Truck Accidents Attorney in Oklahoma CIty, Oklahoma
How are truck accident cases different from other motor vehicle accident cases?
How are truck accident cases different from other motor vehicle accident cases?
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cases are different than just your
regular automobile accident a couple of
different ways as I mentioned the
Federal Regulations are won your typical
person driving down the road you don’t
have those same regulations you’re not
required to keep logs the other thing is
just ordinary people driving down the
road we’re not under the same pressures
that those truck drivers are those truck
drivers they’re putting incredible
pressure on them to drive and get that
product from point A to point B your
typical person that has a car accident
they don’t have those kinds of of of
issues now they have other issues we’ve
had a lot of car accidents where people
were in drinking or high on some
substance and and you know you’ve got to
thoroughly investigate those and each
accident is a is a little bit different
from every other accident but those
Trucking cases you’ve really got to do
what’s called Discovery you’ve got to
dig in into that because in a just a
normal car accident
say John Smith
that guy’s not employed by a trucking
company but in a trucking case these
truck drivers will do it however their
bosses want them to do it if they truly
put Safety First
they’d get what they wanted our
experience is that’s not what they want
they really are just trying to make
money and they’re putting the public at
risk every day every one of us have seen
these trucks Barrel past us on the
highway 20 or 30 miles above the speed
limit a lot of those guys are taking
stimulants
I had a trucking case where clearly the
truck hit the back of a vehicle and
killed a little grandmother
and the truck driver said that little
lady pulled right in front of me and I
couldn’t stop in time and I hit her it
was her fault
I took his deposition and he folded like
a cheap suit that’s not what happened at
all
he fell asleep
and he rear-ended her he called on his
cell phone and got the safety director
back home and that guy told him to lie
and he did he lied under oath made the
whole thing up but under cross-examine
he fold and cross-examination he folded
started crying and admitted they told
him to lie about it and that little lady
was killed for no reason that case
settled for the insurance policy limits
by the way after that deposition
Oklahoma City, OK personal injury attorney Reggie Whitten discusses how truck accident cases are different from other motor vehicle accident cases. Trucking cases differ significantly from regular automobile accidents in several ways, he explained. One notable distinction is the presence of Federal Regulations that apply to trucking, regulations not applicable to typical personal vehicle accidents. Truck drivers are obligated to adhere to these regulations, including maintaining driving logs. This added layer of scrutiny arises from the unique pressures on truck drivers, who often face intense demands to transport products swiftly from one point to another.
He emphasized that these pressures are not faced by everyday drivers. While typical car accidents may involve other issues, such as intoxication or substance use, they don’t entail the same level of external pressure as trucking cases. Each accident is unique, necessitating thorough investigation.
In trucking cases, the process of Discovery becomes particularly vital. Truck drivers often operate in accordance with their employers’ instructions, and their actions can be influenced by profit motives rather than safety concerns. While safety should be the paramount consideration, their experiences have shown that this isn’t always the case.
He recounted a trucking case where a truck driver claimed that an accident occurred because a little old lady had abruptly pulled in front of him, leaving him unable to stop in time. However, during the deposition, the truth emerged. The driver had actually fallen asleep at the wheel, resulting in a fatal rear-end collision with the elderly woman’s vehicle. Under cross-examination, the driver confessed to fabricating the initial story, revealing that he had been instructed to lie about the incident. This revelation led to a settlement for the insurance policy limits, ultimately highlighting the significance of thorough investigation and cross-examination in trucking cases.
