Four Wheels vs. Eighteen Wheels – An Interview with Michael A. DeMayo
According to Charlotte attorney Michael A. DeMayo, if you are involved in a highway accident with a tractor trailer, statistically speaking you’re likely to be either severely injured or killed. Data released by the United States Department of Transportation shows tractor trailer accidents totaling around 500,000 each year, with a high proportion ending in fatalities. In an interview with State Law TV, DeMayo explains that this is just simple physics. Your four wheel vehicle is going up against a vehicle that outweighs you 50, 60, even 70 times, depending on the load this tractor trailer may be carrying.
If you consider that you will most likely encounter a tractor trailer on the highway, and factor in highway speeds of 55 to 75 or 80 miles an hour, the potential for disaster is clear.
Demayo goes on to explain that there are different, very specific issues involved with a tractor trailer accident than a regular car accident or other type of personal injury claim. Eighteen wheeler accidents are by their very nature more complicated. First of all, there are a variety of government regulations that govern interstate tractor trailers on our nation’s highways. These regulations range from how many hours a driver can be behind the wheel to how much weight can be loaded on the truck, and many more.
Because the federal government’s purpose is to insure the safety of our highways, there can be stiff penalties for companies that flout these laws, and great incentive for trucking companies to try to hide this information if they are not in compliance of these regulations.
When asked who is held responsible for a tractor trailer accident, DeMayo’s answer shows just why these cases are so complicated. In a typical scenario, he says, there are many parties who may share liability for the accident, including the driver, the carrier, the owner; possibly even the shipper. They each may have their own insurance and their own legal representation. All these layers of coverage (known as umbrella coverage) tend to complicate a tractor trailer accident claim.
Because these claims are so different than auto accident claims, an injured victim needs a highly experienced personal injury law firm such as DeMayo Law, who specializes in these sorts of cases and knows how to maneuver through these many layers to find the necessary information.
Michael A. DeMayo makes a very important point during this video interview, which is that tractor trailer accident cases need to be investigated immediately. He notes that in every tractor trailer accident his firm has been involved in that involved significant injuries, the trucking companies took action immediately. Lawyers, accident re-constructionists and teams of investigators are immediately sent to secure the accident scene and begin building their defense.
If a victim waits a week or more before hiring an attorney, they are already at a disadvantage, because the trucking company has already had so much lead time.
Watch this fascinating interview here.
Click here for more information about tractor trailer and semi-truck accidents, or contact the Law Offices of Michael A. DeMayo to discuss your accident claim.
