Many large trucks pass through Cuyahoga County to keep goods moving between the Northeast, the Midwest, and the South. This steady stream of freight traffic increases the risk of trucking accidents. Commuters in Cleveland could get tied up in a multi-vehicle semi crash on Interstate 90. There’s also the danger of a trucker on Superior Avenue rear-ending vehicles or striking pedestrians due to a brake problem, black ice, or driver distraction.
After a big rig collision, you need truck accident lawyers here in Cleveland who understand regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as well as Ohio injury laws.
Tittle & Perlmuter is here to put in the hard work to help families throughout Northeast Ohio. We can even the odds with insurance and trucking companies. For a free consultation, contact our law firm today.
Where Large Truck Accidents Often Happen Around Cleveland
There are many busy interstates and highways throughout Cuyahoga County where commuters drive alongside large trucks.
- Interstate 90: Heavy traffic along I-90 means a greater risk of accidents. In addition to the sharp Innerbelt Curve, truckers also have to navigate complex interchanges and lane shifts.
- Interstate 77 and Interstate 71: Both I-77 and I-71 are busy freight corridors with a constant stream of 18-wheeler traffic. Narrow lanes, steep grades, tricky interchanges, and congestion can result in major accidents.
- Interstate 480: I-480 connects multiple interstates in the Cleveland area and is heavily congested, particularly around Valley View Bridge. Many truckers use I-480 to bypass downtown, meaning a high risk of crashes.
- The Ohio Turnpike: The Ohio Turnpike carries a major share of cross-country freight traffic. While there are fewer crashes than the other listed interstates, semi collisions can be more severe when they occur on the Ohio Turnpike.
In addition to these major highways, large truck accidents can happen on busy streets in Cleveland, like East 55th Street, St. Clair Avenue, or Kinsman Road. These are major multi-lane roads where there’s a mix of commercial traffic, commuters, and pedestrians. Crashes along these roads can also cause major injuries and property damage.
Types of Large Truck Accidents
The size and design of 18-wheelers can cause unique kinds of accidents, some of which can span multiple lanes of traffic.
- Jackknife Accidents: This is when the trailer of a large truck turns in toward the cab, much like a folding knife.
- Rollover Accidents: This is when a semi-truck rolls onto its side on the road or off an embankment.
- Underride Accidents: This is when another vehicle gets caught under a semi-truck’s trailer.
- Wide-Turn Accidents: This is when a tractor-trailer hits another vehicle while trying to make a left or right turn.
- Rear-End Collisions: Large trucks require more stopping time and distance. A rear-end crash can cause severe injuries to motorists in smaller vehicles.
- Multi-Vehicle Pileups: When an 18-wheeler gets into a crash that spans multiple lanes of traffic, numerous motorists may be injured, and traffic may be backed up for hours.
Common Causes of Big Rig Crashes
According to the FMCSA, some of the most common causes of tractor-trailer crashes include:
- Driver Fatigue: Long-haul truckers spend many hours on the road, which can cause them to experience exhaustion and potentially fall asleep behind the wheel.
- Failure to Check Blind Spots: Large trucks have major blind spots on all four sides of the vehicle called No-Zones. When truckers fail to check mirrors and ensure blind spots are clear, it can cause major accidents.
- Distracted Driving: Truckers who text while driving, eat while driving, look up directions while driving, or rubberneck could potentially cause a major crash.
- Reckless Driving: Truckers can cause serious collisions if they speed, refuse to yield the right of way, make frequent lane changes, or try to run other vehicles off the road.
- Poor Cargo Loading: When a big rig is overloaded, or its cargo is overloaded, the poor weight distribution can contribute to rollover or jackknife accidents.
- Issues with Truck Maintenance: Tractor-trailers need to be regularly serviced and maintained for safety. A lack of repairs or tune-ups could contribute to a crash.
- Poor Road Conditions: Badly maintained roads, broken traffic signals, and burned-out streetlights can all make driving conditions along a highway or street more dangerous.
- Bad Weather Conditions: Poor weather near or around Lake Erie can make operating a semi-truck dangerous. This is especially true when there’s snow, black ice, or fog.
Federal Hours of Service Regulations for Truck Drivers
There are strict laws truckers must follow due to the size and weight of big rigs and semis. FMCSA regulations were passed for the safety of all drivers on the road, and they standardize restrictions on the operation, maintenance, and supervision of these vehicles.
Most notably, the FMCSA developed hours-of-service regulations for property-carrying commercial drivers to avoid fatigue-related collisions. These hours-of-service regulations mandate that truckers cannot drive for more than 11 consecutive hours on any given day, or for more than 60 hours over seven consecutive days.
Potential Injuries in a Large Truck Accident
Due to the mass of semi-trucks, these accidents can be life-altering. Some common injuries that result from truck accidents may include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): Major trucking accidents could cause concussions, brain contusions, and lasting brain damage.
- Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): The impact from a semi-truck collision could cause a major spinal injury, resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia (tetraplegia).
- Paralysis: In addition to paralysis from spinal cord injuries, nerve damage from a big rig crash could cause varying levels of paralysis in different parts of the body.
- Burn Injuries: A post-crash fire with a tractor-trailer can result in severe third-degree or fourth-degree burns.
- Fractured Bones and Joints: Cracked ribs, broken bones, and damaged joints can occur in a serious 18-wheeler wreck.
- Loss of Limbs: Some trucking accidents result in the loss of a limb at the scene of the crash or injuries that require amputation in the emergency room.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Semi-Truck Accident?
Commercial trucking accident cases can become complex because there could be multiple liable parties. Some parties who could be held responsible for a claimant’s injuries may include:
- The Truck Driver: This is often the case when a trucker violates hours of service regulations or was distracted at the time of a crash.
- The Trucking Company: This may be the case when a company’s policies encourage truckers to ignore federal regulations, or when a company’s hiring practices fail to catch red flags in someone’s driving record.
- Maintenance and Repair Crews: Mechanics and technicians could be held responsible for poor vehicle maintenance or failing to catch potential hazards.
- Vehicle or Part Companies: If an automaker or a parts manufacturer is responsible for a defective vehicle, bad brakes, or faulty tires, they could be held liable for a crash.
- Cargo Loading Companies: Companies who loaded cargo onto a truck incorrectly could be held liable for causing a rollover crash or a collision caused by the cargo itself.
- Local Municipalities: Local governments and road authorities in Cuyahoga County could be held liable if they failed to repair a road or failed to prepare for dangerous weather conditions.
Compensation in a Semi-Truck Accident Lawsuit
Accident survivors have the right to seek compensation for economic losses and non-economic damages. Our Cleveland trucking accident attorneys will fight tirelessly to help secure maximum compensation for you. You may be entitled to recover damages for:
- Medical Bills: This includes hospitalization and stabilizing care as well as any care received from specialists.
- Future Healthcare Needs: This includes ongoing medical needs such as physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and mental health counseling.
- Lost Income and Earnings: This includes lost wages because of time off from work to heal and the loss of future earning potential if the semi-truck crash led to a long-term or permanent disability.
- Property Damage: This includes the repair to your vehicle, replacement of a totaled vehicle, and damage to any belongings during the collision.
- Pain and Suffering: This refers to emotional distress, chronic pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to the semi-truck accident.
- Reduced Quality of Life: This covers any changes in your enjoyment of hobbies or daily activities, as well as diminished feelings of contentment or well-being.
Compensation in Fatal Trucking Accident Cases
If you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal semi-truck accident, you have our sincerest condolences. When you’re ready to share what happened, the lawyers at Tittle & Perlmuter can help you file a wrongful death claim against the negligent party.
Compensation in fatal semi accident cases can help cover funeral costs, grief counseling, and the loss of your family member’s companionship.
How Partial Fault Affects Semi-Truck Accident Compensation
When it comes to partial fault, the state of Ohio uses a modified comparative negligence system (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2315.33). This means you can receive compensation as long as you are 50% or less at fault. Your share of liability is deducted from any compensation awarded.
For example, say that you are awarded $100,000 for a semi-truck accident on I-77. However, you were found to be 20% at fault for the collision. Because of modified comparative negligence, you would still receive $80,000.
Insurance companies will try to shift as much blame as possible onto you in order to avoid major payouts. The truck accident attorneys at Tittle & Perlmuter can call out these tactics and help ensure you aren’t lowballed and pushed around.
Statute of Limitations: Deadline to File a Trucking Accident Lawsuit
In Ohio, you typically have two years from the date of a tractor-trailer accident to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2305.10). Once that two-year statute of limitations has expired, you will not be able to take legal action.
Two years may sound like a fair amount of time, but it’s best to speak with our Cleveland trucking accident lawyers as soon as possible. We can start building a strong case for you and negotiating a settlement that accounts for all the ways your life has changed.
Why Choose Tittle & Perlmuter for Your Semi-Truck Accident Lawsuit
At Tittle & Perlmuter, we work hard to help the people of Cleveland. Here’s why truck accident survivors trust our lawyers with their case:
- We Enjoy Fighting Goliaths: Our attorneys always fight for the little guy. When trucking companies or insurance companies try to offer poor settlements and excuses, Tittle & Perlmuter can even the odds and put them in their place.
- We Know the Needs of Locals in Cleveland: National law firms don’t offer the attention and individualized strategy of Tittle & Perlmuter. We’re proud to represent the people of Northeast Ohio. We know the roads and highways around Cleveland, and we know what matters to Buckeyes like you.
- We Focus on Getting Results: Our verdicts and settlements demonstrate a strong commitment to our clients and seeking maximum compensation whenever possible.
Contact Our Cleveland Truck Accident Attorneys Today
You don’t have to take on trucking companies or insurance companies on your own. After a big rig accident in Cuyahoga County, you can count on Tittle & Perlmuter to have your back. To request a free case review with our truck accident lawyers in Cleveland, contact our law firm today.
