Bobtail Truck Accidents in Roanoke | Bobtail Truck Injury Lawyer

A bobtail truck is a truck without a trailer connected. Bobtail trucks are frequently used for the transport of liquid propane gas (LPG) and other types of liquid fuel. Driving a truck bobtail is different from pulling a trailer and it will make a difference in the handling. Driving a bobtail truck can be more challenging at times due to a lot of weight distribution in a relatively short wheelbase. A professional truck driver must learn how to operate a bobtail truck safely without a trailer.

When You Need to Hire a Roanoke Bobtail Truck Accident Lawyer

In many cases, Roanoke 18-wheeler accident attorneys must retain the services of scientific and medical experts to prove both the cause of the accident and the cause of your injuries. Additionally, a qualified semi truck accident lawyer will obtain all kinds of evidence concerning the scene of the crash, truck logs, and other important information to be used against the trucker, trucking company, or the company’s insurer. Arranging expert witness testimony and preparing important physical and documentary evidence is just one of many ways a Roanoke bobtail truck accident injury lawyer can help you after you’ve suffered a truck accident injury from a major 18-wheeler truck wreck.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a serious bobtail truck wreck, semi crash or big rig accident, hiring a lawyer is the farthest thing from your mind when tragedy such as this strikes you, a family member, or a friend. However, this is when you need a Roanoke truck accident lawyer most. Do yourself a favor by calling one of the qualified Roanoke truck accident lawyers listed on this page. Hire a qualified Roanoke tractor trailer accident lawyer to help protect your rights.

Hazardous Road Conditions for Bobtail Trucks in Roanoke

A trucker driving a bobtail truck must be extra cautious when driving in hazardous road conditions in Roanoke such as the US-220, US-11, and I-581. The trucker already has to be skilled just to handle a bobtail truck because he or she has to deal with a heavy load without a trailer. The danger already exists for making a sudden stop and losing control. Add hazardous road conditions on top of that and you have a recipe for disaster. A bobtail truck driver must be acutely aware of passenger cars darting in front of the truck. It may come down to a terrible choice of either rear-ending the car or spinning out by hitting the brakes too hard.

Bobtail Truck Accidents Caused by Hazardous Road Conditions in Roanoke

According to the 2009 U.S. Census, Roanoke has a population of 97,032 people in a 42.9 square mile area. A lot of roadwork is necessary to maintain Roanoke’s road and highway infrastructure, but these important repairs don’t always happen in time to prevent a roadway accident. Sometimes the situation is made even more dangerous due to severe weather conditions. Hazardous road conditions cause more fatalities than speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol and are one of the biggest reasons for Roanoke truck accidents.

Local community health centers that will provide medical care to those with low incomes and/or no health insurance:

Tri-Area Community Health Center
40 Wiley Drive, Ferrum, VA 24088
(540) 365-4469

Tri-Area Community Health Center
40 Wiley Court, Salem, VA 24153
(540) 365-4469

Floyd Community Health Center
140 Christiansburg Pike Northeast, Floyd, VA 24091
(540) 745-9290

Floyd Community Health Center: French Lorrie MD
140 Christiansburg Pike Northeast, Floyd, VA 24091
(540) 745-9290

Roanoke Motels are a Refuge When Road Conditions are Bad

Unsafe truck drivers make for unsafe roads. When driving conditions become too dangerous, truckers have a duty to pull over so that they don’t injure their fellow motorists. When road conditions are bad on Roanoke highways and it is unsafe for the trucker to drive, the semi truck driver should pull off the road at a truck stop or sit it out at a motel such as the ones listed below until it is safe to drive.

Roanoke Highway Management

Roanoke’s freeway system  includes; Interstate 581, the primary north-south roadway through the city. It is also the only interstate highway as Interstate 81 passes north of the city limits. Interstate 581 is a concurrency with U.S. Route 220, which continues as the Roy L. Webber Expressway from downtown Roanoke, where the I-581 designation ends, south to State Route 419. Route 220 connects Roanoke to Martinsville, Virginia and Greensboro, North Carolina. The proposed Interstate 73 would generally parallel Route 220 between Roanoke and Greensboro and would likely be a concurrency with I-581 through the city. The primary east-west roadway is U.S. Route 460, named Melrose Avenue and Orange Avenue. Route 460 connects Roanoke to Lynchburg. U.S. Route 11 passes through the city, primarily as Brandon Avenue and Williamson Road, which was a center of automotive based commercial development after World War II. Other major roads include U.S. Route 221, State Route 117 (known as Peters Creek Road), and State Route 101 (known as Hershberger Road). The Blue Ridge Parkway also briefly runs adjacent to the city border.

The Virginia General Assembly established the first State Highway Commission in 1906. The original mission of the Commission was, "to maintain, operate, and construct the primary system of highways around the Commonwealth. The first 4,000 miles of Virginia's first highway system was established in 1918. In order to facilitate the allocation of new federal highway funds the General Assembly designated 8 construction districts; those districts remain in place today with one addition, the Northern Virginia District added in 1983. The official state agency, the Department of Highways, was established in 1927. By this time the citizens of the Commonwealth had rejected a bond referendum for road construction and instead on the advice of Governor E. Lee Trinkle instituted a "pay as you go" policy that relied on a 3 cent per gallon tax on gasoline for road construction.

Today, VDOT is a large organization, requiring lots of equipment and employees to maintain the third-largest number of road miles among the states. The 57,867-mile state-maintained system is divided into these categories: Interstate, Primanry, Secondary, and Frontage. A separate system includes 10,561 miles of urban streets, maintained by cities and towns with the help of state funds. Virginia's cities are independent of its counties. Henrico County (1,279 miles) and Arlington County (359 miles) maintain their own roads with VDOT funds. There is an additional 39 miles of toll roads maintained by others.

Some of the causes of Roanoke truck accidents due to hazardous road conditions may include:

• Potholes and poorly maintained roads
• Dangerous roads:
  • Poorly designed roads
  • Steep pavement drops
  • Narrow lanes
  • Sharp curves
• Bad weather (heavy rain, ice, snow and fog)
• Inadequate warning signs about road conditions
• Poorly marked construction zones
• Defective signals and signs
• Poor visibility of traffic signs
• Inadequate highway lighting

Bobtail Truck Accident Attorneys Serve Roanoke and Surrounding Cities

Serving clients throughout Western Central Virginia, including Altavista, Amsterdam, Bedford, Blackberry, Blacksburg, Chatham, Christiansburg, Collinsville, Danville, Draper, Elon, Fancy Gap, Hillsville, Lynchburg, Mount Union, Peaksville, Riner, Roanoke, Rocky Mount, areas in the vicinity of Roanoke Regional/Woodrum Field, and other communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Roanoke bobtail truck accident attorneys are experienced in handling serious injury truck collision cases and can help you fight the trucking company or its insurer in order to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact a Roanoke bobtail truck accident lawyer today for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.