Maryville Truck Accident Lawyers, Tennessee

Accomplished advocacy for victims of truck crashes in East Tennessee

Semis, 18-wheelers, big rigs, box trucks, and all other types of trucks are dangerous. Their size, weight, cargo, and blind spots make accidents more likely than car accidents and injuries more serious. Many truck accidents are fatal. At Banks & Jones, our Maryville truck accident lawyers have fought for accident victims for nearly 30 years, and our personal injury lawyers understand the unique challenges involved in truck accident litigation. We’ve obtained numerous settlements and verdicts for hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars. We’re ready to fight for injured drivers, passengers, and non-vehicle injury victims today. We also represent families when a loved one is killed in a truck crash.

How can we help?

How dangerous are truck accidents in Tennessee?

According to the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, there were nearly 13,000 truck accidents in 2023, and 3,636 of these accidents occurred on interstates.

The leading causes of these truck accidents were lane departures, following too closely, improper lane changes, failure to yield, improper backing, and improper turns. Mid-week and mid-day were the most common times that accidents happen.

Truck accidents are generally more dangerous because trucks are heavier, longer, wider, higher, and more challenging to drive than cars. Truck drivers often speed more because of pressure to make faster deliveries.

Where do truck accidents happen in Tennessee?

Large commercial trucks such as tractor-trailers and semis make most interstate deliveries. Many truck accidents in Maryville involve commercial trucks and smaller trucks such as box trucks, flatbeds, garbage, and tow trucks.

Truck accidents can happen on main roads, intersections, interchanges, anywhere lanes merge, at or near construction sites and loading and unloading docks, and as trucks enter or leave parking lots.

Why do truck accidents happen in Maryville?

Our Maryville truck accident lawyers are skilled at showing why a driver who struck you failed to keep their vehicle under control. We also are experienced at showing any other truck-related factors that caused your accident or the death of a loved one.

Common causes of truck accidents include:

  • Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
  • Driving while fatigued, including exceeding the hours of serve limits regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
  • Driving while distracted by texting, checking a GPS, eating, or drinking
  • Speeding and violating other traffic regulations
  • Failing to anticipate and manage blind spots
  • Failing to properly secure cargo
  • Not understanding how to operate a truck that is jackknifing
  • Failing to drive safely in bad weather conditions
  • Failing to keep the truck maintained and repaired
  • Failing to educate truck drivers about driver safety

We also file claims in cases where defective brakes, hydraulic systems, tires, and seatbelts led to a truck accident. We routinely file Maryville truck accident claims against leading truck manufacturers like Mack, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner, Caterpillar, and Western Star.

What types of Maryville truck accidents do you handle?

Truck accidents are different than car accidents in many ways, and some types of accidents are unique to trucks. Our Maryville truck accident lawyers handle all kinds of truck accidents including:

  • Jackknife accidents. One common type of truck accident involves tractors and trailers that don’t travel in unison. When the roads are slippery, a truck is speeding, a road is curved, or cargo shifts, the tractor might begin to travel in a different direction than the trailer. This, in turn, causes the tractor and trailer to end up at sharp angles to each other, leading to a deadly jackknife accident.
  • Rollover accidents. The center of gravity for a truck is different than for a car, making rollovers more likely. Rollovers may happen if the load shifts or when a truck turns, causing cargo to spill and a truck rollover accident to occur.
  • Blind spot accidents. Trucks don’t have rear or side windows yet they’re long and wide. These factors make fully seeing to the rear, right, and left of the truck extremely difficult. Due to the truck’s height, a blind spot is created near the front of the truck. Drivers and truck owners must use the latest technology and proper moving precautions to prevent blind spot accidents.
  • Wide-turn truck accidents. Trucks need extra room to turn. The difficulty maneuvering the truck in combination with blind spots can make wide turns, especially right-hand turns, extremely dangerous. You should avoid driving on the right of a truck that is making a right-hand turn.
  • Underride accidents. These accidents occur when small cars slide under trucks. Trucks should install rear, side, and front under-guards to prevent these deadly accidents and save lives. Truck drivers must clearly indicate that their truck is stopping or shifting lanes to avoid these dangerous crashes.
  • Cargo accidents. Trucks and drivers must comply with federal and state loading regulations to ensure that their cargo is secure, won’t spill onto the roadway, and doesn’t move while the truck is in motion.
  • Backing out accidents. Trucks that back out from off-roads, loading docks, or parking lots into traffic should generally use a spotter or cameras to help them back out safely.
  • Tire blowouts. Trucks have more tires and carry heavier loads than cars. All truck tires should be checked periodically to reduce the risk of a blowout and a deadly crash.

Other types of truck accidents include head-on crashes, broadsides, rear-end crashes, intersection accidents, and accidents involving three or more vehicles.

Who is liable for a truck accident in Maryville?

One of the reasons accident victims choose Banks & Jones is that we can accurately determine who is liable for your accident. Often, the responsible parties in any vehicle accident include more than just another driver.

When truck accidents occur, our Maryville truck accident lawyers file claims against all responsible parties, such as:

  • The truck driver
  • The owner of the truck
  • The trucking companies involved in the shipment, including the company that requested the shipment, the company receiving the shipment, and the truck broker who arranged the shipment
  • A manufacturer of a defective truck part
  • A vendor of alcohol who served a visibly intoxicated truck driver
  • The Tennessee Department of Transportation
  • Any other responsible drivers or owners of any vehicle involved in the crash
  • Truck maintenance and repair companies

What injuries do Maryville truck accident victims suffer?

Large truck accidents generally cause serious injuries. Our lawyers work with your doctors and our own network of physicians to understand your injuries, the type of care you will need, the cost of that care, and the way your injuries are affecting your life.

We represent victims who have serious injuries, including:

  • Traumatic brain injuries and other head trauma
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Burn injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Traumatic amputation/loss of limb
  • Internal organ damage and other crush injuries
  • Nerve, muscle, ligament, and tendon damage
  • Back, neck, and shoulder pain
  • Hearing or vision loss
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Wrongful death

We demand maximum compensation for your current and future medical bills, pain and suffering, income loss, loss of bodily function, and all other damages. If a loved one dies, we demand compensation for funeral and burial costs and the families’ financial and personal damages.

Do you have a Maryville truck accident lawyer near me?

Banks & Jones meets truck accident victims at our Knoxville office. If a victim is not mobile or too ill, we make alternate in-person arrangements and conduct consultations by phone and video.

We’ll answer all your questions and guide you through each step of the claims process. Our personal injury lawyers are ready to fight to win you all the compensation you deserve.

Speak with an experienced Maryville truck accident lawyer now

Our lawyers are skilled at trying cases before juries. We settle many cases for precisely that reason – insurance companies and defense lawyers know that Banks & Jones lawyers are persuasive trial lawyers. We handle all types of truck accident claims in federal and state courts. Call our respected Maryville truck accident lawyers or use our contact form today to schedule a free consultation.