Introduction
In the United States, Commercial Vehicle Accidents wrecks pose a serious threat to life and property. These accidents affect the legal systems in place for dealing with such mishaps. We, as a medical record review company, help legal practitioners by meticulously evaluating the medical records of victims of these Commercial Vehicle Accidents, including commercial vehicles, which makes us instrumental in the legal process. This paper aims at discussing the bestselling reasons behind such commotion, prevention methods, and how best our services can help get favorable results for the lawyers who work with us.
Primary Reasons behind Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Driver Fatigue
• Overview: If we consider the rest of the reasons incapacitating drivers or heads behind the wheels, commercial vehicle driver fatigue is one of the more common causes of Commercial Vehicle Accidents. Being on the road for prolonged periods of time renders one reflexively slow.
• Statistics: Drowsy driving contributes to roughly 100,000 additional crashes every year in the US according to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
Distracted Driving
• Overview: Injuries from eating, fiddling with the radio, and taking calls are on the rise, especially in vehicle operating situations. Such injuries may even lead to Commercial Vehicle Accidents.
• Statistics: Distracted driving is responsible for nearly 9% of all deadly crashes according to NHTSA.
Speeding and Reckless Driving
• Overview: Aiming to complete multiple jobs within a very short window puts excess pressure on commercial operators.
• Statistics: Approximately 30% of all fatal collisions are attributed to speeding.
Lack of Vehicle Maintenance
• Overview: Skipping regular check-ups can result in mechanical problems, such as failed brakes and tire blowouts.
• Statistics: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) claims that maintenance problems are a contributing factor in 10% of commercial vehicle accidents.
Weather Conditions
• Overview: Rain, snow and fog and other weather extremities can greatly escalate the chances of an Commercial Vehicle Accidents happening.
• Statistics: The NHTSA reports that crashes caused due to the weather make up 21% of the total number of accidents.
New Drivers
• Overview: The lack of proper training and experience means these drivers are bound to make blunders in decision making.
• Statistics: The FMCSA points out that new and inexperienced drivers tend to get into accidents more often.
Steps to reduce accidents involving commercial vehicles
Stricter Rules
• Overview: Governing bodies should impose stricter limits on driving hours and maintenance checks.
• Actionable Insight: Changes in the law to restrict reckless driving need to be put in place and attorneys can push for that change.
Training for drivers
• Overview: Special training regimens can adequately prepare drivers for various driving situations.
• Actionable Insight: Law practices can work with trucking companies to compel their drivers to undergo specialized training.
Regular Vehicle Inspections
● Overview: Mechanics might uncover some underlying issues during pre-scheduled inspections which could mitigate the risk of accidents occurring within a specific time frame.
● Actionable Insight: Counsellors at law may suggest that their clients undertake documenting detailed records for each vehicle inspection conducted, including mileage.
Utilizing Technology
● Overview: The use of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) allows drivers to be warned of some dangers that may lead to accidents, thus helping in averting those accidents.
● Actionable Insight: Legal professionals have to take care to follow developments in technology as they relate to devices designed to improve safety on the road.
The Role of Medical Records Review in Legal Cases
Importance of Medical Records
● Overview: These records are pertinent and, without them, it would impossible to claim for the damages inflicted on the claimant in the case of personal injuries resulting from accidents.
● Key Point: The extent to which medical aid is properly rendered to the claimant, the medical records, has a very great bearing on the outcome of any dispute that arises.
How We Assist Attorneys
● Overview: Since the advent of the multidisciplinary approach to active health care delivery, there has been increasing emphasis on team approach to health service delivery:
● Patients’ health records will be screened for relevant records.
● Those records will be collated and presented logically so that suitable conclusions may be drawn.
● the outcome should be within the legal parameters.
Case Study
Case Study 1: Overview of a Commercial Vehicle Accident
● Overview: A truck’s driver had a road traffic accident after having a collision with a car. The latter was occupied by a few people that were later severely injured.
● Challenges: The opposing side claimed that the injuries the people suffered were already there.
• Solutions: Our team mapped out a clear timeline of the patient’s injuries by conducting a comprehensive review of history files.
Case Study 2: Description of a Distracted Driving Incident
• Overview: An operator of a delivery truck got into an accident while on a call.
• Challenges: Proving the case in terms of the injuries sustained and the life-changing consequences of the injury.
• Solutions: We provided an elaborate explanation of the medical files that proved the patient would suffer due to the injuries sustained.
Conclusion
Commercial Vehicle Accidents can have severe consequences; however, knowing the root causes and employing necessary steps to prevent them helps reduce these risks. As a medical records review company, we work with lawyers to make sense of these intricate cases. With our detailed analysis of the medical documents, we ensure victims receive the compensation that is rightfully theirs.
