Unfortunately for drivers in the San Fernando Valley and their passengers, truck accidents are a fact of life on the 101 — and elsewhere. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), there are approximately 500,000 truck accidents in the United States each year. Due to their massive sizes and heavy weights, trucks can cause serious damage and even death, with about 5,000 truck accident-related fatalities occuring each year. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident caused by a semi truck or big rig, obtain adequate medical treatment and reach out to an experienced auto accident lawyer in the San Fernando Valley.
The statistics around trucking accidents are frightening:
- About 2% of yearly fatalities are truck drivers
- About 98% are the individuals in passenger vehicles or cyclists and pedestrians
- 1 in 8 traffic fatalities involves a truck collision
- Fatal tractor trailer accidents cost Americans more than $20 billion each year, $13.1 billion of which is the cost associated with loss of quality of life
If you were involved in an auto accident, talk to your attorney about recovering financially for your losses.
It is important to note that truck drivers are required to observe numerous safety regulations, including placing underride guards and reflective tape on big rigs to help prevent auto accidents. Your personal injury lawyer will research whether all relevant laws and regulations were followed by both the truck driver and the owner of the truck, as negligence is no excuse for causing serious injuries to innocent victims.
A majority of all fatal truck accidents occur during the daylight hours. This means that whether it is for work or for pleasure, if you spend time driving highways, it might be a good idea to follow these safe driving precautions:
- Be extra alert as you approach a large truck, they drive differently than sedans or even SUVs
- Avoid blind spots around trucks. One-third of all crashes between large trucks and cars take place in the truck’s blind spots.
- Do not cut in front of a large vehicle, including a truck.
- Remember that the brake time of a semi or big rig is much slower than that of a smaller vehicle.
- Give trucks at least four to six seconds of space in wet conditions and at highway speeds.
- Call authorities if you see unsafe driving.
Sometimes even the safest drivers are injured by negligent truck drivers. If you or a loved on has been injured in any type of auto accident caused by a truck or if your loved one has died in a truck crash, reach out to a highly qualified team of injury professionals today. Because of the complexities in truck crash cases, it is important to hire a legal team with experience handling big rig accidents claims.
For more information on filing an auto accident claim, contact attorney Barry P. Goldberg today.
