MASSACHUSETTS TRUCK ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS

• What to Do After a Truck Accident
• Compensation in Truck Accident Cases
• Proven Success for Truck Accident Victims

• Negligent Truck Driver
• Truck Company Negligence

• Commercial Vehicle Accidents
• DUI Truck Accidents
• Jackknife Truck Accidents
• Overloaded and Unsecured Cargo Accidents
• Pickup Truck Accidents
• Runaway Trailer Accidents
• Truck Underride Accidents

Medical treatment for yourself and any passengers should be your first priority. If possible, collect contact information for witnesses, as well as photos or videos of the collision scene and resulting injuries. If you believe the collision was the result of negligence on behalf of the driver or trucking company, it’s advisable to discuss your case with an attorney as soon as possible.

Accidents involving tractor-trailers or other large commercial vehicles can result in life-changing injuries that are financially crippling without adequate compensation. Yet trucking companies and their insurance providers often try to limit what they pay. Our attorneys can help you understand your legal options and pursue the financial peace of mind you and your family need.

Depending on the circumstances of the collision and the resulting injuries, you may be able to seek compensation for damages including:

• Medical costs
• Rehabilitation and physical therapy expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage
• Funeral costs and loss of companionship should the accident result in wrongful death

Money cannot make up for all the losses associated with a traffic accident, but it can make the recovery process less burdensome. And you don’t have to worry about up-front costs when you discuss your case with us; our attorneys offer free consultations, and we don’t get paid unless we recover on your behalf.

At the Kiley Law Group, our attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of accident victims from across Massachusetts. Over three decades of service, we’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients, many of whom have suffered injuries or lost family members in truck accidents. Recent successful outcomes for our clients include $3.5 million for the victim of a tractor-trailer accident; $785,000 for a victim who suffered a crushed ankle in a truck accident; and $650,000 for the victim of a truck rollover crash. Please call 888-979-9323 to learn how we can help you if you were injured in a truck accident or lost a loved one in a commercial vehicle crash.

Every year, thousands of commercial vehicle accidents are caused by negligent drivers. Common acts of carelessness that result in truck accidents include:

• Aggressive driving
• Distracted driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs
• Driving while fatigued
• Improper braking

Fatigued driving in particular is a risk inherent to commercial transit, and to discourage this potentially threatening behavior, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires that trucking companies and drivers adhere to strict regulations regarding hours of service. These dictate how many hours over the course of a set number of days drivers may operate their vehicles and how much rest they must take. In spite of this, some truckers push beyond the limits, and some companies encourage their drivers to do so.

Trucking companies themselves often bear a great deal of responsibility in commercial vehicle accidents. These companies may put innocent lives at risk by careless actions including:

• Enforcing or encouraging unrealistic schedules
• Inadequate vehicle inspections and maintenance
• Failure to monitor drivers’ hours for time on and rest
• Encouraging transport overloading

The sad truth is that some companies put profit before safety and then try to limit the compensation victims need when accidents occur. If you were involved in a truck accident, it’s a good idea to contact an attorney at the Kiley Law Group for a free consultation; we have an established record of success in these claims, and we understand how to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the crash to recover the financial peace of mind you need.

Accidents involving commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers, moving vans, dump trucks and delivery vehicles are different than collisions involving passenger vehicles because the injuries to passenger-vehicle occupants are often more severe and because the commercial vehicle driver is on the job.

Commercial vehicles come in a wide range of types and sizes, from pickup trucks to semis; all of them are dangerous if not properly operated, loaded and maintained. Although some form of driver negligence is responsible for most traffic accidents, trucking companies or shipping agents often at least share liability in commercial vehicle collisions. If you were hurt or a loved one was killed in an accident involving a commercial truck, please contact the Kiley Law Group for a free consultation with a knowledgeable injury lawyer.

While it’s risky for anyone to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it is even more so for a commercial truck driver who is operating an 80,000-pound vehicle. When these large trucks collide with passenger vehicles, it is most often the occupants of the smaller vehicles who suffer the most devastating injuries.

Although alcohol is a factor in many DUI accidents, one analysis of accident data by the FMCSA found that nearly half of truck drivers involved in collisions were taking either an over-the-counter or prescription medication. DUI crashes are entirely irresponsible and entirely preventable, and the attorneys at the Kiley Law Group are aggressive in their pursuit of compensation for DUI accident victims.

A jackknife accident can occur when a semi-truck driver slams on the brakes or loses control of the truck in a manner that causes the trailer to swing around at a sharp angle, enclosing or crushing other vehicles in its path. Though jackknife accidents are often the result of speeding or another form of driver negligence, there may be other factors involved in these types of collisions.

Improperly loaded or overloaded trailers can also contribute to jackknife accidents, as can mechanical failure caused by poor maintenance or defective parts. The attorneys at the Kiley Law Group have provided successful representation to accident victims for more than three decades, and we know how to thoroughly investigate truck accidents to ensure you’re able to pursue the financial security you and your family need.

Commercial vehicles are designed with weight limits, and the FMCSA has additional standards regarding load limits and the securing of cargo. Trucks that are overloaded or carry unsecure cargo heighten the risk for accidents and injuries.

Despite this threat to other drivers, many trucking companies and truck operators attempt to push weight capacities and take shortcuts for a little extra profit. The team of attorneys at the Kiley Law Group is dedicated to helping Massachusetts truck accident victims seek the compensation they need to recover and move forward with their lives. Please contact us today for a free consultation.

While considerably smaller than semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles, pickup trucks can cause significant damage in a collision, especially if they’re carrying heavy or unsecured cargo. Depending on whether the truck is carrying a load, pickups are also more prone to tipping or rolling over in a collision, which can pose additional risks to those in other passenger vehicles.

If you were hurt in a truck accident and believe driver negligence or improperly loaded cargo may have played roles, it’s important to discuss your case with an attorney as soon as possible to ensure a timely investigation and preservation of evidence. The Kiley Law Group has recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of truck accident victims, and we’re here to help you and your family pursue the peace of mind you need as you heal.

A loaded single trailer can weigh upward of 30,000 pounds, and in the event that it detaches, it can cause catastrophic injuries or death. Runaway trailers are often the result of negligence in properly attaching the trailer, but they may also be the result of overloaded or imbalanced cargo, poor maintenance or mechanical defects.

Though runaway trailers are a factor in relatively few accidents, they are often deadly. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 540 runaway trailer accidents between 2000 and 2007, with 164 fatalities. The Kiley Law Group has extensive experience in truck accident injury and wrongful death cases. Please contact us today for a free consultation if you were hurt or a loved one was killed in a commercial vehicle wreck.

An underride accident occurs when a smaller vehicle collides with the trailer of a semi-truck and is pulled under, often causing the roof of the smaller vehicle to be crushed or ripped off. Underride accidents are among the deadliest form of truck accidents.

Although many tractor-trailers today have guard rails, underride accidents remain a major risk. These guard rails have so far demonstrated a high failure rate, even at relatively low speeds. You do not have to face the seemingly overwhelming consequences of a truck accident on your own. The attorneys at the Kiley Law Group can provide the strong representation you need to obtain compensation for medical costs, lost wages and other damages.