Were You Injured and Suffered Damages After a Truck Accident? Call Us Today
While accidents involving standard vehicles are somewhat easy to investigate and determine who was at fault, the same cannot be said for large truck accidents. In fact, these are the most difficult accidents to investigate and some of the most difficult personal injury lawsuits to win. However, if you have a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer on your side who has spent years handling these cases, your chances of winning increase dramatically. Since your attorney will know the details involved in these accidents and where they need to put their focus, trucking companies and drivers who were negligent will be held accountable for their actions. If you have been the victim of a large truck accident, here are some common causes for the accident and how liability will be determined to get you much-deserved compensation.
Accidents Continue to Increase
Believe it or not, large trucks account for less than three percent of all motor vehicle accidents, yet the number of accidents involving large trucks has increased by more than 20% within the past 20 years. In an average year, almost 5,000 people are killed and more than 130,000 victims are injured due to the carelessness and negligence of truck drivers and trucking companies. If you were injured in such an accident or had a loved one perish in an accident that likely could have been prevented, hire a lawyer who is well-versed in truck-related cases from Grey Law.
Why are These Accidents So Serious?
As to why trucking accidents are so much more serious than other vehicle accidents, there are numerous reasons. To begin with, a large truck typically outweighs a standard passenger vehicle by many thousands of pounds, leading to greater damage upon impact. In addition, many of these accidents happen when the truck is traveling at a high rate of speed, resulting in more injuries and deaths. In more and more cases, truck drivers are found to be impaired due to alcohol or drugs, distracted by their cell phones, or falling asleep behind the wheel due to ignoring federal safety rules about how long they can drive before stopping to rest. Whatever the case may be, don’t let a negligent truck driver or company get away with their actions. Instead, immediately hire an attorney you can rely on to win these cases.
Who is Responsible for the Accident?
When it comes to the question of truck accident liability and who may be responsible for an accident, the fact is many parties may be liable for your injuries. For example, along with the truck driver and the trucking company, it is also possible your truck crash lawyer in Los Angeles trusts may discover the vehicle’s manufacturer as well as the company that loaded the cargo could also be held responsible for the accident. Since many factors will come into play with these complex accidents, find a law firm that will put your best interests first.
What Causes these Accidents?
Just as there can be many parties potentially liable for your accident, there are also many reasons why these accidents occur. One of the most common is driver error, which can occur when they are driving over the speed limit or fail to properly notice other vehicles around them when attempting to switch lanes. Along with this, since drivers are often under tight deadlines, they may use alcohol or drugs in an attempt to stay awake while driving. Like many drivers on today’s roads, truck drivers can also get distracted while talking or texting on their cellphones. Other causes can include faulty truck maintenance regarding tires and brakes, improperly loaded cargo that shifts, and drivers who are reckless during inclement weather.
How Trucking Companies Avoid Liability
When a trucking accident takes place, the trucking companies will do everything they can to shift responsibility for the accident to another party or parties. Whether it is the driver, vehicle manufacturer, or other party, the trucking company will use every trick it can to avoid taking responsibility for what happened. In many cases, the company will claim the driver was not an employee, but instead an independent contractor. Since this can take your medical-related case in an entirely different direction, it is critical you hire a lawyer who is experienced in similar cases to make sure the true facts are uncovered. While the trucking company may also attempt to claim it does not own the vehicle involved in the crash, this argument will often fail in court.
Federal Laws and Regulations
As the trucking industry has become better regulated over the years, new laws have been put in place to ensure those responsible for accidents are held accountable. One of these is the federal law stating that any company possessing a trucking permit can be held liable for any accidents involving a truck that has the company’s name or sign on the truck itself. Based on this law, it will make no difference whether the driver of the truck was employed by the company or instead operated as an independent contractor. With the right legal guidance you can overcome these arguments and gain compensation for your injuries.
Since trucking companies and other parties do not want to be held accountable for their negligence, don’t be surprised if they try to instead blame you for the accident. Therefore, always retain a lawyer who can help them win their case, since they have the knowledge and experience needed. Clients put their faith in us Grey Law. Call now to request a free consultation.
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