According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NSHTA) semi truck accidents cause more than 4,000 fatalities and result in over 100,000 injuries each year in the United States.
While there can be several causes of semi truck accidents ranging from poor vehicle maintenance to manufacturing defects to improper loading, most semi truck accidents are caused by driver error. Some of the factors involved in these types of accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Failing to watch blind spots
- Lack of familiarity with the road
- Drug and alcohol violations
- Failing to stop or yield
- Lack of familiarity with the route
- Aggressive driving
- Health issues
- Poor vision
- Violations of trucking regulations pertaining to driving hours
Semi Truck Accident Injuries
Given the size of semi trucks, semi truck accident injuries can be - and often are - catastrophic. If the accident doesn’t result in death, it often causes serious, life changing injuries that may take years to recover from. Some common semi truck accident injuries include:
- Wrongful death
- Head injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
- Internal Injuries
- Lacerations
- Rib and Torso Injuries
- Seat Belt Injuries
- Broken bones
A semi truck accident victim can recover damages for past and future medical expenses, loss of past, current, and future wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering (mental and physical), and property and vehicle damage.
Semi Truck Accident Claims
Claims for semi truck accidents are more complex than your average auto accident case because trucking is a heavily regulated industry with state and federal policies governing everything from driver’s licenses and qualifications to annual inspections, driver hours, and logbooks. Proving a violation of these regulations was the cause of your accident will help establish liability. That’s why it’s important to hire a firm with experience in these types of cases who are familiar with these regulations and know what to look for. If you or a loved one is injured in a commercial truck accident, contact an experienced Los Angeles truck accident lawyer at The Javid Trial Firm for a free consultation
Another factor contributing to the complexity of semi truck accidents is that they often involve catastrophic injuries and multiple potentially responsible parties such as the semi truck driver, the truck owner, the truck manufacturer, the truck loader, the brake manufacturer, and the company responsible for maintaining the truck. You need a skilled legal team to investigate the scene of the accident, secure evidence, and help you identify and pursue potentially responsible parties.
Semi truck accident claims tend to involve larger dollar figures than your garden variety auto accident claim. This is partially due to the fact that the injuries tend to be more serious and partially due to the fact that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires truck drivers to carry much higher amounts of liability insurance than the average car driver carries. Many commercial trucking companies require truck drivers to carry minimum liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.
Truck Accident Results
The Javid Trial Firm has helped its clients recover millions of dollars in damages in truck accident cases. Recent successes include:
- $34.5 million - Truck Accident
Contact a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer at The Javid Trial Firm if you or a loved one were injured in a semi truck accident. We’ll work hard to help you recover the maximum amount of compensation in your case.