Truck Accidents

Central Kentucky Trucking Accident Lawyer

Tractor Trailers • Coal Trucks • Commercial Vehicles

We share the road with thousands of commercial trucks, behemoths weighing up to 40 tons fully loaded, compared to the average passenger vehicle weighing about 2 tons. Even driving at the speed limit, large trucks are difficult to control. This dangerous differential in mass and maneuverability can create devastation when trucker error or a trucking company's negligence leads to collisions.

Direct Contact with an Experienced Attorney: 859-759-4404 or 1-866-542-2293

If a family member was injured or killed in a Kentucky truck accident, you can count on John G. Rice, P.L.C. to hold the responsible parties accountable for the medical, economic, and personal damages. Based in Winchester, I represent victims and families throughout central and eastern Kentucky. Contact us today for a free consultation about pursuing a claim for your full and rightful compensation.

Truck Accidents in Kentucky

In 2005, more than 1,800 people were injured and 124 people killed in Kentucky in trucking accidents. The large majority of those involved collisions with 18-wheeler rigs, but about 1 in 4 Kentucky truck accidents involve triple-axle coal trucks, dump trucks, and double-axle vehicles.

As a former rehabilitation counselor and a personal injury lawyer for over 20 years, I am all too familiar with the catastrophic injuries typical to truck crashes, including back and neck injuries, brain injury, and musculoskeletal disabilities. Having worked as both a plaintiff and defense lawyer, I am equipped to anticipate the legal issues presenting barriers to your recovery of damages. My rehabilitation background also aides in determining your prognosis and ensuring you receive adequate compensation.

Investigating the Cause of Truck Accidents

Commercial trucks are heavily insured, so the main issue in claims for compensation is proving liability (fault). I often visit crash scenes myself, and work with accident reconstruction specialists to determine the negligence that led to the injury or fatality. Many trucks are equipped with a GPS "black box" data recorder that provides valuable information we can analyze in assembling a claim.

While truck drivers receive special training, and owners are subject to strict federal regulation, major causes of accidents fall into two categories:

• Truck driver error: failing to gauge stopping distance, illegal turning, pulling out into traffic, failing to see other motorists, lane changes into the path of another car, crossing the center line, driving too fast for conditions
• Trucking company negligence: pushing drivers to exceed DOT limits on hours at the wheel (leading to driver fatigue), falsifying logbooks, exceeding weight limits, improperly loading or securing of freight, bald tires, bad brakes, and improper lights at night.

Most truck accidents involve inter-state haulers, as well as coal trucks operating in eastern Kentucky. We are familiar with the state's freeways and rural highways known for crashes, including stretches of I-75, I-64, and feeder routes such as the Bluegrass Parkway, Mountain Parkway, and U.S. 23.

Contact John G. Rice, P.L.C. for a free case evaluation. You can reach us 859-759-4404 or toll-free at 1-866-542-2293 for prompt investigation and vigorous pursuit of the full damages you deserve.