Los Angeles is famous for its movie stars, but almost equally as famous for its terrible traffic. This chronic problem is made all the more dangerous by the thousands of big-rig trucks that use the California freeways as main arteries to transport the goods coming in from ports like Long Beach and San Pedro. Notoriously crowded freeways such as the 110, the 405 and the 605 are regularly the scenes of horrific truck accidents, making a Los Angeles Truck Accident Attorney a necessity. Because of the size and scope of these heavy trucks traveling at high speeds on our freeways, the victims of these Truck Accidents ? most often the occupants of the passenger cars they collide with ? suffer long-term gross injuries, such as spinal chord injury, head trauma and even death. As a result, there are as many Truck Accident Lawyers in Los Angeles as there are movie stars.
Truckers, like the rest of us, are under the gun now with high gas prices guzzling up a bigger share of their profits. Big-rig drivers are in a bigger hurry to deliver their goods. The result of all this pressure? Longer hours, less sleep, and more stress. Unfortunately, this is a recipe for disaster. Truck Accidents in Los Angeles are on the rise as is the need for Truck Accident Lawyers.
We've all seen it: truck drivers weaving in front of us, merging over into our lane of traffic, or following too close. And on congested Los Angeles freeways, this type of reckless behavior does not leave passenger cars nearby much room to maneuver. Eighteen-wheelers pose a particularly dangerous threat on the road. Fully loaded, trucks can weigh in at more than 80,000 pounds. Stack that up against a typical family car weighing 3000 pounds or less and it's clear why a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer agrees that this type of Truck Accident constitutes one of the largest proportion of fatalities among motor vehicle accidents ? one out of every nine accidents. It also produces a disproportionately high rate of gross injury. Personal Injury Attorneys in Los Angeles who specialize in Truck Accidents can attest to the fact that 78% of fatalities in these types of truck accidents were not the truck drivers themselves, but were the occupants of the other vehicle. In many cases, these other drivers were innocent victims of truck drivers? negligence.
So what are the contributing factors to these frightening truck accident statistics?
? Driver fatigue. Truck drivers are pushing their limits to deliver their goods, driving with little sleep and an extra load of stress. They're driving faster and pushing the envelope of safety. They keep less and less distance between themselves and the passenger cars nearby.
? Inexperienced truck drivers who lack training.
? Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
? Driving too fast. Did you know that a mere 10 mph over the speed limit can nearly double the distance a truck needs to brake safely? from 315 feet to 400 feet. In wet weather, those figures practically double to 720 feet for a full stop.
? Following too closely. The DMV recommends a car length for every ten miles per hour. But with big rigs measuring in at 65 feet long, you can see the stopping distance far exceeds the normal following distance we all see truckers following on the freeway.
? Loss of control. Seemingly minor errors in driving that could be easily corrected in a passenger car can become fatal errors in a big rig. Over-correction, too little braking room, and heavy loads balanced on the trailer can all contribute to a disastrous truck accident.
In October of 2007, one of the worst truck accidents in California history occurred in Santa Clarita when 15 trucks converged on a tunnel known for its safety issues. But the trucks, traveling at a high rate of speed, despite the low visibility in the curve of the tunnel ahead, caused a fiery collision, multiple fatalities and many more serious injuries. Truck accident experts ? as well as Personal Injury Attorneys and Truck Accident Lawyers ? believe that this kind of truck accident could have been avoided if the truckers had reduced their speed going into the poorly lit, curving tunnel.
Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorneys are all too familiar with the horror stories emerging from these types of catastrophic truck accidents. Collisions involving trucks constitute 1 out of every 9 fatal motor vehicle accidents.
While fatalities and injuries of the truckers themselves are concerning, they represent a proportionately small group of victims. Typically, in fatal truck accidents, only fifteen percent are the truckers themselves. Who suffers the most from truck accidents? People like you. Innocent people. Loved ones who did nothing more than get on the freeway to drive home.
If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident what can you do? Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles or a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer who specialize in this type of Personal Injury lawsuit. They can advise you about what steps to file a Personal Injury claim, whether or not you have been injured. In one Truck Accident, the father of two children was killed in a head on semi-truck collision and was awarded $2,000,000. In another case, a man killed on a motorcycle by a big rig truck received a $4 million dollar settlement because of negligence of the truck driver. In each of these cases, being represented by an experienced and competent Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney.
Every 90 seconds, somewhere in this country, a Train Accident happens: a car dips behind a crossing guard rail and causes a devastating accident involving dozens of innocent commuters; an engineer gets caught accidentally between two cars at a siding; a signal light goes haywire, misdirecting a train into the path of another.
are presented with tragic scenarios like this every day and must deal with the devastating ramifications for their clients who, in some cases, must live with the consequences of those Train Accidents for the rest of their lives.
In September 2008, the worst Train Accident in forty years occurred when a freight train and a passenger train collided in Chatsworth, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Twenty-five people were killed in that accident and more than a 130 injured. The cause? Reports say that the engineer was too busy texting some teenagers to notice the signal light. Secondary reports say there may have also been issues with the signal switches. The results were devastating. Train Accident Attorneys are all too familiar with this sort of negligence. Most people involved in an accident like this aren't aware of their rights as passengers of mass transit systems such as trains.
An experienced will tell you that trains, like busses, cruise ships, airlines, subway trains and any other system that transports the public, has a special obligation to the safety of its riders. Train Accident Attorneys will tell you that it's not just an obligation like you might have if you drove a friend in your car. Transportation companies that serve the public are held to the highest standard of operation when it comes to protecting the people they transport or, in the case of trains, also to protect the public from the trains they run.
Equally important, as in the case of the train in Los Angeles, if a train company hires an engineer from outside its own company, that other company is also held to the highest standard of safety. If that company was negligent in allowing an engineer to operate a train, for instance, who had a history of using his cell phone on duty, outside the company rules, then they would be at fault as well.
Train Accident Attorneys have years of experience uncovering whether or not that standard of safety has been met. And most often, in a Train Accident, there is some fault involved that does not meet that highest standard of care. Train companies must constantly test signal lights, crossing arms and track lines to ensure safety of their trains. It is estimated that human error and faulty equipment are the two most common causes for railway accidents.
If a worker on a train is injured in a Train Accident, he/she is initially covered by workman's compensation. Therefore, because of laws passed by the U.S. Government, he cannot sue his own company for compensation. Without an experienced Train Accident Attorney, victims often find themselves lost in a maze of legal mumbo jumbo and intimidation from high-pressure lawyers on the other side of the table protecting the interests of the company.
Unfortunately, that's where many people believe the story ends. The victims of Train Accidents like this can suffer for a lifetime, without being fairly compensated by the very companies that have failed to meet their own standards. Train Accident Attorneys have long experience unraveling the tangle of fault and blame when it comes to these kinds of accidents.
Thirty-two year old Melvin Jeglon, an engineer for a train company, trusted that his company would always take care of him. But the day he lost his hand in a coupling accident in Los Angeles caused by a faulty mechanism, he discovered that his workman's compensation would only go so far in helping him with the disability he now had to cope with for the rest of his life. He was forced to retire. Out of work after his workman's compensation ended, he nearly lost his home. He didn't know where to turn. The Los Angeles Train Accident Attorney he finally hired proved negligence on the part of the company that manufactured the mechanism. They won a big settlement that saved Melvin's home and got him back on his feet again. Melvin had every right to that compensation, but would never have received it if he hadn't consulted an attorney who specializes in Train Accidents.
Train Accident Attorneys are equally familiar with accidents that happen on roadways every day in America where trains and cars collide. It's a mystery why ever railroad crossing is not armed with crossing bars and signal lights, but there are many that are not. For instance, a crossing in Valencia, California had lost its Railroad Crossing street sign after a car accident at the intersection some weeks before. Though the train company had been informed of the loss, they were slow to put the sign back up. In the interim, a car unfamiliar with the area accidentally crossed in the path of a train and the driver was killed. Who is at fault? The driver for not being aware? Or the train company, for not immediately putting up a warning sign? Train Accident Attorneys will tell you that it is the obligation of the train company to protect the public first. Its failure to put up adequate warning caused the driver to inadvertently risk his life by crossing those tracks. His family sued the train company and their attorney was able to win a large settlement for the family.
Should you find yourself in the middle of a train accident, your best resource for help is a Train Accident Attorney with years of experience, fighting for clients injured by trains. In an industry that holds itself to the highest standard of care, you have every right to expect exactly that.
Both Dietrichelliot & Dietrich Elliot are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dietrichelliot has sinced written about articles on various topics from Truck Accident. Dietrich Elliot is a freelance writer, teacher and retired . He writes about. Dietrichelliot's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Dietrich Elliot has sinced written about articles on various topics from Legal Matters, Truck Accident and Legal Matters. Dietrich Elliot is a freelance writer, teacher and retired . He writes about. Dietrich Elliot's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.