Truck Accidents
Law Office of Christopher J. Lauria is a Top Rated Christopher J. Lauria Truck Accident Lawyer
Some of the most tragic accidents on the road occur in crashes involving commercial trucks, i.e., tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, big rigs, etc. The sheer size and weight of these long-haul transfer trucks makes the impact of any collision with them extremely dangerous to others on the road. Thousands of people are seriously or fatally injured in commercial truck accidents each year.
The problem for you and us is that it’s not usually the truck driver who is injured in a crash. In fact, of 3,964 fatal truck accidents in the U.S. in 2013, 71 percent of the people who died were occupants of other vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Another 11 percent of fatalities were among people in neither vehicle – pedestrians and bicyclists. Only 17 percent of those who died in tractor-trailer accidents in 2013 were truckers or other occupants of the truck.
It’s also quite likely that the truck driver and/or the company that employs the trucker (the “carrier”) was responsible for the accident that hurt you or a loved one of yours. Other parties may be liable as well.
If so, you may be eligible for compensation to cover your losses, such as for medical expenses, property damage, lost income, pain and suffering.
The experienced and aggressive truck accident lawyers of the Law Office of Christopher J. Lauria, LLC can help you obtain the compensation you deserve if you’ve been injured in a crash involving a commercial truck. We can investigate your accident, calculate the recoverable costs to you and fight the carrier and their insurance company to ensure justice for you.
Causes of Los Angeles Truck Accidents
Accident statistics for Los Angeles from 2012, the latest published, show 5,882 accidents involving at least one large truck, a small percentage of all highway crashes but an average of 16 every day of the year. Truck accidents in Los Angeles caused 75 deaths and 1,359 injuries.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation also reports the “possible contributing circumstances” (PCCs) cited by law enforcement in truck accidents during 2012
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation also reports the “possible contributing circumstances” (PCCs) cited by law enforcement in truck accidents during 2012
. Of the 5,882 crashes involving at least one large truck, 2,759 (47 percent) had driver PCCs cited for a trucker involved in the crash. Of 62 fatal crashes, 16 (26 percent) had large truck driver PCCs cited. Of the 1,287 crashes with at least one injury, 614 (48 percent) had large truck driver PCCs cited.
The causes cited in Los Angeles truck crashes, in order of frequency, were:
- Inattentive driving
- Failure to control
- Failure to yield right of way
- Speed too fast for conditions
- Improper turn
- Following too closely
- Unsafe backing
- Improper overtake (passing)
- Disregarded traffic control (i.e., stoplight, stop sign, railroad crossing signal / gate, etc.)
- Driver condition
- Driving left of center
- Exceeded speed limit
- Physically disabled
Some of the causes cited for Los Angeles truck accidents are typical driver errors, such as losing control of the vehicle, crossing the centerline or exceeding a safe speed for conditions. But other causes of truck accidents are indicative of reckless behavior too often found among truck drivers, such as:
Some of the causes cited for Los Angeles truck accidents are typical driver errors, such as losing control of the vehicle, crossing the centerline or exceeding a safe speed for conditions. But other causes of truck accidents are indicative of reckless behavior too often found among truck drivers, such as:
Inattentive driving. Distracted driving is a widespread problem on our roads, which has led to regulations adopted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) prohibiting commercial truck drivers from using cell phone and similar devices while behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer. Truckers know the danger caused by distracted driving, yet it remains a leading cause of truck accidents.
Aggressive driving. Such behavior as failing to yield right of way, improper turning, following too closely (tailgating), improper passing, improper backing, running red lights and stop signs, and speeding are recklessness. In Los Angeles, the DOT recognizes operating a vehicle in a way that endangers or is likely to endanger people or property as aggressive driving‘
“Driver condition.” Truck drivers typically are required to work long hours, which can cause sleep deprivation and fatigued / drowsy driving if a driver stays behind the wheel. Despite FMCSA regulations governing how long a trucker may drive without rest, called Hours of Service regulations, surveys by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that truckers violate regulations and “often” or “sometimes” omit hours behind the wheel from logbooks. Sometimes, pressure from supervisors keeps a trucker on the road too long.
Fortunately, “driver condition” rarely means under the influence of alcohol or drugs in a truck accident. Though drugged and drunk driving do occur and lead to accidents, random testing of truckers has drastically reduced the amount of impaired truck driving
Los Angeles DOT statistics also show hundreds of truck accidents in which the failure of a truck part or system was cited as the cause of the wreck. This includes failures of tires, brakes, steering systems, lighting, suspension systems and others. In such cases, it may be that the trucking company (carrier) or the manufacturer should be held liable for the accident and innocent people’s losses.
And, though it is not spelled out in the DOT report as such, sometime it is shifting cargo or a cargo spill that causes a trucker to lose control and crash their vehicle. If a truck was improperly loaded and that led to a crash, again the focus of a claim shifts to the carrier and its training and/or supervision of workers responsible for loading trucks.
Why You Should File a Truck Accident Lawsuit
Truck accidents tend to be catastrophic and complex events. Negligence on the part of the driver, the carrier, one or more manufacturers or the trucking company’s policies and procedures, or multiple parties may have led to the accident.
In addition, truckers’ and carriers’ behavior, as well as the tractor-trailers and their cargo are regulated by voluminous regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as well as other federal and state agencies. Violations may indicate liability in a crash.
You may be offered a quick settlement that seems like a great deal of money after a truck accident.
Sorting out what happened in a commercial truck accident and who is at fault is often a complicated matter, for the reasons we have outlined above. At the same time, it takes time in many cases to understand the full extent of the crash victim’s injuries and other losses.
Among the information to be reviewed after a commercial truck accident is:
- Evidence collected at the crash scene
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Information about the condition of the truck and other vehicle(s) in the wreck.
- Data from the truck’s and potentially the car’s “black box” event data recorder.
- The trucker’s activity logs, which by law must show his or her time behind the wheel and at rest
- Other trucking company records, such as truck use and maintenance records, cargo reports, statements from company employees, policy and procedure manuals, etc.
In many cases, a court order is required to make a carrier turn over records and release the wrecked truck for examination. Sometimes accident reconstruction specialists are called in to conduct a forensic analysis and interpretation of data collected after a wreck.
To ensure that all of the appropriate and necessary work is completed in your truck accident case, you should consult an experienced Christopher J. Lauria truck accident attorney.
To ensure that all of the appropriate and necessary work is completed in your truck accident case, you should consult an experienced Christopher J. Lauria truck accident attorney.
Contact Our Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident in Los Angeles, call the personal injury lawyers at Law Office of Christopher J. Lauria, LLC today. We can help you obtain compensation you need for dealing with losses due to such injuries as fractures, paralysis, loss of limb, burns, brain injuries, or a wrongful death. Our experienced and aggressive truck accident lawyers conduct though investigations and negotiate aggressively for settlements based on solid evidence. We don’t charge a legal fee unless we win.
We can meet you at a place that is convenient for you, such as your home, hospital room, place of work, or our conveniently located downtown Christopher J. Lauria office. Speak with one of our attorneys right now by calling 818-442-9155 for a free initial consultation. “ONE CALL … THAT’S ALL!”
Sources:
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Traffic Safety Facts – Large Trucks
- Los Angeles Department of Transportation: 2012 Los Angeles Traffic Crash Facts – Vehicle Data
- Los Angeles DOT: Aggressive Driving
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: >Large Trucks