Those who live in Auburn are familiar with Highways 49 and Interstate 80 and know that they are major area roadways for commuters and commercial vehicles. If you’ve spent time driving on these highways, you’ve likely noticed many large semi-trucks and the accidents and traffic jams they can cause. You are probably also aware that these accidents can cause massive damage, often involving multiple vehicles and numerous injuries.

Because Auburn is located on two busy highways, residents who frequently use these roads have a higher chance of being involved in an accident involving a large truck. Whether the truck is transporting produce to a local grocery store or taking construction materials, chemicals, or other freight from one city to the next, these vehicles pose a considerable risk to other drivers. The sheer size of these vehicles means that even low-speed crashes can have severe and fatal consequences for people driving smaller passenger vehicles.

Large trucks are almost always owned by a company that operates multiple vehicles. These companies are very aware that their trucks can easily cause severe accidents and have learned how to defend themselves from liability almost immediately after a crash. Their insurance companies will generally send a quick-response team to the collision site to take their statements from witnesses, collect their own evidence, and try to cover themselves from responsibility in case of a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

Because trucking companies are quick to act, having an attorney on your side as soon as possible is essential when seeking payment for trucking accident damages. Having a lawyer with plenty of experience representing trucking accident victims and knowing how to best prevent companies from disclaiming responsibility is also essential.

To learn more about why you may want to consider a lawsuit for your truck accident injuries, you can watch the following video:

An Auburn truck accident lawyer should know about trucking litigation and related legal issues. Trucking collision lawsuits are different from suits involving passenger vehicles partly because there are federal and state regulations that drivers and trucking companies have to follow. These regulations are meant to keep truckers alert and safe and to ensure that trucks are well-maintained and operating correctly. Violating these regulations means that trucking companies are risking the lives of others.

The primary regulatory agency that institutes these regulations for trucks and truckers crossing state borders is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In California, the Department of Transportation serves as the regulatory agency that oversees commercial trucks.

We would not claim that most commercial truck drivers are negligent drivers. Most truck drivers are committed to driving their vehicles safely and following all the regulations they should follow. However, all it takes is one negligent trucker who disregards safety regulations to cause a severe and even fatal accident. The trucking accidents that we hear about on the news are usually caused by drivers who neglect to follow safety regulations.

Often, companies aim to keep expenses low and profits high by pushing unrealistic schedules on their drivers. When drivers are pressured to maintain an unrealistic schedule, they often don’t get enough time to rest. Driving for long periods with little sleep can affect the brain, like driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Some of the common negligent behaviors that cause truck accidents include:

• Speeding to deliver goods more quickly
• Failing to check blind spots
• Improper truck maintenance
• Failure to properly screen the driving records of a trucker
• Drug and/or alcohol use
• Poor route selection
• Failure to complete regular vehicle inspection
• Lack of supervision and/or training
• Exceeding the maximum allowed driving time without resting

After representing people injured in trucking accidents for over three decades, we know how to gather and preserve the most crucial evidence from a collision. I’m also aware of the different types of tactics that companies and drivers will try to avoid being held responsible for. Truckers must log their hours of service (HOS) in logbooks or electronic devices to prove they are not fatigued. However, GPS data, fuel receipts, and other information often show discrepancies with HOS logs. These types of evidence can be invaluable when trying to claim fair compensation.

The occupants of smaller vehicles are much more likely to be seriously injured in a trucking accident than in a crash with another small car. Those involved in trucking accidents often suffer injuries that leave them with chronic pain, permanent disabilities, and, worst cases, fatal trauma. Some of the severe injuries that those involved in trucking accidents commonly suffer include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Amputation injuries
• Internal organ trauma
• Bone fractures
• Spinal cord injuries
• Severe burns

If you or someone you care about was hurt during a large truck collision, call our law office for free, friendly advice at (800) 404-5400 or (530) 392-9400.

Since 1982, our injury lawyers have been helping Auburn residents claim the money they deserve for personal injury and wrongful death damages.

See our past cases on our Verdicts and Settlements page.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 8.1.23] Photo by Jacques Bopp on Unsplash ms cha [cs 877]}