Truck Accidents on I-65 and I-10 in Alabama: Know Your Rights

Mobile: A Trucking Crossroads

The Mobile, Alabama metropolitan area sits at the intersection of Interstate 65, which runs from Chicago to the Gulf Coast, and Interstate 10, which stretches from Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles. Add in the Port of Mobile, one of the busiest ports in the Gulf of Mexico, and you have one of the heaviest concentrations of commercial truck traffic in the southeastern United States.

This heavy truck traffic means that residents of Mobile County, Baldwin County, Saraland, and the surrounding Gulf Coast communities face a disproportionately high risk of being involved in a truck accident. When a passenger vehicle collides with a fully loaded commercial truck weighing up to 80,000 pounds, the results are often catastrophic: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, and death.

Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different

Truck accident cases are fundamentally different from car accident cases in several important ways. First, the severity of injuries is typically much greater due to the massive size and weight difference between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. A loaded 18-wheeler can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a typical car.

Second, truck accident cases involve a complex web of potentially liable parties. Unlike a car accident where you are typically dealing with one other driver and their insurance company, a truck accident may involve the truck driver, the trucking company, the company that loaded the cargo, the truck manufacturer, and the maintenance company. Each of these parties may share responsibility for the accident.

Third, trucking companies are governed by extensive federal regulations administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These regulations cover everything from how many hours a driver can operate without rest to how cargo must be secured to how often brakes must be inspected. Violations of these regulations can be powerful evidence of negligence.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in the Mobile Area

Driver fatigue is one of the leading causes of truck accidents nationwide, and the long-haul routes through Mobile make it a particular problem here. Federal hours-of-service regulations limit drivers to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window after 10 consecutive hours off duty. However, violations are common, and some trucking companies pressure drivers to falsify their logs to meet delivery deadlines.

Distracted driving, including the use of cell phones and in-cab electronic devices, is another major factor. Improper cargo loading can cause trucks to become unbalanced and roll over, particularly on highway curves and exit ramps. Inadequate vehicle maintenance, including worn brakes, bald tires, and faulty lighting, contributes to a significant number of crashes.

Speeding and aggressive driving by truck drivers, particularly on congested stretches of I-65 through Mobile and the I-10 Bayway, also cause serious accidents. The I-10 Bayway, which crosses Mobile Bay, is particularly dangerous due to its narrow lanes, high winds, and heavy truck traffic.

Critical Evidence in Truck Accident Cases

One of the most important reasons to hire an attorney quickly after a truck accident is the need to preserve evidence that the trucking company controls and may destroy. Commercial trucks are equipped with electronic logging devices that record the driver's hours of service, and many have event data recorders, similar to airplane black boxes, that capture speed, braking, and other data in the moments before a crash.

Trucking companies are required to maintain driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing records, vehicle inspection reports, and maintenance logs. However, federal regulations only require these records to be kept for specific periods, and some companies have been known to destroy evidence when they anticipate litigation.

An experienced truck accident attorney will send a spoliation letter to the trucking company immediately, demanding that all evidence be preserved. Your attorney can also hire accident reconstruction experts, obtain the truck's electronic data, and subpoena the driver's cell phone records and logbooks.

Compensation in Alabama Truck Accident Cases

Because truck accidents typically cause more severe injuries than car accidents, the compensation in these cases is often substantially higher. Victims of truck accidents may be entitled to compensation for extensive medical treatment including surgeries, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity are often significant, particularly when injuries prevent the victim from returning to their previous occupation.

Pain and suffering damages in truck accident cases can be substantial given the severity of the injuries involved. In cases involving particularly egregious conduct by the trucking company or driver, such as falsified logs or driving under the influence, punitive damages may also be available.

However, Alabama's contributory negligence rule applies to truck accident cases just as it does to car accidents. The trucking company's legal team will aggressively look for any evidence that you contributed to the accident. Having an experienced attorney who understands both trucking regulations and Alabama's negligence laws is essential.

Do Not Face the Trucking Company Alone

Trucking companies and their insurance carriers have teams of lawyers and investigators who begin working to protect the company's interests within hours of a serious accident. They may send investigators to the scene before the wreckage is even cleared. They will look for any evidence that can be used to shift blame to you or minimize the company's liability.

You need an attorney who will fight just as aggressively on your behalf. At the Law Office of Cody Poe, we handle truck accident cases throughout Mobile County, Baldwin County, and the Alabama Gulf Coast. We understand the federal regulations that govern the trucking industry, and we know how to hold trucking companies accountable when their negligence causes catastrophic injuries.

Call (251) 298-8454 today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.