(Transcript)

Bill Adler: Hello everybody and welcome to Hammer TV. I’m Bill Adler, the Texas Hammer.

Jim Adler: And I’m Jim Adler, the Texas Hammer.

Bill Adler: Today we’re going to talk about 18 Wheeler accidents and how to avoid them. And if you’ve been in an accident, what steps you can take to ensure the best possible outcome. Jim, why don’t you start talking a little bit about 18 Wheelers and what you want to do first when you’re involved in an 18 Wheeler accident versus a car accident.

Jim Adler: Well folks, the first thing we need to talk about is how 18 Wheeler accidents are different then, car accident claims. They’re bigger, they’re more dangerous, they weigh more. So let’s talk about some of the regulations that apply to big trucks. Bill, what do you think.

Bill Adler: Well some of the regulations pertain to unsafe driving. Hours of service. Also, a lot of drivers to keep themselves awake are on drugs. Also, there’s regulations regarding vehicle and cargo. Why don’t you take it a little bit further for our audience?

Jim Adler: Well, there’s really specific rules for hazardous materials and the latest thing is the crash indicator. So what’s a crash indicator Bill?

Bill Adler:  Well, a lot of people have crash indicators on their car. If you’re pulling up to a light and you’re looking down at your phone, which you should never be on your phone if you’re driving. But for instance, if you’re looking at your phone, some vehicles are programmed if you’re approaching another vehicle too fast to manually apply the brakes for you to stop you and prevent you from hitting the vehicle in front of you.

Jim Adler: Well, folks, some of the most common issues we see in 18 Wheeler accidents include drivers who go too fast for the driving conditions. In the rain, in the ice. They’re going just going way too fast. They don’t secure their load properly and things fall off on cars and trucks driving alongside them. What are some of the things you’ve seen Bill?

Bill Adler: Also these companies are just more interested in getting their drivers on the road and getting their cargo from point A to point B, and they lack training. Also, they really don’t care about safety we find a lot of the time and they fail to maintain a lot of their load and their vehicle in a good working condition. What else have you seen Jim?

Jim Adler: Well, the scariest thing is some old boy driving an 18 Wheeler and he’s going along texting while he’s driving 60 miles an hour. That’s just an accident waiting to happen. There’s a number of other precautions that as drivers on the road we can all take to avoid collisions with big trucks. What do you think, Bill? What are some of the precautions?

Bill Adler: First you want to make sure that the 18 Wheeler or tractor trailer as some people refer to them as. You’re not following too close or tailgating them. Also, you don’t want to merge right in front of them and obviously stomp your brakes. So maintain a proper distance between you and the 18 Wheeler. What else do you find, Jim?

Jim Adler: Well, one of the scariest things that we’ve seen is when a car drives up under the rear of an 18 Wheeler because it doesn’t have proper crash protection. The other thing is don’t get in an 18 Wheeler location. If you can’t see their mirrors, they can’t see you. And never pass on the right hand side, we see that all the time. People are trying to pass an 18 Wheeler on the right hand side, it turns right and bam, you got an accident. What else, Bill?

Bill Adler: Well, some drivers often have physical limitations, which people in normal sedans, trucks and automobiles don’t have. Eighteen Wheeler drivers, they drive very fast. They can’t stop fast as you can stop and they’re going to probably rear-end you. Even if, you’re in your lane. So if you’ve been involved in an accident involving a big truck, there are some first steps that you should take.

First you want to take a picture of the license plate on the tractor, meaning the portion of the 18 Wheeler that drives the cargo and also you want to take a picture of the license plate on the trailer. The trailer is the portion which is being towed. Also take pictures of the individual driving the vehicle.

Bill Adler: Also, a really important piece is people often don’t call the police. You want to make sure you call the police to the scene because you don’t want it being your word against the truck driver’s word. You want to make sure there’s a police officer there to write down your version of the event and how the accident really happened. So that way when the trucker gets back to his home base, he doesn’t tell the company a story, which actually didn’t happen. One of the most important thing is number one, make sure after an accident you and your family are safe and secure. The next thing you want to do is contact an experienced truck accident attorney as soon as possible after the accident. And Jim, tell us a little bit about your experience with trucks.

Jim Adler: Well, what I’ve seen with clients in big trucks is clients who are smart enough to take a picture of the collision if they’re physically able to do so. If there’s a witness who comes up to you and they say they want to help you. Get that person’s name, address, and telephone number because people are good and they want to help other people who have been in an accident. So it’s important to get those photographs of your car, of the 18 Wheeler, of the scene and the names of the witnesses.

Bill Adler: That’s absolutely right. So if you or your family have ever been involved in an 18 Wheeler accident, call an experienced attorney like Jim Adler or Bill Adler. If you have any questions, you can call us at 1-800-567-7575. You can also contact us on the web at our website, www.JimAdler.com. Thanks everybody today for watching Hammer TV. Leave us your comments, your questions, and tell us what topics you’d like for us to discuss on the next show. We’d really love to see it, if you’d like or share this video with your friends, loved ones or anybody that might be able to use our help. That would mean a lot to me and I know it would to Jim as well.

https://www.jimadler.com/truck-accident-lawyer/