Straight Truck Accident Attorneys in Chesapeake | Chesapeake 18 Wheeler Wreck Attorney

Unlike a semi truck in which the truck tractor and trailer are mounted on separate chassis, a straight truck is a type of truck where the power train and cargo area both share the same frame. Like semi trailers, there is a variety of straight truck designs for different purposes. For example, a box truck is a type of straight truck, but not all straight trucks are box trucks.

A straight truck does not have safety issues of jacknives, or jacknifing, because the trailer bed of the truck is actually welded to the tractor portion so it is all one unit. This type of truck certainly has its share of accidents because it is considered the workhorse of the short haul industry. The bottom line is that there are many different types of straight trucks, but, because of their relative inexpensiveness compared to 18 wheelers it is not uncommon for a straight truck to be involved in an interior city of Chesapeake roadway.

Obviously, the most serious negligence is a crash due to a drunk truck driver. When a trucker decides to drive his vehicle over the Chesapeake’s interstate highway system while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he now becomes a potential weapon of mass destruction. Chesapeake is served by U.S. Highways 13, 17, 58, and 460. Interstate 64, part of the Hampton Roads Beltway, crosses through the city, Interstate 464 is a spur which connects it with downtown Norfolk and Portsmouth at the Berkley Bridge, and Interstate 664, which completes the Interstate loop from the Western Branch section of Chesapeake through the City of Newport News and into the City of Hampton. Any trucker driving under the influence (DUI) who causes an accident or deadly crash will be held negligent and can be prosecuted if found guilty of a DUI.

Chesapeake Straight Truck Accidents Caused By Drunk Driving

Many of the straight truck crashes that occur in the Commonwealth of Virginia along major Chesapeake highways, such as the I-64, US-17, SH-168, I-464, US-460 are caused by driving under the influence of some illegal substance. Using drugs and alcohol by truck drivers while on the job and on the road is against the law and it is especially dangerous while truck drivers are driving on busy Chesapeake roads or highways. Even though in our society drug addiction and alcoholism are considered to be illnesses and should be treated as such, alcoholics and drug addicts have no business possessing a commercial driver’s license (CDL), driving a truck or any other vehicle in the first place.

Not only is it a crime in Chesapeake for a truck driver to get behind the wheel of a truck intoxicated or under the influence of drugs — it is also considered to be gross negligence or, in some states can rise to malice. In states such as Virginia, driving drunk or driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol can result in an award of punitive damages, or exemplary damages, to be assessed against the truck driver. If the defendant is found to have been driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, then this type of an award for damages can and should be made by a Chesapeake jury in any truck accident case where drugs and/or alcohol is involved, such as a driving under the influence case.

When to Hire a Chesapeake Straight Truck Accident Attorney

In many cases, Chesapeake truck accident lawyers must retain the services of medical and scientific experts to establish the causes of the accident and your injuries. A qualified straight truck accident lawyer will obtain and investigate all the evidence concerning the scene of the wreck. Among the evidence collected will be truck logs and other important information which may be overlooked by an attorney who does not handle many truck accident injury cases. A good truck accident lawyer will know whether to sue the trucker, the trucking company, or both. Gathering statements from factual witnesses, retaining expert witnesses and preparing important physical and documentary evidence is just some of the many ways a Chesapeake straight truck injury lawyer can help you after you’ve suffered a truck crash injury.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a serious truck wreck, semi crash or big rig accident, then hiring the right lawyer is critical. Although meeting with a Chesapeake truck accident lawyer is probably the last thing on your mind when a tragedy like this strikes, you should definitely contact one of the Chesapeake – 18 wheeler accident lawyers on this page or on this site, earlier rather than later. A meeting with a Chesapeake truck accident lawyer, at your request, can be done at a hospital, doctor’s office, at your home and anywhere that is convenient for you and your family. Believe it or not, the earlier you call for yourself, or for a family member, or friend, the better for the case. Preservation of evidence is essential and you can rest assured that while you are grieving, the truck insurance company is not; they are, instead, hiring experts and taking statements with “rapid response teams” that, depending upon the severity of the injuries or deaths, are highly trained to start building a case against you or your wrongfully killed family member.

The earlier you call a Chesapeake truck accident lawyer the better.

Do yourself a favor and call one of the Chesapeake truck accident lawyers listed on this page or on this site. Hire a qualified Chesapeake straight truck accident lawyer to help protect your rights.

Drunk Driving Statistics for The State of Virginia

The year of 1986 was a wake-up call for the state of Virginia. Though it was not the year of the highest percentage of fatalities that were alcohol related, it had 606 alcohol related fatalities on the roadways. The highest percentage of traffic fatalities that were alcohol related was reported in 1983, with 57%, and there was some good news as it was trending down with the lowest percentage of 36%, reported in 2001 and again in 2006. The data for 2008, out of all traffic fatalities, demonstrated that 36% involved a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher, down from 51% in 1983. The legal limit for commercial drivers, such as truck drivers, is half that, at 0.04.

People killed in Virginia in alcohol related accidents totaled 278 in 2009. This is unacceptable and Alexandria truck accident lawyers can, and will, maintain a truck accident wrongful death lawsuit. when this unfortunate type of accident occurs. According to the Virginia Code, the below statute sets forth the available monetary damages to Virginia wrongful death claimants:

8.01-52. Amount of damages

Did You Know 36% of all Traffic Fatalities in Virginia were Related to Alcohol in 2008?

It is true. In at least one-third of these cases, at least one driver, or non-occupant, involved in the crash had measurable alcohol in their blood.

A truck driver in Norfolk who also happens to be an alcoholic or drug addict will usually also be found to be under extreme physical and mental distress. This is true of almost every person be they a Norfolk auto driver or a Norfolk based truck driver. Dysfunctional behavior is not solely limited to truck drivers; but since that is how they make their living, they need to get their behavior under control when they are doing their job. The truck driver is under pressure to make money for his family to be able to pay the bills, but on the other hand he knows that driving under the influence is unsafe and illegal. In some cases the trucker’s failure to drive safely can be extremely dangerous for fellow motorists on Virginia roads and highways. Norfolk truck drivers who are addicted to drugs or alcohol should seek treatment and should not even be on the road. The truck driver who is found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of an accident will most surely be found to be criminally negligent. There are several drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Norfolk that may help the addicted truck driver.

Straight Truck Accident Attorneys Serve Chesapeake and Surrounding Cities