Getting involved in an accident with a large commercial truck accident can be a harrowing experience that leaves you severely damaged physically, emotionally, and financially. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that many 18-wheelers weigh in the range of 80,000 pounds, and this means the weight of a big rig can be up to forty times that of a commuter car or SUV.

Commercial truck accidents are so different from your typical car accident. Wrecks involving big rigs often cause severe injuries and are more complex. If you are involved in a truck accident, you need the services of an attorney who is well versed in truck accident cases.

Due to the increased destructive force of trucks, truck drivers need to be vigilant and alert when operating these vehicles on public roads and highways. Unfortunately, some truck drivers throw caution to the wind and operate their rigs, completely disregarding others’ safety. Common examples of how collisions occur between big rigs and smaller vehicles include:

• Fatigue: A study concluded that a common cause of truck accidents is driver fatigue. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration creates regulations that limit the number of hours truck drivers can work. Truck drivers also have a personal responsibility not to drive when fatigued.
• Substance Abuse: Drug and alcohol abuse are becoming a frequent cause of accidents. Trucking companies are expected to carry out tests before hiring a driver, and they also have to monitor the driver afterward for signs of substance abuse.
• Speeding: An 18-wheeler moving at 70 miles per hour has double the force of a truck moving at 50 miles per hour. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one-quarter of fatal accidents involved a truck driver’s prior speeding conviction.

If you are still conscious after a truck accident, thinking clearly may be overwhelming. However, if possible, you should try to take some crucial steps to strengthen your potential personal injury claim after the accident.

• Preserve Evidence from the Accident Site: Immediately after a truck accident, you must try to preserve some critical information about what happened. If you are physically able, take some pictures of the accident scene with your phone camera.
• Get Medical Attention: After a truck accident, you and your passengers might have suffered severe injuries. At this stage, even if you don’t see any visible signs of an injury, you should still get medical attention. Some injuries like brain damage may go undetected with future disastrous consequences. If you don’t immediately seek medical care, your attorney might find it difficult to connect later manifestations of your injury to the accident.
• Get the Contact Information of the Truck Driver and Any Witnesses: Collecting the full name, phone number, and name of the employer of the truck operator is extremely important because this information will be needed to get claim documents filed with the driver’s insurance company. Also, get the contact information of any witnesses who saw the collision, and they could wind up testifying in court or being deposed.

If your truck accident was fully or partially caused by the negligence of the truck operator, you should pursue a truck accident injury claim against the driver and their employer. You could be compensated for your harms and losses, including:

• Medical bills for past, future and present medical treatment result from the truck accident.
• Compensation for the wages you lost as a result of the accident. This involves the time you were away from work receiving treatment. Or the times you had to see a therapist, go for tests, etc.
• You also get damages for impairments to your earning capacity due to your injuries.
• You get compensation for the pain and suffering you have to endure due to the crash.
• Compensation for the changes in lifestyle due to the accident. An example of this is your injuries prevent you from engaging in a favorite sporting activity like running, swimming, etc.
• Punitive damages if the truck operator caused the accident’s truly shocking or egregious conduct (e.g., the truck operator was high on illegal narcotics and speeding on Interstate 80).

Multiple parties in a truck accident may be held liable for your harms and losses. They include:

• The truck driver
• Manufacturers and retailers of the truck
• The trucking company that employed the driver
• Repair facilities maintaining the truck

You should also make sure you bring your claim as soon as possible. In California, the limitation period for personal injury claims is only two years. So, if you file a claim after this period, the court likely will not hear your case. Contact the best truck accident attorney in Rocklin as soon as possible.

Do not take on the truck company alone. Many large commercial truck companies have large teams of investigators, claim adjusters and attorneys who spend their days reducing or denying the truck company’s liability in injury cases.