In the United States, truck accident incidents are the reason behind more or less 5,000 fatalities and 133,000 injuries, every year. In California, truck accidents are considered as severe problems because only a few vehicle drivers and the passengers in it survive the impact of colliding or crashing on a truck.
A truck being used for commercial purposes like large freight cargo carriers and eighteen-wheelers commonly weigh around 2.5 times more then that of a usual sized average vehicle. Almost all truck accidents result in catastrophic consequences with traumatic effects.
Furthermore, the unique threats that are probable in truck accidents may worsen depending upon the contents or cargo contained in the commercial trucks.
Many scenarios owing to the contents of the trucks that may pose as a secondary harm to the victims involved.
•If the truck holds hazardous, toxic, or flammable substances, burns and respiratory injuries may add as a secondary harm to all the victims involved •Many commercial truck drivers do not drive quite safely because of deadlines and probably even if according to statistics, they are relatively the safer driver than the other smaller vehicle drivers are.
Causes of truck accidents
There are quite a lot of causes that trigger truck accidents to occur. The sad fact is, the trucking business itself that does not always promote safety in its operation.
•Some truck drivers have not received professional or even proper training in handling and driving such big rigs
•Drivers of trucks are encouraged to work for long hours and they miss the necessary rest just to stay completely alert.
•Automobile drivers are the ones who become negligent and cause the vehicle's collision or crash with a truck.
Most usual causes of accidents involving trucks:
-the truck driver or the driver of the other vehicle is under the influence of alcohol or drugs -schedules are unrealistic, and therefore encourages speeding – ignoring of imposed 55mph truck speed limit in California
-the truck driver is already too overwhelmed with fatigue
-driver boredom and mobile phone use
-tailgating and jackknifing
-the truck's load is not properly arranged or loaded
-truck has faulty maintenance - failure of proper inspection and maintenances of the truck's brakes, tires and lights
-violations of road safety rules and regulations
-truck drivers' aggressiveness
-failure in installing mirrors for blind spots in order to avoid the dangerous lane changes
Differences between truck accidents and other vehicle accidents
•Same laws of negligence apply but commercial truck drivers and trucking companies have to obey some special Vehicle Code sections.
•Truck drivers have special training and licensing requirements – one factory why truck accidents are tougher to defend and easier for those who sued to win adequate compensation
If you were injured or a loved one of yours was killed in the aftermath of a truck accident, you can file a personal injury lawsuit on account of a truck accident against another party who is allegedly at fault.
Liability for truck accident cases
-Any entity or person determined to be at fault for making the accident happen
•truck driver and trucking company
•trailer owner
•shipper
•any other party that contributed to make the accident happen • •negligent owner of any private or public property
Nobody can tell where and where an accident may happen. Despite your strict implementation of precautionary measures, you are still prone to being involved in a car accident. Your only option is to stay home and to avoid driving on those busy streets, but certainly, it is impossible to accomplish.
However, in case you got into a confrontation with a negligent driver, the NHTSA has some recommendations that you may consider:
•Avoid his or her track and do your best to keep a safe distance from his or her vehicle •Forget your pride and maintain your temper. Do not provoke the other party in a speeding battle on roads. This will only aggravate the situation and further put both of you in a risky situation. •Never engage in an eye-to-eye contact with the other driver. This may only trigger a misconception that you are challenging him or her. It is also advisable to avoid making gestures and refuse returning them. •If you think that you cannot control the situation, put your car in a safe area and report the incident to the police who are duly authorized to castigate any aggressive driver. Dealing with the Car Accident As mentioned earlier, accidents happen when we least expect it. Thus, it would be better for us to know, beforehand, the proper steps to do in case of an accident. 1.Keep yourself away from further danger – some incidence of car collisions result in explosions so it would be better to vacate your car after removing it on the road track and go in a safer place. 2.Determine the extent of your injury and seek immediate medical treatment by calling 911. Never let any incompetent individuals to handle the situations. 3.Remember or better yet list down the facts about the other driver including his name, address and contact information. Get the licensed plate number and model of the car that struck you. 4.Limit your statements and give information about the accident only to the police. It is also vital not to accept any fault from the incident fro it may just prevent you from filing charges against the other party in the future. 5.Have your insurance company informed about what had happened. 6.Seek the aid of an experienced auto accident lawyer in filing the proper lawsuit against the negligent driver. Conclusion Car accidents do happen and driver negligence is the main reason of such occurrences. Nobody then is guaranteed of safe travel since you can never be sure when these irresponsible people would appear on the roads. The least thing that we could do is to still abide by the traffic rules and understand the steps on how to handle these situations. If you suffered any injury from it, invoke your rights and have a credible lawyer to assist you in bringing your case in court.
Both Lala C. Ballatan & Rainier Policarpio 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.
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