Belleville Truck Accident Lawyer
With the 401 running right through city, truck accidents occur all too often in and around Belleville. This is a major thoroughfare for trucks that are traveling from Niagara and Toronto and heading into Ottawa, Montreal, and other major cities. Ontario has had restrictions on trucks for years in the hopes of reducing the amount of truck accidents, but they still happen.
Tractor-trailers, also known as 18-wheelers or semi-trucks, are much larger and much heavier than smaller passenger vehicles. Because of this, when they collide with a smaller vehicle, the people in that vehicle are likely to sustain severe injuries. If the truck driver or trucking company was negligent, and that negligence caused the accident, victims may be able to seek compensation for their injuries.
Proving negligence can be difficult, and going up against a big company even more so. Those who have been injured in a truck accident need to speak to a Belleville truck accident lawyer right away that can help. A determined personal injury lawyer can work diligently to build your case, and make sure that your rights are protected.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Truck driver fatigue has long been the most common cause of truck accidents in Ontario, Canada, and the United States for years. It was for this reason that years ago, Ontario instated rules relating to the number of hours a truck driver could work in one day, and the number of rest hours required in between working hours.
The safety measures worked, but only slightly as the hourly logs were manually inputted by hand, by the truck driver. Drivers were still being encouraged to work longer hours in order to make tighter deadlines and allow the company to get more of their product to their customers. Because of this, drivers are still extremely tired on the road, and driver fatigue is still a main cause of truck accidents.
The Canadian federal government is now trying to pass legislation that would require trucks to install electronic logs. These would monitor things like engine operation and vehicle movement, as well as kilometres driven, to combat driver fatigue.
The other main cause of truck accidents is negligence on the part of the trucking company. This can include improper loading, having knowledge of a driver’s past negligence and still allowing them to operate a truck or improper training. When individuals are injured in a truck accident, even when they are unsure of how it happened, they should speak to a Belleville truck accident lawyer.
Filing a Claim After an Accident
In Ontario, compensation can be obtained through the Accident Benefits system and through a third-party tort claim. There are few accidents involving a big rig truck that do not include these. When injured victims would like to file a lawsuit, or a personal injury claim, against a negligent party, it can become overwhelming. In most cases, the claim will be filed against either the truck driver or the trucking company. It will depend on whether the driver was negligent, or the company that they work for.
Either way, the trucking company is likely to get involved and this can be intimidating, especially when victims are trying to recover from those severe injuries. In some cases, it is a manufacturer that is at fault for the accident. This is the case when parts of the truck, such as tires or brakes, are found to be faulty even though the trucking company has properly maintained them. While these cases are certainly rarer than cases involving the truck driver or trucking company, they do still occur.
Contacting a Belleville Truck Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in a trucking accident in or around Belleville, call an experienced Belleville truck accident lawyer today. They will work hard to protect your rights.
