Commercial Vehicle and Truck Accident FAQs | New Mexico Lawyer

Commercial vehicle accidents in Roswell, New Mexico can be devastating. Depending on the type of vehicle you get into a wreck with, the accident can leave you with more severe injuries than a regular car accident. Commercial vehicle wrecks are also more legally complicated than a collision between two passenger vehicles, which makes getting the damages you are owed more difficult.

A truck accident lawyer in Roswell can review the circumstances of your case and help you get proper compensation. New Mexicolawyer James Shaw has been a managing partner at Carabin Shaw for nearly 30 years, and his decades of experience have helped thousands of victims of trucking accidents get the settlement they deserve.

There’s a lot to know about commercial vehicle and trucking accidents. From our experience as lawyers, here are our answers to what we think are some of the most important commercial vehicle and truck accident FAQs our clients ask us every day:

Q: Who can be held liable in a trucking accident?

A: In a wreck between two passenger vehicles, one of the drivers of the vehicle is almost always at fault. For accidents involving commercial vehicles, it’s a different story. A number of parties can be found at fault in a commercial vehicle wreck depending on the circumstances of the case. Below are the parties most commonly responsible for commercial vehicle and trucking accidents:

• Truck driver
• Truck owner
• Trucking company
• Parts manufacturer
• The most recent mechanic
• Cargo company

The first step in any commercial vehicle accident case is determining who should be responsible for your damages. To figure out who’s at fault, contact a Roswell truck crash attorney.

Q: What are the common causes of trucking accidents?

A: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has found that 55% of all wrecks on U.S. roadways are caused by large trucks. Of these wrecks, errors on the driver’s part accounted for 87% of the crashes. The following are some of the most common driver errors and other causes of trucking accidents:

• Falling asleep behind the wheel
• Failure to follow traffic laws
• Distracted driving such as texting and driving
• Driving under the influence
• Defective parts
• Negligent maintenance
• Driving in extreme weather conditions

No matter what the cause, the negligent party should be held responsible for their actions. Talk to an attorney about how to hold them accountable in your case.

Q: What is a commercial vehicle, exactly?

A: The term “commercial vehicle” applies to a wide range of vehicles. They’re defined as vehicles used for business purposes to transport goods, heavy equipment, or passengers. Below are examples of commercial vehicles you may encounter on the road:

• 18 wheelers
• Box trucks
• Freight trucks
• Cement trucks
• Delivery vehicles
• City buses
• Taxis
• Limousines
• Cargo van
• Ice cream truck

Q: How do truck accidents differ from normal car wrecks?

A: There are two key ways that truck accidents differ from a wreck between two passenger vehicles. As previously discussed, they are more complicated than regular car accidents because more than one party is potentially liable.

They are also more complex than car accidents because commercial trucks and trucking companies must adhere to different state and federal regulations such as those laid out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). If you have questions, talk to a truck accident lawyer in Roswell.

Our Roswell truck crash attorney, James Shaw, has years and years of experience working with victims of truck accidents and building successful cases for them. New Mexico lawyer James Shaw has a client-first philosophy, which means your needs are put above all else. If you need representation, call us today at 1-800-555-0101 for a free consultation.