Over a century ago, there was a place called Washington, California, which was mainly an industrial and agricultural center that fed and supplied Sacramento and its surrounding counties. In 1900, Washington broke down into three communities called Bryte, Broderick, and West Sacramento, cumulatively referred to as “East Yolo.” The area’s population multiplied back then, and the city of West Sacramento was officially incorporated in 1987.

What was once mainly agricultural and industrial land is now booming with retail establishments like IKEA, Home Depot, Target, television stations, newspapers, and sports, and the corporate headquarters of Raley’s, a grocery store chain in Northern California, also located in West Sacramento. Things have progressed so much in West Sacramento that the U.S. Conference of Mayors named it one of America’s “Most Livable” Cities in 2014.

Large commercial truck accidents are horrifying, mainly because you rarely hear about a semi-truck collision everyone walked away from without a scratch. In most big rig crashes, you hear about multiple cars involved, fatalities, and numerous serious injuries. 18-wheeler wrecks tend to cause much bigger catastrophes than passenger vehicle crashes.

Worse yet, when we hear about truck accidents, they are often the truck driver’s fault. Either the driver fell asleep at the wheel or was driving under the influence, or the truck driver did not slow down fast enough in a time-sensitive circumstance.

Regardless of how the truck driver was negligent, all the injuries and deaths in one truck accident are usually unnecessary. Someone should be held accountable for the pain, suffering, and grief that each truck accident leaves in its wake. Truck driver negligence is preventable and avoidable.

Nearly 500,000 tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and other large commercial trucks will be involved in truck accidents yearly. While most of these accidents leave injured parties behind, approximately one-third of the 500,000 truck accidents yearly will result in serious injuries or deaths.

The attorneys at our law office have won multiple million-dollar settlements and verdicts for injured parties and surviving family members of commercial truck accidents. We have thoroughly studied the laws and regulations for the trucking industry. The rules regarding commercial trucks and truck drivers are much more rigorous than the laws for motorists of passenger vehicles. Truck drivers, the companies they work for, and their big rigs are held to high expectations under state laws and federal regulations.

When a truck driver pulls a truck onto the road, there is a duty of care owed to other motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians to exercise caution and reasonable care. This duty of care is to ensure that other drivers on the road are as safe as possible. If a truck driver is careless, reckless, or negligent, that means they violated the duty of care, regardless of how minute the mistake may seem. Some examples of violating a truck driver’s duty of care include disobeying traffic laws or drinking and driving. If a truck driver is found negligent, the driver and the company they work for can be held liable for any damages, injuries, or death.

Watch the video below to learn more about contacting a West Sacramento trucking accident attorney after your crash.

If you or someone that you love has been seriously injured in a big rig crash in West Sacramento or somewhere else in Yolo County, CA, we can help you seek full compensation for your losses. Call our experienced West Sacramento truck accident lawyers at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice. See our case history of verdicts and settlements.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 11.29.23] Photo by Rhys Moult on Unsplash [cs 921]}