A motor vehicle collision of any kind can be serious, but a crash with a semi-truck often involves serious injury, death and possibly more than one party at fault.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) there were 123 crashes involving large trucks in 2016 in Ohio, the most recent year annual statistics are available.While people are involved in motor vehicle accidents with cars and delivery trucks or vans every day, a crash with a big rig is different.

Our attorneys represent injured clients in Waverly, Chillicothe, Hillsboro, Circleville, Washington CT House, and Southern Ohio who suffer injury due to the negligence of another person or organization.When working with an injury claim involving a semi-truck, there are important differences in how accidents occur and how a personal injury claim might proceed.Consider these three points:

• Semi-truck accidents can be very serious: A collision with an 18-wheeler can quickly kill a motorist, passenger, pedestrian, or cyclist.A semi-truck moves more metal and machinery along the road than a car or SUV. If there is a collision, rollover, or jack-knife, an automobile caught in the collision can be destroyed.

• The cause of an 18-wheeler crash can be complex: As a commercial vehicle, big rigs represent more than just the operator in the driver seat.Scheduled by a trucking company, the truck may be owned or leased by another entity, maintained by a different company, and loaded by someone else.

• Early investigation is needed: After a car accident, it is important to take pictures, exchange information, obtain the contact information of witnesses, and get a copy of the police report.The same thing goes for a semi-truck accident, except that the investigation is much more extensive.Just as the trucking company conducts an investigation, it is important for you to collect the extensive evidence that proceeds from a large truck accident in Ohio, including hardcopy and electronic logbooks and GPS data, the driving history and record of violations of the operator, safety violations and maintenance record of the vehicle, police reports, and more. Our team will immediately deploy our trucking experts to inspect the semi-tractor for potential issues, DOT out of service violations, and to obtain a complete copy for the Engine Control Modules (EMC). The EMC utilized in most commercial vehicles have the capability to record and store potentially valuable pre-crash information.

All of these people and businesses could be defendants in a personal injury or wrongful death claim filed by someone who was injured in a semi-truck accident.If an important vehicle part was defectively installed or maintained, it could lead to a load shift that causes a rollover.Because of the complexity of a semi accident, trucking companies quickly send an investigator to the crash scene to gather evidence used to determine cause and liability.

No two injuries, and no two crashes are the same. But the differences between types of vehicles, and types of crashes, can be great.If you are injured in a semi-truck accident in Chillicothe, or elsewhere in Ohio, get experienced legal advice.

Speak with a skilled truck accident attorney in Ross County

With offices in Waverly and Chillicothe, Seif & McNamee, LLC fights to protect your rights and achieve the highest possible compensation based on the facts of your case.If you are injured in a truck or car accident in Ohio, contact us or call 740.835.4882 today. We can help.