Truck Accidents in Construction Zones

Knoxville Attorney Helping Tractor-Trailer Crash Victims in East Tennessee

Construction zones may cause significant bottlenecks on East Tennessee roads. In addition to being inconvenient, these situations may be dangerous to everyone on the road, especially if a big rig or 18-wheeler is added to the risks associated with the construction. There are many reasons that the danger may worsen with the presence of a truck. Catastrophic injuries may result from a moment's inattention by a truck driver. At the Hartsoe Law Firm, Knoxville truck accident lawyer Mark Hartsoe is ready to represent you if you have been struck by a commercial driver in a construction zone. He has an accident reconstruction team on 24-hour standby that he can send out to an accident scene to determine the cause of a wreck.

Protect Your Rights Following a Truck Accident in a Construction Zone

One reason for the increased risk when a big rig is in a construction zone is that traffic may stop unexpectedly. A commercial truck may weigh 80,000 pounds and may require a great deal of effort to come to a sudden stop. In some cases, a truck driver may be trying to stay with the speed of traffic in a bottleneck and fail to leave enough space, rear-ending the vehicle in front of it. At other times, truck drivers are fatigued at the wheel, on drugs while driving, or distracted by their cell phones, which may slow their reflexes or cause poor judgment.

To establish truck driver liability, you will need to show their duty of care (to drive safely), a breach of duty (negligence), causation (injured by the wreck), and damages (such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life). All drivers have a duty to use reasonable care, given the weather and traffic conditions.

A truck driver who is distracted or does not leave a safe distance while following when given adequate warnings by a construction crew may be found to have breached their duty to use reasonable care. If you successfully establish negligence, you likely can recover compensatory damages from the driver, and you may also be able to recover damages from their employer under a theory of vicarious liability or a theory of direct liability, such as negligent hiring, negligent supervision, or negligent training.

Sometimes a truck accident in a construction zone results from an error by a contractor, rather than a negligent driver. Although there are regulations for the warnings that construction companies must post to warn drivers, crew members may fail to put up sufficient notice, which may cause a driver to be surprised by a lane closing or suddenly stopped traffic.

A construction company may be held liable for its negligence in posting adequate warnings or for leaving construction equipment in the road, if that is the cause of a truck accident that results in injuries or death. In some cases, a federal, state, or local governmental entity that contracted for the construction work may have been negligent as well. When this happens, the case may be quite complicated, and it is especially important to retain a knowledgeable truck wreck attorney as soon as possible.

Seek Assistance from Knoxville Lawyer Mark Hartsoe After a Truck Accident

Knowledgeable Knoxville truck accident attorney Mark Hartsoe can vigorously fight for your right to compensation if you have been involved in a crash in a construction zone. Call the Hartsoe Law Firm at 865-804-1011 or contact us via our online form for a free consultation. Motor vehicle collision lawyer Mark Hartsoe assists injured people throughout East Tennessee, including in Knox, Blount, Monroe, Loudon, Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, Campbell, Hamblen, Greene, Anderson, Cumberland, and Fentress Counties.

Client Reviews
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I was on my way to Atlanta and a huge truck rear-ended me and knocked me off the side of the road. I was scared. Didn’t know what to do. I tried working with the insurance company. They are just difficult to work with. I had to call somebody to take care of me. So, My brother told me to call Mark Hartsoe. As soon as I called Mark Hartsoe, he let me know real quick that everything was going to be okay and that he would take care of everything. And, he did. He got me a great settlement. He took the worry off of me. Mickey Anderson
★★★★★
I was hit coming home late at night by a drunk driver who took off. And the next day I was able to track down his vehicle and get the state police involved. At that point, a family friend recommended that I talk to Mark Hartsoe. Pretty much at that point, Mark handled the police, the insurance company and the guy who hit me. Settled with the actual person that hit me. Outside of that, everything came out great. Did not have to go to court. Got a great settlement. Got my car replaced. Got a check. Mark Hartsoe is my lawyer. Nate Holder
★★★★★
I was involved in a motorcycle accident. It was a head-on collision. I broke my arm, injured by knee. I was out of work for a long time and had medical bills, other expenses. A personal friend handed me a card for Mark Hartsoe. I called Mark Hartsoe from the side of the road and he took care of everything. My case was settled out of court. I received a great settlement. Bike was totaled, motorcycle was replaced. It was easy, painless. About as painless as something like this can be. This is why my lawyer is Mark Hartsoe. John Lusinger
★★★★★
I wanted to thank you for the excellent representation and your ability to handle the situation so well with such compassion and strength. We appreciate all of your help, concern and for answering my many questions. It has been a difficult road to travel but when we come across people like you, it really helps to lighten the load. We just wanted you to know how much we appreciate what you’ve done and your ability to handle the situation so well. S. Carter
★★★★★
Thank you so much for all the work you did on our case. We received more than we expected. You were great through the whole time from the first meeting until the last. Thank you so very much. Sam & Judy Kachar