Bobtail Truck Accidents in Norfolk | 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 Norfolk Bobtail Truck Accident Lawyer
In many cases, Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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 Norfolk truck accident lawyer most. Do yourself a favor by calling one of the qualified Norfolk truck accident lawyers listed on this page. Hire a qualified Norfolk tractor trailer accident lawyer to help protect your rights.
Hazardous Road Conditions for Bobtail Trucks in Norfolk
A trucker driving a bobtail truck must be extra cautious when driving in hazardous road conditions in Norfolk such as the I -464, I -64, I -564, I -264 and US -460. 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 Norfolk
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Norfolk has a population of 242,803 people in a 96.3 square miles square mile area. A lot of roadwork is necessary to maintain Norfolk’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 Norfolk truck accidents.
Local community health centers that will provide medical care to those with low incomes and/or no health insurance:
Norfolk Community Health Center
1401 Tidewater Drive 1, Norfolk, VA 23504
(757) 628-1400
Portsmouth Community Health Center/ Hampton Roads Community Health Center
664 Lincoln Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704
(757) 393-6363
River Side Behavioral Health
2244 Executive Drive, Hampton, VA 23666
(757) 827-1001
Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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 Norfolk, Virginia
Comfort Inn-Norfolk Naval Base |
Map of Budget-priced Motels near Norfolk, VA |
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Besides truck stops, roadside motels provide truckers with a place for rest and shelter to avoid fatigue. |
Norfolk Highway Management
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 Norfolk 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 Norfolk and Surrounding Cities
Serving clients throughout Southeastern Virginia, including Capeville, Chesapeake, Cortland, Eastville, Franklin, Gloucester, Gloucester Point, Grafton, Hampton, Jamestown, Newport News, Norfolk, Petersburg, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Pungoteague, Richmond, Smithfield, Suffolk, Sussex, Totaro, Virginia Beach, Wane Neck, White Stone Beach, Williamsburg, areas in the vicinity of Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk International Airport, Norfolk International Terminals, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, NS-Norfolk, and other communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Norfolk 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 Norfolk bobtail truck accident lawyer today for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.