Large Truck Accidents
Accidents involving large trucks are among the most serious and most deadly in the United States. At Blackman Legal Group, we recognize that handling these cases requires a thorough understanding of commercial vehicle regulations on both the federal and state level. Trucking companies are required to follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations concerning their equipment and their drivers’ hours of service. In California, the department of transportation is also charged with the task of adopting regulations regarding the safety of commercial motor vehicles. Cal Veh Code § 34500. One of the most common violations of these regulations concerns the number of hours a large truck driver may work. Extended driving time fatigues drivers and is the number one cause of large truck accidents. Past examinations of driving hour records have shown a blatant disregard to these safety regulations and the companies who have violated them have been held to pay large sums in damages. However, trucking companies are only required to maintain many of those records for six months. Without obtaining those records before they are destroyed, the injured person or survivors of a person killed in a truck wreck has a much more difficult time proving the trucking company’s negligence. Blackman Legal Group knows and understands the complex regulations such as this, and can help you recover for your injuries.
The following represents facts and figures regarding large truck accidents and the serious damages they inflict on our roadways every year. In 2003 alone, 457,000 large trucks (gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds) were involved in traffic crashes in the United States, with 4,700 of those fatal crashes. A total of 5,211 people died (12 percent of all the traffic fatalities reported in 2000) and an additional 140,000 were injured in those crashes. One out of eight traffic fatalities in 2003 resulted from a collision involving a large truck. Of these fatalities, 74 percent were occupants of another vehicle, 8 percent were non-occupants, and 14 percent were occupants of the involved truck. Of all injuries that resulted from crashes involving large trucks, 76 percent were occupants of another vehicle, 2 percent were non-occupants, and 22 percent were occupants of the involved truck.
Intoxication rates for drivers of other types of vehicles involved in fatal crashes in 2003 were 19 percent for passenger cars, 20 percent for light trucks, and 27 percent for motorcycles. Drivers of large trucks were less likely to have a previous license suspension or revocation than were passenger car drivers (9 percent and 14 percent, respectively). Almost 30 percent of all large truck drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2003 had at least one prior speeding conviction, compared to just under 20 percent of the passenger car drivers involved in fatal crashes.
In all automobile accident cases it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. If you or a loved one is a victim of an automobile accident, call Blackman Legal Group now at 1-800-444-5602 or CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE FOR A FREE CASE EVALUATION. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don’t delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.