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The complexities of a tractor-trailer accident require much more than witnesses and word of mouth, like many of your day-to-day fender benders. These days, technology is the first place we go to start looking for answers.  At The Segal Law Firm, we are knowledgeable about what questions to ask and where to get the information we need to prove the cases of our clients. It has almost become an industry standard for trucks to be equipped with black boxes. These keep track of several different variables in the truck including mileage, speed and other important data. This data can be downloaded with the correct computer software and often provides a lot of information about what the driver was doing up to and until the time of the accident.  It may not be clear at first glance why the drive crossed the median or hit a passing car, but this black box information may be the key that can legally prove your case. Another interesting development is the fact that big companies are keeping track of their drivers with GPS systems. If you’ve ordered a package for delivery, you’re probably aware  of tracking numbers. These allow you to see if your

Why Does Insurance Matter? As a lawyer who has tried many tractor-trailer cases, insurance coverage is one of the very first matters I take into consideration. Right now, just to drive across state lines, a truck has to have a million dollars in insurance coverage. What many don’t understand, is the tractor often has a different owner from the trailer it is pulling, which might mean more than one insurance policy. In some instances, big companies have ten, twenty, even thirty million dollars’ worth of coverage! We recently had a case where it turned out that more than one company was involved in the financing of a particular tractor, which we call a joint venture. We were able to get our clients a substantial extra insurance policy for their loss because we proved these companies were working together. Insurance, like the rest of the regulations involving tractor-trailers, is a complex situation, but it’s one that’s very important to you and your family.  If you’ve suffered a debilitating injury, the more insurance that is available, the better off you’re going to be in the end. It’s very important that your lawyer know who to ask about insurance and where it might

Why Are Tractor-Trailers Highly Regulated? When it comes to understanding tractor-trailer regulations, it’s best to start by looking into why the federal government stepped in and created them in the first place. Why does the government have one set of rules for cars and a completely different set for tractor-trailers? Well, the simple answer is, if two cars collide, generally, they’re going to be about equal in protecting their passengers. But if you get hit by a tractor-trailer, you’re dealing with a whole different ballgame; you’re going to be seriously injured or even killed.   Lack of Sleep The federal government has looked at accidents over the years and pinpointed a main cause; fatigue.  A lack of rest is the most critical thing we find when investigating these cases. The driver has been driving too long, for too many hours, for too many days. Remember, this is not an hourly per day regulation. You’ve got to look at how many hours were driven on Monday AND Tuesday, as well as how many hours the driver slept in between. Taking it even further, how many hours were driven in the entire week? There are very specific regulations that drivers have to