Because the trailers of semi-trucks are connected to the cabs by only a rotating hinge, those trailers don’t always move in exactly the same directions or have the same momentum as the cabs pulling them. The trailers of semi-trucks can sometimes kick out to the side of or even all the way around in front of the cab during a skid, bending the truck as a whole into a jackknife shape.
Jackknife truck accidents in Pennsauken can end up collecting multiple other vehicles and causing catastrophic harm to everyone in those vehicles. If you want to seek fair financial recovery for the harm you’ve suffered through this sort of wreck, you have help available from skilled truck accident lawyers well-known for winning cases much like yours in the past.
What Causes a Truck to Jackknife?
Since trucks only jackknife during crashes in Pennsauken if they’re already in a high-speed skid, the root cause of most accidents like this is some kind of negligence by the truck’s driver that leads to a loss of traction with the road. This could be something illegal like speeding or drunk driving, something more subtly irresponsible like driving while distracted, or even something that’s out of the trucker’s hands entirely, such as an unexpected brake failure while traveling down a steep slope.
In most of those scenarios, the fact that a specific reckless or careless act by the truck driver directly led to the crash occurring would be enough to hold them—and potentially their employer—financially liable for losses caused by that crash. However, not everyone who bears fault for a jackknife crash is directly involved in the crash itself, and sorting out who’s to blame for your specific incident is something a practiced attorney can provide vital assistance with.
Getting Around Legal and Procedural Roadblocks
Another thing legal counsel can play a key role in after a jackknife truck crash in Pennsauken is proving that you aren’t partly at fault for causing your injuries through your own negligent behavior. Otherwise, a court might assign you a percentage of comparative fault for your losses and then reduce the amount of money available to you based on that percentage—or, if it’s more than 50%, prevent you from getting paid anything at all.
Your truck accident lawyer will help you build and file the strongest possible claim within applicable filing deadlines. Thanks to the statute of limitations for personal injury cases in New Jersey, you typically have two years at most after initially getting hurt to sue the person responsible for hurting you, or else courts will refuse to hear your case no matter how much evidence you have to support it.
Contact a Pennsauken Attorney for Help After a Jackknife Truck Accident
A jackknifing truck is uniquely dangerous not just because of how big and heavy it is, but also because of how fast it’s generally moving and how little control its driver has over what direction it moves in. However, even being in a wreck as life-threatening as this doesn’t mean a civil court will automatically side with you if you try to sue the truck driver—or anyone else—over the injuries you’ve sustained.
Support from a seasoned lawyer will make a world of difference in how effectively you can enforce your rights following a jackknife truck accident in Pennsauken. Call today to get started on your possible claim.
