Tupelo Truck Accidents

Have you been injured in a Tupelo truck accident? If so, Mama Justice can help you and your family. Call us today.

Truck accidents involving large trucks are a major cause of personal injury, property damage, and sometimes even wrongful death in Tupelo each year. When another driver’s negligence causes a wreck, victims should hire an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer to help them get the justice they deserve.

Commercial trucking is a vital part of Mississippi’s commerce every day. The state relies on trucks to carry goods to many places, Tupelo included. When a truck wreck happens and causes personal injury or death, it’s important to reach out to an attorney to help you file a claim for your losses. Mama Justice knows who to hold liable in a devastating accident, and will fight tirelessly to get you the financial compensation you are entitled to for your injuries and losses.

Who Is To Be Held Liable In A Truck Wreck?

In Tupelo, there are multiple parties who can be held liable in a truck accident. The trucking company and the trucker can be held liable for injuries sustained in a truck crash or if the victim does not survive their injuries. A large commercial truck accident can have several responsible parties. The parties that can be held responsible for negligence or unsafe trucking practices that resulted in a truck accident are as follows:

If you have or someone you love has been injured in a Tupelo truck wreck, it’s in your best interest to contact Mama Justice to speak with a skilled wrongful death lawyer about your truck accident to find out if you have the right to pursue a lawsuit for your injuries and losses. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.

Most Common Causes of Truck Crashes In Tupelo, MS

The most deadly wrecks on Mississippi’s roads and highways are caused by commercial trucks. There are approximately 500,000 or more semi-truck accidents in the United States every year. The most common causes of truck accidents are listed below:

Tired Drivers

Sleepy drivers equal unsafe drivers. The more time a driver has on the road, the more time he or she is mandated to rest. Without that rest, the driver could become dangerously drowsy and cause a deadly accident.

Impaired Drivers

Drivers that are under the influence of drugs and alcohol are impaired and should not be behind the wheel. Some truck drivers may use prescription or illicit drugs while operating their vehicles or use them to stay awake on long hauls. Drug and alcohol use by truck drivers will lead to altered judgment and lack of hand-to-eye coordination, ultimately resulting in a major accident.

Distracted Drivers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identifies distracted driving as a visual, manual, or cognitive distraction. This means that anything that takes your eyes from the roadway, your mind from driving, or your hands off of the wheel is classified as a distraction and therefore deemed unsafe. Distracted driving often contributes to some of the most catastrophic accidents that result in lifelong injuries or even wrongful death.

Severe Weather

Tupelo‘s temperatures and rainfall can vary from month to month so we can get some pretty severe weather conditions. Severe weather can result in roadway obstructions and low visibility for truck drivers. These unsafe driving conditions can be catastrophic in nature, resulting in horrific wrecks involving trucks and smaller vehicles.

Overloading or Unsecured Cargo

Trucks that have overloaded cargo or freight that is improperly secured can be a safety issue. Loads that are not strapped down properly or are too heavy for the trailer can result in loss of the load. When this happens roadways are blocked as the cargo falls off of the trailer into oncoming traffic. Unsuspecting motorists being hit by heavy cargo and loose loads can be severely injured or even killed in these types of accidents.

Overtaking and Overspeeding

Trucks that are speeding can be especially dangerous on the road. The tremendous weight and size of a semi-truck make speeding one of the main causes of accidents involving commercial trucks in Tupelo, MS. Overtaking is when a truck tries to aggressively speed up and pass another motorist going in the same direction. This game of driving can turn deadly when it results in an underride accident or a rear-end crash.

Poorly Lit Roadways and Road Construction

Depending on the roadway or highway, a trucker driving at night may not always be able to see the road in front of them or the motorists beside them. Poorly lit roads and road construction may block the truck driver’s view of the other drivers resulting in a serious accident.

Most Common Types of Truck Accidents in Tupelo

There are all different ways that a truck accident can occur. Some of the most common types of truck accidents that are reported in Tupelo are listed below:

T-Bone

This type of accident is especially dangerous. T-bone accidents usually occur at intersections. These accidents involve side-impact crashes. When a larger truck hits the middle of a smaller passenger vehicle the results can be deadly.

Rollovers

A rollover wreck involving a big rig can happen for many reasons. One reason is if a driver is drowsy and starts to veer off and hits the rumble strip on the side of the highway. This causes them to quickly jerk the truck back causing them to lose control of their rig, therefore causing it to tip over.

Wine Turn Accidents

This type of wreck is every driver in Tupelo’s worst nightmare. When a truck is at an intersection and makes a wide turn causing a smaller vehicle to be pinned between the truck and the sidewalk, or the rig and another vehicle.

Underride

Wrecks involving a smaller passenger car sliding under a large commercial truck’s trailer are called underride accidents. These types of accidents are among the most common and most deadly of truck wrecks.

Jack Knife

When an 18-wheeler has a trailer attached and it turns too quickly, it causes the trailer to bend where it connects to the cab of the truck. When this happens, the big rig swings back across the roadway taking out everything in its pathway.

Rear End

When a huge commercial truck wrecks into a smaller vehicle in front of them, it can be extremely dangerous and deadly to the motorist in the smaller passenger vehicle.

Lost Truck Loads

When a trucker does not tie down or make sure his load is secure, it can result in disaster. The outcome of a lost load can cause the road to be blocked or even the load hit the other motorists on the roadway.

Blind Spots

Trucks of massive size can also have huge blind spots. Accidents happen when the driver can not see the vehicles around them in their mirrors.

Head-On Wrecks

Head-on collisions are the most dangerous accidents involving large semi-trucks and are often fatal. When a truck crosses that center line and collides with another vehicle, the consequences are always disastrous.

Most Common Injuries Associated with Tupelo Truck Accidents

Horrifying injuries can be the outcome of even a minor collision with a big rig. The massive size and weight of a commercial truck are frightening when compared to a much smaller passenger vehicle. There are several injuries that can occur from a truck wreck in Tupelo. Here is a list of some of the most common injuries associated with truck accidents:

If you have been injured in an accident involving a large commercial truck or your loved one has died as a result of a truck accident in Tupelo, don’t wait, contact Missy Wigginton, AKA Mama Justice, to schedule a consultation to discuss the circumstances surrounding your truck accident to protect your victim rights.

Speeding

Trucking companies often push drivers to drive over the speed limit to make faster deliveries when there is money at stake. Speeding may not be frowned up by the trucking companies, as they set unrealistic delivery deadlines and prioritize fast deliveries over safety. The more deliveries a trucker can make, the more money the trucking company makes.

Rushed Truck Inspections

Truck inspections are mandated by law for trucking carriers. The longer an inspection takes, the more money the company loses because the driver and truck are not out on the road delivering goods. Mechanical malfunctions and failures can be the direct outcome of a rushed truck safety inspection. Rushed inspections put the driver, the carrier, and the other motorists on the road at risk for a dangerous or fatal accident.

Disregaring Driver Rest Times

Truck drivers are required to take mandatory breaks and rest times when driving in order to stay awake, alert, and safe during their shift. Some carriers push their drivers to the point of exhaustion in order to meet or exceed quotas and deadlines. Ignoring driver rest times results in drowsy truck drivers and a big risk to other drivers on the road. This unsafe trucking practice can have deadly consequences when an unalert sleepy trucker causes a crash.

Putting Off Truck Maintenance

When companies or truck owners put off having regular truck maintenance done, parts can become loose or worn out resulting in a dangerous truck crash.

Knowing who to hold liable in a serious truck accident can be confusing and daunting to the injured victim. Let Mama Justice help you hold all of the accountable parties liable for your injuries and losses. Call today to speak to a lawyer about your accident and find out if you have the right to pursue compensation.

Employer Liability and Truck Crashes

In the event of a truck crash in Tupelo, it’s important to find out who exactly can be held liable. The employer of the truck driver, also known as the carrier or company, can be held responsible in a variety of ways. Truck Carriers are multi-million dollar businesses with high stakes. They have to manage their time as efficiently as possible. That sometimes comes at a price. The focus of the trucking companies should be on the safety of the truckers and of the other motorists. Unfortunately, safety isn’t always a priority when a company is trying to increase their profits by pushing their drivers and the trucks they drive. If a truck carrier is found to be negligent by violating public safety rules and regulations, they can be held liable for accidents that occurred during their employee’s drive time. Here is a list of things the truck company can be held liable for:

Negligent Truck Repairs, Maintenance, and Inspections

Carriers out of Tupelo, MS must ensure that their trucks meet or exceed safety regulations. Repairs, regular maintenance, and timely and thorough inspections must be done in order for a truck to stay up to code. Failure to do so could result in major accidents.

Violations of Trucking Regulations

Weight and cargo limits, equipment safety standards, and allotted safety drive time for truck drivers are all carefully regulated by law in Tupelo, MS. Truck carriers must abide by these safety regulations in the trucking industry. In Mississippi, a company can be held liable for negligence if safety guidelines are not adhered to and an injury accident results.

Employers Hiring Inadequate Drivers

Drivers must stay compliant with the Department of Transportation’s requirements in order for all motorists to stay safe. If a truck carrier hires a driver that has a history of moving traffic violations, that carrier may be held liable if that driver causes a crash. If a truck company hires a driver that cannot pass a drug and alcohol screen or a DOT physical, that company can be held liable if that driver is not safe enough to operate his rig and causes a wreck.

If you believe that the truck accident that caused your injuries occurred because of a negligent trucking company or truck employer, contact Mama Justice right away to find out if you can file a claim.

Your quality of life should not be negatively impacted by a truck wreck in Tupelo, MS. If it has been, you should seek the guidance of a knowledgeable truck wreck lawyer as soon as possible to ensure that your rights are protected from the start of your injuries.

Why Choose Mama Justice?

At Mama Justice, we don’t just listen to your concerns, we also stay in touch without clients. Our clients appreciate our personalized service. Attorney Missy Wigginton makes sure that all of her clients have her cell phone number so that she can be reached at all times if they need help. We are aggressive litigators and will not hesitate to go up against the largest trucking companies and their teams of attorneys.

If you have been seriously injured in a truck accident in Tupelo or a loved one has died in a truck crash, you need legal guidance as soon as possible. Attorney Missy Wigginton, AKA Mama Justice has been fighting for the rights of injured truck accident victims for decades. Call Mama Justice today to schedule your free consultation at 800-670-0567.