Oregon Trucking Accident Lawyers Share How Speed Causing a Trucking Accident in Oregon Could be Catastrophic
Excessive speed while operating any motor vehicle is dangerous. This is because the faster a vehicle goes the less reaction time a driver has to stop and the more stopping distance a driver needs. This is particularly true for truck drivers of 18 wheelers who already need to have a faster reaction time and need to have a greater distance to stop. This is why speeding in a commercial vehicle is simply dangerous. It is likely to result in catastrophic personal injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and other permanent damages. Our Oregon trucking accident lawyers know that speed causing a trucking accident in Oregon can be devastating and is preventable by following the law.
Personal injuries from speeding can also not just be catastrophic, but deadly. According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are over 430 fatal auto accidents in Oregon each year with 119 accidents caused due to speeding. These means that a person dies every three days because of a preventable trucking accident.
Speeding is Unlawful in Oregon
Under Oregon statutory law, ORS section 811.100 provides that
A person commits the offense of violating the basic speed rule if the person drives a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard to all of the following:
(a) The traffic.
(b) The surface and width of the highway.
(c) The hazard at intersections.
(d) Weather.
(e) Visibility.
(f) Any other conditions then existing.
These factors are flexible, meaning that a motorist may have to driver under the 55 MPH speed limit in heavy rain or on icy roadways. This means that a motorist must use reasonable care under the circumstances. A truck driver especially must follow Oregon law but also the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations which also require a truck driver to drive lower than the speed limit if there are hazardous roadway conditions including traffic or inclement weather.
Damages When Speed Causing a Trucking Accident in Oregon Hurts Someone
Drivers or occupants who are seriously injured due to a truck driver’s negligence may be entitled to recover “damages” for their trucking accident. In a personal injury action, “damages” are compensatory in nature meaning that victims are entitled to money. Compensation is usually awarded for many different aspects of a case such as lost wages, medical bills, or property damage.
However, pain and suffering is usually the largest award of damages in a trucking crash in Oregon. Pain and suffering is the measure of physical agony, discomfortable, physical anguish, and literal pain that a person feels from injuries caused by an accident. Pain and suffering can also extend to emotional and cognitive injuries such as anxiety, depression, extreme emotional distress, fear, and other related injuries. The most common and severe personal injuries after an Oregon trucking accident include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries or TBIs;
- Spinal cord injuries;
- Amputations;
- Broken bones;
- Back injuries;
- Paraplegia;
- Quadriplegia;
- Nerve injuries;
- Organ damage;
- Loss of vision or eyesight;
- Significant disfigurement or scarring;
- Wrongful death; and
- Any other physical or emotional injuries.
When Speed Causing a Trucking Accident in Oregon Causes You Pain and Suffering, As our Lawyers to Help
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of a trucking accident or collision contact the Oregon Truck Accident Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take Trucking accident cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.
