We Represent Truck Accident Victims

You need an accomplished attorney to stand up to the trucking company
Every day, the highways and main roads around Providence see thousands of commercial trucks carrying cargo throughout Rhode Island and to the neighboring states. Most Rhode Islanders don’t think much of those tractor-trailers – at least, not until they’re involved in an accident. Because commercial vehicles are so much larger than passenger cars, the amount of force involved in those crashes can lead to devastating injuries.

And unfortunately, the challenges of a commercial truck accident go beyond the collision itself. Your opponent in your insurance claim isn’t another driver – it’s the trucking company. The trucking companies and their insurance companies have massive resources to defend themselves against any legal action resulting from your injuries, and their priority is to cut their own liability – not to help you.

With an accomplished truck accident attorney on your side, though, you can stand up to the trucking company. That’s why you need to contact the Law Office of Mark B. Morse.

How did your accident happen?

• Rear-End Collision
• Underride
• Tire Blowout
• Crossed Center Line
• Jackknife
• Wide Turn

Why did your accident happen?

• Drunk/Drugged Trucker
• Truck Maintenance Issue
• Improper Loading/Overloading
• Texting Trucker
• Trucker Asleep At The Wheel
• Speeding Truck

Commercial truck accidents nearly always lead to complex legal cases. In part, that’s because the insurance situation is more complicated, as the cab and trailer usually have separate insurance. Moreover, the trucking company will fight hard to protect its assets, dispatching teams of investigators to the site within hours to collect key evidence.

Contact A Proven Attorney With The Experience To Handle These Complex Cases

Those complexities don’t intimidate Attorney Mark Morse. He’s been standing up for individuals and families hurt by commercial truckers for decades, and he’s a respected authority in the legal field. Often called upon as an instructor by professional organizations of attorneys, he’s the lawyer other lawyers trust to answer their questions – and he can answer yours, too. Visit our Truck Accident FAQ page for some of the information Mark has accumulated over the years.

We know from experience that it’s critical to act quickly after a truck or bus accident. Evidence disappears, either naturally over time or due to deliberate acts on the part of the trucking company. That’s why it’s so important to contact an experienced attorney right away. We’ll take immediate action to secure the evidence you need to get fair compensation for your injuries, and we’ll handle dealing with the trucking company and their insurance company so that you can focus on your recovery.

Don’t let the trucking company take advantage of your situation. Reach out to an accomplished attorney and meet with Mark Morse for a consultation. Call (401) 831-0555.

Rear-End Collision

When commercial trucks rear-end cars, an inexperienced trucker is usually to blame. Because of their sheer size, trucks have a much longer stopping distance than passenger cars, and part of the truck driver’s job is to account for that stopping distance. When large trucks follow cars too closely or fail to account for conditions, devastating accidents can follow.

In principle, if you were rear-ended by a truck, liability should be clear – but it’s rarely that simple. The trucking company may look for excuses to delay payment or reduce the amount of your claim. That’s why it’s so important to have an accomplished attorney on your side who can hold them accountable.

Underride

Truck accidents involving underride are some of the most devastating cases we see. In an underride accident, a smaller vehicle – or sometimes a bicyclist or pedestrian – ends up underneath the truck. Underride accidents can cause serious and fatal injuries when parts of the truck enter the other vehicle.

Depending on the circumstances, you may have a case not only against the trucking company, but also against an equipment manufacturer that produced a faulty underride guard. If you were hurt or lost a loved one in an underride accident, contact us today.

Tire Blowout

Blowouts are dangerous under any circumstances, but a blowout on a large commercial vehicle can be especially devastating. Losing a tire can cause the truck to careen out of control, leading to devastating collisions. The blown tire itself also becomes a hazard on the road, potentially leading to further injuries.

That’s why truck drivers and trucking companies are required to properly maintain their vehicles, including the tires. If you were hurt in an accident involving a tire blowout, we may be able to take legal action against the trucking company, the manufacturer of the tire, or even a mechanic who did shoddy work on the truck. Call today to discuss your legal rights.

Crossed Center Line

Commercial trucks may cross over into the oncoming lane for many reasons. The driver may be intoxicated or asleep at the wheel. He or she might be texting or distracted. Or an inexperienced driver may lose control of a truck. Regardless of the cause, a head-on collision with a fully loaded tractor-trailer is one of the most devastating accidents imaginable.

Liability may seem clear if the truck that hit you crossed a center line, but it’s rarely that simple. Witnesses may provide conflicting statements. The trucking company may hide or destroy critical information. The sooner you get an accomplished attorney on your side, the better. Contact Mark Morse today.

Jackknife

A tractor-trailer is said to “jackknife” when the trailer folds in at a 90-degree angle to the cab, spinning out of control in the process. Jackknifing can cause deadly multi-vehicle pileups as the truck becomes a massive road hazard. Usually, reckless driving on the part of an inexperienced driver is to blame – when trucks take turns too quickly, they may jackknife. Overloading also increases the risk of a jackknife accident.

That means negligence on the part of the trucker or the trucking company is generally to blame – but we need to prove it. As soon as possible after your accident, contact the Law Office of Mark B. Morse. We know the common causes of jackknifing and will thoroughly investigate your accident to hold the trucking company accountable.

Wide Turn

Large commercial vehicles are harder to turn than passenger cars. When the trailer swings out into the roadway during the turn, another vehicle can be hit. That’s why it’s so important for truck drivers to check their blind spots and make sure they have proper clearance before turning.

The trucking company may try to blame you for the collision, saying that you put yourself in danger by driving in the truck’s blind spots. With an accomplished attorney on your side, that excuse won’t hold up. The law holds commercial truck drivers to high standards, and for good reason – their vehicles are potentially dangerous. If you’ve been hurt, contact us today.

Drunk/Drugged Trucker

Driving under the influence is always dangerous, but it’s even more dangerous when the intoxicated driver is behind the wheel of a commercial truck. That’s why the legal limit for commercial truckers is a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.04 – half the limit for motorists in general. Unfortunately, some truck drivers choose to break the law and put themselves and others in danger.

Every trucking company has policies in place to prevent drunk driving, but not every company actually follows and enforces its own policies. Our investigation may reveal that the trucking company failed to appropriately supervise the driver, failed to conduct a background check or knowingly chose to hire or retain a driver with a history of drinking and driving. We’ll help you build a strong case against the trucking company, and we’ll advocate for you from start to finish.

Truck Maintenance Issue

Truckers are required by law to keep their trucks in good working order. They need to conduct a full maintenance check before getting on the road, and to document that check appropriately. Unfortunately, due to pressure to make unrealistic deadlines, some truckers may rush through or skip that maintenance check. When a maintenance issue goes unaddressed, everyone on the road with that truck is at risk.

If a maintenance issue may have been involved in your truck accident, you need to contact us right away. A full investigation is needed to determine who is responsible, which may include the trucking company, the driver or even a mechanic or other service professional. We’ll carefully review the truck’s maintenance records and determine whether the truck was indeed dangerous – and whether the trucking company knew. This evidence can be the key to getting full compensation for your injuries.

Improper Loading/Overloading

Truck accidents involving overloaded vehicles come down to one, simple cause: greed. Trucking companies overload their trucks in order to ship more cargo and make more money. The problem with overloading is that it makes the truck harder to steer and harder to stop, potentially leading to devastating rollover accidents and other crashes. And because of the increased weight of an overloaded truck, the sheer force involved in the event of an accident can cause devastating injuries.

Accidents involving improperly loaded or overloaded trucks are always preventable. When trucking companies put profits ahead of safety, Mark Morse holds them accountable. We’ll review the trucking company’s records and take a hard line in negotiations so that you can get the compensation you need. Reach out to an accomplished lawyer today.

Texting Trucker

Texting and driving is illegal for commercial drivers in Rhode Island and nationwide, but that doesn’t stop some truckers from doing it. Indeed, because truckers spend their entire working days behind the wheel, they’re notorious for distracted driving. In addition to texting, a truck driver may cause an accident while adjusting the radio, talking to a dispatcher or eating while driving.

If you have any reason to suspect that the trucker who hit you was distracted, you need to talk to Mark Morse. We’ll review cell phone records, talk to witnesses and find the evidence needed to prove negligence on the part of the truck driver. Our legal team will go to work to get the compensation you need.

Trucker Asleep At The Wheel

Truck drivers work long hours, and they’re responsible for making sure they are well-rested when they get behind the wheel. Unfortunately, too many truckers keep driving when they are too tired to drive, and they often cause devastating accidents. Sometimes, fatigue is the result of poor choices on the part of the driver. More often, the trucking company is to blame for pressuring the driver to work an unsafe number of hours or work through mandatory breaks.

One of the most critical pieces of evidence in this type of truck accident is the hours of service (HOS) log, which may reveal whether the trucker took rest breaks as required by law. This log is the trucking company’s property, so we need to take immediate legal action to secure it. We’ll also interview witnesses and look at the accident scene – often, truckers who fall asleep at the wheel don’t hit the brakes, so skid marks may be conspicuously absent. Call Mark Morse today to start working on your case.

Speeding Truck

Speed limits exist for a reason: Above a certain speed, vehicles are difficult to control. That’s more true for commercial trucks than any other vehicle. That’s why it’s so important for truck drivers to respect the speed limit and avoid putting themselves or others at risk. When large commercial trucks drive at unsafe speeds, serious accidents can follow.

Rarely is the truck driver alone responsible for a speeding accident. More often, the driver is under pressure from the trucking company to make deliveries on an unrealistically tight schedule. Our investigation will include a review of their documents to determine whether the truck was behind schedule. We’ll also review the “black box” data, which may show the truck’s speed at the time of the crash, to help prove that your injuries were caused by their negligence.