Seeing tractor-trailers, tanker trucks, and other large commercial vehicles zooming along Interstate 80 is a regular sight for those who live in Foothill Farms. After all, residents of the area commonly take this route to travel to Sacramento and the northeast to holiday at Lake Tahoe. However, road congestion is becoming perilous as more big rigs are under demand to deliver food, furniture, fuel, and other goods around the state. With this increase in traffic comes a higher risk of a serious traffic accident involving one of these large vehicles.

Those injured by a big rig can face unpaid time off work, high medical expenses, and the pain and suffering accompanying an injury. At AutoAccident.com, our injury lawyers have helped many Foothill Farms residents get the compensation they deserve and can do the same for you. Just call us for a free consultation.

Claims involving commercial truck accidents are more complicated than one between passenger vehicles. Because truck drivers and trucking companies must carry much larger insurance policies, paying out as little as possible is to their benefit. A personal injury lawyer who has handled these cases can negotiate a fair settlement for an injured client or take the case to court if necessary, something a trucking company wants to avoid.

Big trucks can get in the same accidents as passenger vehicles and light trucks. However, their height, width, and length are much more challenging to maneuver and require more room. Some of the types of collisions that a big rig can have include:

• Blindspot collisions: Big rigs have blind spots all the way around, which prevents the driver from seeing other vehicles if they are too close. These areas are known as “no-zones.” A truck driver is responsible for knowing if another vehicle is riding in their blind spot and has to avoid suddenly switching lanes or braking to avoid a collision with a car or light truck.
• Overloading: The truck trailer that has been overloaded or has an imbalance of the cargo inside can end up causing a rollover. A commercial truck that experiences a rollover can impact other vehicles, causing severe injuries or fatalities.
• Override/Underride accidents: Large commercial vehicles are often set up much higher than passenger cars. If a trucker is speeding or a smaller vehicle ahead slows or stops suddenly, the big rig may ride over the top of the car, leading to massive injuries or fatalities. The same happens if a truck stops suddenly because the vehicle behind it may pass underneath.
• Wide turns: Because a big rig is so long, it requires more space to make a turn, and part of the trailer may intrude into the adjacent lane, crashing with a motor vehicle.
• Jackknifing: Jackknifing occurs when the pulled trailer swings to the side, forming a shape somewhat like a jackknife. These accidents often involve weather conditions, speeding, going downhill too fast, or applying the wrong brakes.
• Rollovers: Excessive speed accounts for about 45 percent of all tractor-trailer rollovers. Because big rigs have a higher center of gravity, inattention, unsecured cargo, other drivers, brake or tire failure, and several other reasons can also cause a semi-rollover accident. Injuries can be expected if other vehicles are in the way when it happens.

The YouTube video below explains why an accident between a large truck and a passenger vehicle is rarely an even fight.

Your Foothill Farms truck accident attorney can investigate your collision to determine exactly why it occurred and to prove fault. After compiling a list of the potentially liable parties, he or she will begin narrowing it down. Among the areas where evidence is gathered are:

• Accident reconstruction is performed by our investigators to determine how the collision occurred and the vehicles’ placement before, during, and after.
• The police report is examined to ensure its accuracy. Errors in the police report could potentially interfere with a client’s ability to place a compensation claim.
• Nearby road, business, and traffic surveillance cameras are checked to see if the Foothill Farms truck accident was captured on film. This evidence is indisputable when the lawyer negotiates with the insurance company on the client’s behalf or takes the case to court.
• The ELD or logbooks are checked to see if they have been falsified.
• Driver and company records are examined to see if there is any history of negligence, poor maintenance of the vehicle, etc.

Truck drivers must get a CDL license, which holds them to higher standards than those who operate motor vehicles. For example, a trucker who shows a 0.04 BAC level instead of a 0.08 BAC level for the driver of a passenger vehicle faces DUI charges. Also, truckers have to abide by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) regulations, including hours they are allowed to drive, cell phone use, and regular alcohol and drug testing. Your truck accident lawyer can investigate to see if any of these regulations were violated, which would make the driver liable.

Unlike most motor vehicle accidents, more than one person or entity may be found responsible for injuries when a big rig causes harm to another motorist, bicyclist, or pedestrian. Depending on the cause of the Foothill Farms truck accident, the following parties may be held liable in some cases:

• The truck driver is employed by a company or an independent operator.
• The truck’s owner may rent the truck to another driver.
• The company owns the big rig and employs the driver.
• Maintenance companies that service the truck and handle repairs.
• Manufacturers if it is found that a defective part caused the accident.
• A government entity if it is discovered that shoddy maintenance, a defective traffic signal, or some other problem led to the accident.

If you suffered an injury from a negligent truck driver, we have free and friendly advice to offer and can answer your questions if you phone our law firm at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. Look over our past cases of Settlements and Verdicts.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 8.10.23] Image by republishing from Pixabay cd cha [cs 1061]}