Large commercial trucks share the roads with passenger vehicles throughout California, including the greater Folsom area. These trucks are heavily regulated by the state and federal governments, yet there are thousands of serious accidents yearly. When a crash occurs between a large commercial truck and a much smaller car, the impact forces often cause severe and life-threatening injuries. It is not unusual for the driver and passengers of smaller vehicles to be hospitalized with severe injuries while the truck operator walks away with minimal or no injuries. Getting legal assistance from a truck accident lawyer in Folsom is imperative as soon as possible to move forward from these injuries.

If you have been injured in a trucking accident and believe negligence was involved, you may be entitled to damages for your accident. You can file a personal injury claim against the person responsible for compensation to pay for all your damages, including your mental and physical suffering. Call our experienced injury lawyers at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for a free consultation.

Numerous factors contribute to the involvement of large trucks accidents in Folsom and its neighboring areas. However, a significant portion of these collisions can be attributed to the negligence of truck drivers or the trucking companies they work for. Here are some prevalent forms of negligence observed in such cases:

• Overloading or failing to secure cargo – Profit motivates much of the behavior that leads to devastating accidents. Trying to load as much as possible onto a trailer often leads to dangerous conditions.
• Failing to maintain vehicles – When a truck is pulled off the road for repair, it costs drivers/owners or trucking companies money, so maintenance may be pushed off as long as possible.
• Improperly training drivers – Many trucking companies are desperate for drivers and putting them behind these large trucks’ wheels earlier than they should be.
• Negligent driving – This behavior leads to driving while fatigued because the driver is violating federal hours-of-service regulations, talking or texting on a cell phone, speeding to make up time, or engaging in other behaviors that place innocent lives in jeopardy to many catastrophic crashes.
• Aggressive driving – When a large truck driver goes beyond negligent driving to actively engage in road rage-related behaviors, there is a severe risk of a terrible accident.

When there is a collision between a car and a commercial truck, the resulting injuries may be horrific, including the following:

• Fractured or broken bones
• Spinal injuries
• Limb amputation
• Internal organ damage
• Permanent disfigurement
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Burn injuries
• Death

A person who has been seriously injured may face many months in the hospital, followed by extended periods of rehabilitation and therapy. Many people can never return to work before a severe car accident. A tremendous burden is also placed on the family and loved ones of the person harmed by the negligence. For these reasons, it is critical to pursue a personal injury case to recover the following damages:

• Medical expenses, including costs reasonably likely to accrue over a lifetime of care necessary because of the big rig crash
• Lost wages and future earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages – these only are awarded where the negligent party’s actions were deemed to be egregious.

If a person was killed because a trucker or trucking company was negligent, a truck accident attorney from Folsom can bring a wrongful death action on behalf of surviving family members. These cases seek the compensation necessary to rebuild the lives of those devastated by the terrible loss of a loved one.

Watch the following video below to learn about the types of damages you can claim in a trucking collision lawsuit.