When a big rig or tractor-trailer combination is involved in an accident, the injuries are likely to be severe or even fatal because of the size and weight of the truck. This is especially true at the highway speeds in California. Our firm in San Francisco truck accident attorney focuses on developing and proving spinal or brain injury claims. Our ability to detail your existing and future losses may help you win your claim. Accident reconstruction specialists, highway safety engineers, materials experts, and trucking industry professionals will testify to prove culpability in truck accident cases. We investigate promptly all elements that might affect culpability, from the truck driver to the owner’s maintenance service. Many truck accident lawsuits include several defendants.
How Often Do Truck Accidents Occur?
Truck accidents kill almost 5,000 people each year, with many more suffering serious injuries. Heavy trucks (including tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers) make up just 4% of the 268 million vehicles, yet they account for up to 10% of highway deaths. Truck driver errors were responsible for at least one-third of the accidents. Automobile and motorbike drivers and passengers made up the bulk of those killed in truck accidents.
Although road safety has always been a concern, various trucking regulations have been put in place to help limit the frequency of trucking accidents. A 3000-pound car, on the other hand, is unlikely to have a fight against huge trucks weighing at least 80 thousand pounds. Large trucks cannot stop as quickly as smaller vehicles due to their size and weight, resulting in fatal accidents. Cars often collide with huge trucks and may be fatal even at low speeds. Survivors may have irreparable brain damage.
The Most Common Precursors To A Truck Accident
As previously stated, the majority of these accidents result from the truck driver’s negligence. Examples are inattention, careless/reckless/distracted driving, speeding, impairment due to illness, alcohol drunkenness, or driver fatigue.
Fatigue is a serious, often deadly, problem in the transportation industry. Driver sleepiness has the potential to inflict catastrophic injury to persons on the road and various health difficulties. Truckers often work long hours on the road, averaging just 4 hours of sleep each day, well short of the 8 hours needed to replenish their batteries for peak performance. It’s no surprise that most truck drivers have at least one six-minute fatigue phase every day.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act states that truckers may only travel for 11 hours in 14 hours to prevent this from occurring. They must stop for 30 minutes after 8 hours of driving. Federal regulations also prohibit drivers from working more than 60 hours a week. If you do not obey the guidelines, you may be sued and lose your job.
The majority of truck accidents occur because the driver is not paying attention. Anything that causes the motorist to divert their gaze away from the road is a formula for disaster. If you chat to the dispatcher, send a text message, write anything down, or eat, there might be issues. Every truck driver should be informed of this. Almost 10,000 accidents have been caused by billboards and other items outside the vehicle.
After Being Involved In A Truck Accident, What Should You Do?
- Stop. Examine yourself, your friends, and the surroundings for any injuries. You must remain at the accident scene to guarantee your own and others’ safety. Turn on your warning lights and use cones to alert oncoming cars of your presence.
- No matter how well you feel you are doing, you should always seek medical assistance. Injuries to the body might take hours or even days to manifest. If you do not go to the doctor when they urge you to, your accident claims may suffer.
- Make a list of anybody who may have witnessed anything extraordinary. Obtain a copy of the witness statement or a method to contact the witness. Throughout your case, your injury lawyer may need to speak with them. However, it is the police’s job to conduct a thorough investigation and talk with any witnesses present.
- Take photos and videos of the situation. Thoroughness is not a negative thing in a truck accident.
- A truck accident lawyer may be able to assist you.
If you have experienced physical harm, pain, and suffering, contact a truck accident lawyer.
Truck accident lawyers advise what to say and how to contact insurance companies. The key to winning a personal injury claim is your injury lawyer.
We Will Make Our Resources Available To You As Promised
Forensic medical professionals, forensic medical experts, economists, and pain management specialists are among the experts we bring to detail all of your losses. If the defense contests that you have a closed head injury, we will engage a neuropsychologist to correlate a loss of cognitive function to a specific hit to the head. Lifecare nurses and case management experts will work with you to identify all of the expenditures you may anticipate incurring throughout your extended recovery from severe burns. As part of our legal approach, we’ll conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of your truck accident.
From the beginning, we will work with you and your doctors to guarantee that you get medical care and diagnostic testing, even if your primary insurance company refuses to cover you for these services. To establish liability and damages in your case, we need to spend a significant amount of time and money gathering and presenting evidence from experts in their fields. We advance all litigation expenses and only reclaim them if we win.
Make an Appointment With The Law Offices of Shea & Shea Today For More Information
When a trucking accident occurs, the damage it causes may be significant, and many persons are held responsible. With the help of our Shea & Shea San Francisco personal injury attorneys, you will be able to go on with your life. Please call us promptly at (408) 716-1629 so that one of our motor vehicle accident attorneys can provide you with a free first consultation. You may also use our contact form to email us to set up an appointment.
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