What You Need To Know About Commercial Vehicle Wrecks In California

Of all the crashes that happen every day on California roads, those involving trucks and other large commercial vehicles are some of the most deadly and dangerous. If you or a loved one ever have the misfortune to be involved in one, this article will help you figure out what to do, especially in terms of ensuring you can recover full compensation through an eventual personal injury claim. It explains:

• The common causes of truck wrecks and where they occur in the greater Los Angeles area.
• What sets truck wrecks apart from other incidents, especially when it comes to recovery.
• What you should do immediately after a truck crash to ensure compensation.

Why Are Truck Wrecks So Common And Dangerous In The Greater Los Angeles Or San Fernando Valley Area?

Throughout Los Angeles and neighboring areas like the San Fernando Valley, there are lots of cars, huge trucks, lots of congestion, and lots of people not paying attention. We also have mountain roads with windy streets, and blind, hairpin turns.

No matter where you are going, there are tons of risky areas where crashes with trucks are frequent. Whether you are changing lanes on a busy highway, turning left at a crowded intersection, or taking a turn on a curving road where you can’t see a hundred feet ahead of you, you should always pay a lot more attention to make sure you are not involved in a deadly crash.

Sometimes, however, there is little you can do, and the fault for the incident lies squarely with someone else’s steering wheel.

What Are Some Of The Common Causes Of Truck Wrecks In California?

Fatigue, compounded with inattention, is the biggest cause of truck wrecks in California. Truck drivers are very often driven hard to get that last load dropped off or handle one more delivery during the day to work those extra few hours of overtime they need to make ends meet.

This results in fatigue, which can lead to inattention that, in turn, results in crashes and injuries. Most often truck drivers will strike regular vehicles, but sometimes they will hit other trucks, pedestrians, cyclists, or run motorcycles off the road.

Our firm has handled all such claims at length, and we know the pattern. On Los Angeles’ larger highways and interstate highways, we have found that fatigue, especially when coupled with speed or inattention, leads to incidents, injuries, and deaths.

Why Are Truck Wrecks Different From Other Crashes?

Trucks are, for the most part, massive, especially when compared to a car. There is a lot more steel, metal, and weight involved in most trucking incidents.

This results in greater and more devastating property damage and far more severe injuries with larger injury claims. Fortunately, most trucks are required to carry commercial insurance policies, and most commercial insurance policies have larger limits than standard private passenger vehicle insurance coverage.

This is a double-edged sword, however, which can cut both ways. If a trucking company has a million-dollar policy, then they have more money to pay you with, but they also have a lot more money to fight you with and a bigger incentive to do so. Sometimes, insurance companies are even willing to spend $50,000 to avoid paying you $30,000.

Are There Specific Safety Regulations For Commercial Drivers In California?

Maintaining a commercial license for driving a truck requires a good driving record and regular renewals. Commercial drivers are held to a higher standard of care than regular drivers through the California DMV.

Additionally, there are requirements for how California drivers and companies must maintain and check their vehicles and their trailers to keep them in good working order to avoid causing harm on our roadways.

If they fail to do so, and it leads to an incident, that could be all the evidence needed to find them negligent and liable for the damages caused.

Attorney Shawn Gozarkhah is an experienced personal injury lawyer whose firm has handled multiple big trucking incidents and personal injury claims throughout California and the LA area. He has seen too many truck crash victims unable to recover the full and fair compensation they are due and hopes that sharing his insights will make the fight against insurance companies a little fairer.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a California Truck wreck, contact The Law Man Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.

What Should I Do Immediately Following A Collision With A Truck Or Commercial Vehicle?

In order to improve your chances of full personal injury recovery, there are several things you should do after a collision with a truck:

• Call police and emergency medical services; their reports will be crucial evidence of the incident later.
• Ensure your own safety and the immediate safety of others at the scene without putting yourself in further danger.
• Take lots of pictures of the scene, including all vehicles, injuries, environmental factors, and so forth.
• Get the other driver’s phone number, license plate, and insurance number, but do not discuss the facts of the incident with them.
• Look around for any video cameras or witnesses and get their contact information.
• Call our office to get crucial advice about what to do.

All of this can be done at the scene, so it is very important to get as much information at the scene as you can because you will never have another opportunity to speak to that other driver or to take pictures of where the cars came to rest and how the damages occurred. Ideally, you would want to take pictures before anybody moves their vehicles.

What Types Of Compensation Can Be Collected After A Wreck Involving A Large Commercial Vehicle?

Damages in California are usually broken into three big boxes. There are incurred medical bills, future bills, and pain, suffering, and inconvenience.

There are plenty of subsets for those boxes as well that are dependent on the type of case and the type of injuries or wrongful death actions. For example, you might be able to collect damages for lost wages or for a loss of consortium.

Even family members of injury victims can also get compensation for a loss in the ability of the injured person to provide for them or for emotional distress when a family member is injured within the vicinity of other family members. Such claims are called negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress and occur if you witness a close family member get injured by the responsible party.

For more information on What You Need To Know After A Commercial Vehicle Wreck In California, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (818) 699-0492 today.