Truck Accident Lawyer in California

While every traffic accident is dangerous, truck accidents are among the most serious accidents on our roadways. Because of the immense size differential between these massive vehicles and the cars we drive, our risk of being seriously injured is greatly increased. 

Trucks are essential vehicles for business as they transport goods from one area to the next efficiently. Those massive machines can be dangerous, though, and if you are involved in an accident with one, you will need the services of a truck accident lawyer.  

Still, you can rest assured that there are legal experts who can assist even if something unfortunate occurs. Call My Lawyer Mark if you ever need a truck accident lawyer in California: (866) 721-5808.

Truck Accident Statistics

Truck accidents are far less common than car accidents. However, they remain deadly.

Statistics provided by the National Safety Council indicate that 5,005 people died in accidents involving large trucks back in 2019. That is a troubling number, but it still does not tell the whole story.

You should know that most of the people who died due to truck accidents were not individuals in the vehicle itself. Instead, it is the occupants of other vehicles that were involved in the truck accident who are most at risk; 71% of the people who died in truck accidents were occupants of other vehicles. An additional 11% of the fatalities were people riding bikes and pedestrians when the incident occurred.

It is important to understand that driving a truck is dangerous not only for the people inside that large vehicle. You could be at risk as well. Always be mindful of your safety when you are around trucks.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

To avoid getting involved in a truck accident, you must be aware of what causes them in the first place. Read through some of the most common causes of truck accidents below and watch out for them whenever you take to the road.

Wide Turns

Techniques that we pull off easily from the driver’s seat become more complicated for truck drivers. Even something like taking a wide turn can prove challenging.

As the truck attempts to navigate a turn, the huge container it is dragging around may swing out. If there are cars nearby, they may get hit by that container.

Sometimes, the truck driver can do everything right, but something may still go wrong if the other drivers on the road are not careful. Stick too close to the truck as it turns, and your vehicle may get hit by the container.

Large trucks need to be given about 55 feet of space whenever they are turning, per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Keep that in mind if you are on the road together with one of those behemoths.

Speeding

Another common cause of accidents is speeding. Driving at high speeds is dangerous for obvious reasons, but there is one specific aspect of it that we should highlight.

Passenger vehicles can often stop abruptly. If a road hazard suddenly comes into view, drivers can stop the car and avoid crashing into it.

Pulling that off when driving a truck is significantly harder.

Trucks need more time and space to come to a complete stop. That is especially true if they were moving at high speeds. If a road hazard suddenly comes into view while a truck is speeding, an accident could prove inevitable.

Excessively Heavy Loads

Trucks are designed to transport heavy materials. They are rugged vehicles that excel in that regard.

Even so, there is a limit to how much weight a truck can carry. Overload a truck, and it could tip over while trying to maneuver around a corner. It is also possible for the truck to remain upright even as its load falls over and hits nearby vehicles.

You expect truck drivers and trucking companies to always be mindful of that load limit. However, there are still those who disregard it.

Boredom

Truck drivers usually need to be on the road for long periods. Spend that much time alone, and you will inevitably get bored.

When boredom strikes, people become more susceptible to making poor decisions.

Truck drivers may reach for their phones to alleviate the boredom. You can easily imagine how poorly that could turn out.

Other Vehicles

It is important to note that truck drivers are not always the ones at fault for accidents taking place. The blame can also sometimes fall on the drivers around them.

Upon seeing a truck, some drivers attempt to overtake it. The problem with trying to overtake a truck is that you could wind up in its blind spot. The truck driver may not be aware of your vehicle, and that could cause an accident.

Some drivers also make the mistake of driving too close to trucks instead of giving them space. As we noted previously, trucks need space to turn and perform other maneuvers.  Drive too close to a truck, and you could end up getting hit.

Common Injuries from Truck Accidents

Being involved in a car accident can lead to you sustaining some serious injuries. It is not difficult to imagine how things can get worse if a truck is added to the mix.

Here in this section, we will discuss the common injuries that stem from being involved in a truck accident. Use them as reminders of why you always need to be careful around those large vehicles.

Internal Injuries

Trucks are far sturdier than passenger vehicles. If you crash into one, it will not serve as much of a cushion.

Crashing into a truck, even at a relatively low speed, can lead to some serious injuries. Internal injuries are particularly concerning.

Do not assume that you are right because injuries are not visible right away. Head to the doctor after your involvement in a truck accident and get fully checked out to see if you have sustained any internal injuries.

Broken Bones

It takes a lot of force to break a bone, but the impact generated during a truck accident is often enough. The unforgiving steel frame of the truck can devastate your body, leading to you breaking multiple bones throughout your body.

Bones in your limbs and ribs are among the ones most susceptible to fracturing after a collision with a truck. Truck accidents can also cause more serious injuries such as fractures along the spine or even a potential skull fracture.

Amputations

In especially bad truck accidents, some of the people involved may be so severely injured that emergency procedures will be carried out right at the scene of the incident. To be more specific, amputation may sometimes be necessary to remove people who have been tangled in the remains of the vehicles.

Safety Tips for Driving near Trucks

Thus far, we have highlighted how dangerous trucks can be. You cannot control when they show up on the road, though. Instead of being fearful of trucks, you must learn how to drive safely whenever those enormous vehicles are nearby.

For this section, we will focus on the tips you must follow whenever you are sharing the road with a truck. Commit them to memory and become a safer driver in the process.

Maintain Your Distance

Quite possibly, the worst thing you can do when there is a truck on the road is to drive close to it. So much can go wrong if you do that.

You could end up in one of the truck driver’s many blind spots if you get in too close. On top of that, if the truck must stop suddenly, anything it is carrying could fall off. The load may fall onto your vehicle because of how closely you are tailing the truck.

Maintaining a safe distance is crucial when you are behind a truck. DriveSafe Online recommends staying about 300 feet away from the truck in front of you. That way, you will have enough time to react even if something unexpected happens to the truck.

Pay Close Attention to the Truck

Many drivers of passenger vehicles tend to forget about communicating properly while they are on the road. They sometimes stop using their turn signals and other gestures to communicate with their fellow drivers.

Truck drivers are different because they rely heavily on those signals. Keep an eye on the truck to see if the driver is trying to tell you something. They may be telling you to overtake them, so you do not need to slow down so much.

Communicate with the Truck Driver

Communication is a two-way street.

Since the truck driver is trying to communicate with you, it is only fair for you to do the same thing in kind. Plus, communicating with the truck driver can help you avoid a potential accident.

Whenever a truck is nearby, and you want to pass it, use your horn or lights to let the driver know what you have planned. Make them aware of your presence so they do not accidentally hit your vehicle.

Drive Defensively

This is a general tip, but you cannot go wrong with being a more defensive driver when trucks are nearby. There is nothing wrong with slowing down a bit and generally being more cautious.

Driving defensively may lead to you reaching your destination later than you originally expected. Still, that beats being involved in a truck accident.

Why You Need to Partner with a Truck Accident Lawyer

The hope is that you never find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being involved in a truck accident. Sadly, we cannot guarantee that.

If you are involved in such an incident, know that you can seek assistance from a truck accident lawyer. Detailed in this section are some of the ways that a truck accident lawyer in California can help you out following your involvement in an accident.

Attributing Blame

Determining the amount of blame shared by the parties involved in an accident is important in California. That is due to California being a comparative fault state.

Comparative fault means that being partly to blame for the accident does not disqualify you from receiving compensation. You can still sue the other party and claim the compensation the court deems fair in your case.

Since officials follow the principle of comparative fault, the way they distribute blame also affects how much compensation you receive. For example, being 20 % at fault for the accident means you can recoup 80 % of the damages in your case.

Allow your truck accident lawyer in California to handle the blame game. Their assistance will help ensure that you receive fair compensation.

Determining the Compensation Amount

Speaking of compensation, you also must determine the right amount to ask for before proceeding with your case. Here, again, is another area where your truck accident lawyer in California can assist you.

The compensation awarded in a personal injury case is supposed to account for both actual and general damages.

Actual damages refer to material losses such as medical expenses, property damage, and even lost wages. Meanwhile, general damages cover the intangible losses by the accident, such as pain and suffering, lost job opportunities, and mental anguish.

Actual damages are easy to calculate because there are bills they can reference. When it comes to general damages, lawyers will typically use either the multiplier method or the per diem method to come up with the right amount.

Count on your lawyer to figure out the appropriate compensation amount in your case.

Filing the Case

You probably will not move around a lot following the accident. With bills piling up, though, you may need that compensation sooner rather than later.

Ask your truck accident lawyer in California to handle the filing for you. Their experience dealing with courts in California can also help speed up the process of filing.

Furthermore, relying on your lawyer for filing means you will not risk exceeding the statute of limitations for personal injury cases. For those wondering, you must file personal injury lawsuits within two years of when the accident occurred for them to be considered valid. Avoid passing that deadline by working together with your lawyer.

Dealing with the aftermath of a truck accident can be an incredible challenge. Make things more manageable by partnering with skilled and experienced lawyers. Contact My Lawyer Mark and let us provide the legal assistance you need: (866) 721-5808.