing home residents are often elderly or disabled, and thus they are especially vulnerable to neglect, physical abuse, and exploitation by staff members. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are understaffed or employ staff members who are inadequately trained to deal with potentially frustrating situations. Nursing homes are required to protect their residents from physical, mental, and emotional harm by providing a safe environment, as well as adequately training and supervising staff. A failure to do so may be grounds for a nursing home negligence lawsuit for damages.
Property owners have a duty to keep their property reasonably safe. In most situations, this includes an obligation to inspect the property for dangerous conditions and fix them or provide warnings about them so that visitors are not harmed. One type of dangerous condition, which may present a particular problem in apartment complexes or shopping centers, consists of inadequate security measures such as broken locks, poor lighting, or a lack of security guards. A failure to take security measures when appropriate may allow third-party criminals to assault, rob, rape, or otherwise harm visitors and tenants. You may be able to recover damages if you can prove that the defendant knew or should have known about a history of attacks similar to yours and taken appropriate security measures to reduce the risk of further incidents.
Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer in Memphis or the Surrounding Regions
If you are dealing with a devastating injury or medical condition, the Memphis personal injury attorneys at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz can evaluate and explain your options. Our firm has 30 attorneys and more than 100 staff members, and we serve injured people in many areas of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, including Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada, Starkville, Oxford, Hayti, and Caruthersville. Contact our office toll-free by calling 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form to set up a free consultation with a personal injury, workers’ compensation, or Social Security Disability lawyer. Once you have learned more about our vigorous advocacy for the rights of the injured, you will realize that NST is the way to go.
