Bobtail Truck Accidents in Portage | 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 Portage Bobtail Truck Accident Lawyer
In many cases, Portage 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 Portage 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 Portage truck accident lawyer most. Do yourself a favor by calling one of the qualified Portage truck accident lawyers listed on this page. Hire a qualified Portage tractor trailer accident lawyer to help protect your rights.
Hazardous Road Conditions for Bobtail Trucks in Portage
A trucker driving a bobtail truck must be extra cautious when driving in hazardous road conditions in Portage such as the I-94, SH 96, SH 331, and US 131. 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 Portage
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Portage has a population of 46 thousand people in a 35.0 square mile area. . It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 326,589 as of 2010. A lot of roadwork is necessary to maintain the Kalamazoo-Portage 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 Portage truck accidents.
Local community health centers that will provide medical care to those with low incomes and/or no health insurance:
Family Health Center Health Care for the Homeless
431 North Rose Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269) 385-2217
Free Clinic of Kalamazoo
2918 Portage Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
(269) 344-0044
Family Health Center South
2030 Portage Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
(269) 349-0888
Portage 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 Portage 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.
Motels near Portage, Michigan
Comfort Inn
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Kalamazoo
Hampton Inn
Econo Lodge |
Map of Budget-priced Motels near Portage, MI |
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Besides truck stops, roadside motels provide truckers with a place for rest and shelter to avoid fatigue. |
Portage Highway Management
In Michigan, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is responsible for planning, designing, and operating streets, highways, bridges, transit systems, airports, railroads, and ports to provide for the safe, rapid, comfortable, economical, convenient, and environmentally safe movement of people and goods. MDOT maintains the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate, US, and state highways in Michigan with the exception of the Mackinac Bridge.
Click here to access Travel Cameras for Detroit, Grand Rapids and the Upper Peninsula (U.P.).
For an interactive map, click here.
Some of the causes of Portage truck accidents due to hazardous road conditions may include:
- Potholes and poorly maintained roads
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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 Portage and Surrounding Cities
Portage 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 Portage bobtail truck accident lawyer today for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.