Despite a decade-long decline in California’s overall traffic fatality rate, over 300 people per year still lose their lives in incidents involving heavy trucks. More than 3,000 people are hurt in California truck accidents every year. Among the 10 most dangerous counties in California, Santa Clara and Sacramento rank high. Major truck accidents frequently occur on Highways 1 and 101 and Interstates 80 and 280 in the region.
On the highways of California, commercial trucks such as 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, buses, and other large trucks can be intimidating sights. Extreme harm or even death can occur in a collision with a truck. Accidents involving tractor-trailer trucks provide a particularly high risk of serious injury to the occupants of passenger vehicles, motorbikes, bicycles, and pedestrians.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a truck accident and you want an experienced lawyer who will treat you like an individual and work hard to get you the best possible outcome, call the Dolan Law Firm. Our legal team includes some of the most accomplished experts in their fields. Dolan Law Firm is here to help you get the money you need to get past the trauma of a truck accident. Call (800) 339-0352 or send us a message through our website to schedule a free consultation with the Dolan Law Firm.
Liability Proving in Truck Accident Cases
Establishing liability is crucial in any lawsuit involving injuries sustained due to someone else’s negligence. There’s more to this than just reading the police report. In the aftermath of a truck accident, it takes investigation and expertise in the trucking industry to figure out who is at fault for the damages. Depending on the specifics of an accident, multiple parties may be responsible for paying for damages caused by a truck driver. An attorney who specializes in truck accidents can help you pursue compensation from those responsible for your injuries.
Interstate truck drivers must adhere to stricter state and federal laws than other motorists. Among the numerous things that are governed by these rules are the maximum allowable driving time for truck drivers, truck maintenance and safety standards, and load limits. Commercial trucking firms and their drivers discover ways to circumvent these regulations, which were enacted to improve public safety. And they often find ways to cover their tracks by tampering with or destroying evidence.
Our knowledgeable San Francisco truck accident lawyers are aware of this, and they meticulously investigate:
Factors related to truck drivers include their own carelessness behind the wheel (reckless driving, illegal lane switching or turning, violation of motor vehicle rules), how long they spend behind the wheel, how tired they are, whether or not they use cell phones while driving, and whether or not they have a history of substance abuse.
Key equipment (wheels, tires, brakes, engine, fuel system, axles, coupling chains, lighting, drive line, etc.), as well as the truck’s age, condition, manufacturing, and number of miles driven, are all important considerations.
Whether or not the truck was overloaded, if the load was unbalanced, and if the load was adequately secured are all examples of load factors.
Financial Assistance After a Truck Crash
Victims of truck accidents should receive financial compensation for their suffering. A truck accident victim’s settlement amount is based on numerous criteria. Our skilled truck accident lawyers will carefully assess your losses and pursue fair compensation from the trucking firm’s insurer and the company’s legal department. Compensation is based on losses like these:
- Current medical costs
- The Cost of Future Healthcare
- Disabling accidents and injuries
- Damage to property
- Injuries past and to come
- Paycuts lost
- Inability to work and make money
- Damages for Punishment
- Losses in Value
- Intangible Losses
- Discomfort and agony
- Distress and mental suffering
- Trauma
- Victims of Truck Crashes
Large, hefty, and potentially lethal, commercial trucks and tractor-trailers are a real hazard. Because of their massive size, collisions involving large vehicles tend to be extremely destructive. Victims and their families may suffer devastating injuries or even death as a result of a truck accident. Victims of truck accidents can suffer serious injuries, including:
- Accidental fatality
- “TBI” stands for “traumatic brain injury.”
- Amputation
- Disfigurement
- dysfunctional body parts
- Traumatic burns
- Damage to the back
- Diffuse injury of the spinal cord
- Cracked bones
- Injuries within
- Whiplash
- Lacerations
- Bruising
- Disfiguring scars
Truck accidents frequently lead to catastrophic injuries, requiring years of medical treatment and lifestyle adjustments. You should be compensated fairly for all that you have been through and will continue to go through as a result of your truck accident injuries. Talking to a truck accident lawyer can help you understand your rights and get fair compensation for your injuries.
What can a law company specializing in truck accidents do for you?
You should receive full compensation for your losses if you or a loved one were hurt in a truck accident. When dealing with the legal system and insurance companies after a truck accident, victims often find themselves on their own. You don’t have to go into this war alone. An attorney who specialises in truck accidents will be able to guide you through the insurance claim process and secure maximum compensation from those who were at fault.
The following are areas in which you may benefit from working with a truck accident attorney:
- Find the people who are to blame.
- Find the guilty parties and hold them accountable
- Assess the level of damage caused by the truck crash.
- Talk things out with other people.
- Take care of insurance firms.
- Take legal action
- Stop the destruction of evidence
- Gather evidence and conduct a thorough investigation to establish fault.
- Help you get the medical care you need and encourage your speedy recovery.
- Speak up for what you believe in
Get your damages paid for.
Our truck accident lawyers at Dolan Law Firm only get paid if you do, and we take personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis.
Which local truck accident litigation firm or truck accident attorney should I hire?
We have legal teams in every major California city, including San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, and we’re the Dolan Law Firm. Injured in a collision with a large truck, tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler, or delivery vehicle? Our truck accident attorneys in California can help. We know how devastating a truck accident can be, both psychologically and monetarily.
Our team of personal injury trial attorneys has extensive experience in truck accident lawsuits in California. Our legal team includes some of the most accomplished experts in their fields. We have assisted in the financial recovery of hundreds of truck accident victims and the families of those who were killed in such accidents.
Call us at 800-339-0352 or use our online form to set up a free consultation if you or a loved one has been hurt in a truck accident in San Francisco.
After a truck accident, what steps should I take?
Because of the size and weight of commercial trucks, accidents involving them tend to be quite destructive. Here are some steps to take in the event of a collision with a semi-truck:
To avoid further harm, you should, if at all feasible, move to a safe area away from the roadway and traffic.
Immediately dial 911 for assistance. The well-being and protection of everyone involved in the incident should be your top priority. In the event that medical attention is required, dial 911. Get your wounds checked out and look after yourself.
As soon as you can do so safely, contact the police and report what happened. Take notes on everything that happened at the crash site. Document the scene, injuries, and any damage with stills and moving images.
Get the truck driver’s and other drivers’ insurance information. Getting this information at the scene of the accident will help you file a claim with the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident and begin the process of getting compensated as soon as possible. Notify the authorities if the other driver refuses to provide you contact information.
Save money by keeping track of your expenses. Following a truck accident, you will need to negotiate with insurance companies and the trucking company to determine the full extent of your damages and the appropriate level of compensation. Keeping meticulous records of expenses, bills, repairs, and the like will help you get the recompense you deserve.
Don’t talk to anyone, even insurance adjusters, about what happened. In order to establish fault, certain insurers may contact you for a statement or a description of the incident. It is recommended that you choose a truck accident attorney that has experience dealing with insurance companies so that your interests are protected.
Get in touch with a reputable law firm or individual truck accident lawyers to find out where you stand after a truck accident and injuries. Many firms specializing in personal injury law will take your case on a contingency fee basis, meaning they get paid only if you do.
I lost a family member in a vehicle accident; what should I do?
It can be overwhelming to think of filing a lawsuit against a trucking firm while still grieving the loss of a loved one. Relatives of people killed in truck accidents in California can seek compensation through the state’s wrongful death laws. An accomplished wrongful death lawyer should sympathize with your pain and work tirelessly to secure financial compensation for your family.
After the passing of a loved one, it is common for financial difficulties to multiply. If you or a loved one has been the victim of wrongful death, you may be able to seek compensation for your losses and the emotional anguish you’ve caused. You shouldn’t have to deal with losing a loved one while also seeing your financial obligations increase. It all depends on the specifics of your case, but a good lawyer can help you get compensation for things like funeral expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, the inability to provide for your spouse, and more.
How do I prevent truck mishaps?
Driving a commercial truck or other large truck safely in California is a specialized talent. Defensive driving techniques can help you avoid getting involved in a collision with a truck when you’re driving a car or motorcycle, even though the truck driver, their company, or the truck’s makers are often to blame.
You should stay out of the truck’s blind zones.
o A obscuring obstruction in the driver’s line of sight directly in front of the truck.
· A larger blind spot on both the left and right sides of the vehicle than is typical of most vehicles. Long periods of time spent in the left or right flank of a big rig are not recommended. Because of the truck’s need to change lanes, it could not see you in time to avoid a collision.
o The truck has a blind spot at the back. Never drive too closely to the back of a truck.
Avoid tailgating; if you must travel behind a tractor-trailer, give yourself plenty of space. Too close of a following distance to a truck increases the likelihood of being caught in the truck’s blind spot.
o If you follow too closely behind a large vehicle, you risk having debris thrown at your windscreen.
Trucks are significantly higher off the ground than cars, so if you hit one from behind, it’s possible that your windscreen will be shattered as your car slides under the truck.
Driving closely behind a big rig is not worth the potential for a catastrophic accident.
Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you and the vehicle in behind of you if you’re driving behind a truck. If a truck is tailgating you, safely switch lanes to get away from it.
Keep an eye out for wind and trailer sway; a tractor-trailer’s long, rectangular design makes it more likely that its trailer will sway and perhaps into your lane of travel. Trailers can wobble and slide into oncoming traffic lanes for a variety of causes, and high winds are one of the most dangerous.
When passing a tractor-trailer, keep in mind that their largest blind spot is on the right side of their vehicle, and pass on the left as quickly as possible. You shouldn’t put yourself at danger of being pushed off the road or worse by a truck. You should pass a truck on the left and stay away from their vicinity. Once you’re past them, give yourself some breathing room before merging back in front of the truck. Avoid remaining in any of the aforementioned vulnerable areas.
Always plan ahead; a large truck needs extra time to stop, change lanes, or make other maneuvers on the road. Be sure to maneuver your vehicle in a steady, predictable manner when passing a tractor-trailer. Stay alert and aware of how you should be maneuvering your vehicle on the road by signaling before making any lane changes, never stopping suddenly when a truck is behind you, and watching the traffic patterns ahead.
You should never put yourself or anybody else in danger by trying to pass a large truck while driving a car or, even more so, a motorbike. A collision with a truck is very different from two cars. Trucks pose a significant threat to people travelling in other cars. Keep your wits about you, and never lose sight of the fact that your own personal safety is the top priority. Don’t try to solve a problem with a truck driver on the road if you’re unhappy with the way he or she is driving. Instead, you should contact the US DOT’s 24/7 reporting hotline. Do not put yourself in danger by approaching a truck driven by an unstable individual.
Seeking Information About Trucking Injuries and Accidents?
There is a wealth of information here for those interested in learning more about truck accident law:
The California Administrative Code
Mishaps Caused by Drivers
What You Must Do As a Driver
Norms for Risk Management
Crashes Involving Trash Trucks
Business That Loads
Log Hauler Crashes
Mishaps Associated with Truck Makers
Crashes Caused by Overloaded Trucks
Exceed Incidents Involving Trucks
Large Truck Crashes
Cars in Extreme Danger of Tipping Over
Burst Tyres
Breaks for Tractor Trailers
Thefts from Tractor Trailers
Tractor-Trailer Crashes
Caused by Trucking Firm
Safety for Drivers
Tractor-Trailer Rollover Crashes
Truck Accident Attorney Group – Get in Touch
People in the San Francisco-Oakland-Los Angeles area and elsewhere in California who have been hurt in accidents involving trucks and tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, and delivery vehicles can turn to the San Francisco truck accident attorneys at the Dolan Law Firm for assistance. We know how devastating a truck accident can be, both psychologically and monetarily.
Our team of personal injury trial attorneys has extensive experience in truck accident lawsuits in California. We have assisted in the financial recovery of hundreds of truck accident victims and the families of those who were killed in such accidents.
Call our toll-free number, 800-339-0352, or send us an email if you or a loved one has been hurt in a truck accident in San Francisco. We have offices in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, and we offer free consultations.
Hundreds of people and their families have benefited from our assistance with personal injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits. Your claim will be reviewed quickly, for free, and without any commitment on your part. We only get paid if we get compensation for you, so there’s no risk in hiring us.
Lisa Eclesworth is a notable and influential lifestyle writer. She is a mom of two and a successful homemaker. She loves to cook and create beautiful projects with her family. She writes informative and fun articles that her readers love and enjoy.
