In 2016, 4,213 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 55,633 large trucks were involved in injury crashes, and 99,911 were involved in tow-away crashes.
Hazardous materials (HM) cargo was present on 4 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes and 2 percent of those in nonfatal crashes. HM was released from the cargo compartments of 16 percent of the placarded trucks in fatal and nonfatal crashes. Flammable liquids (gasoline, fuel oil, etc.) accounted for 60 percent of the HM releases from cargo compartments in fatal crashes and 52 percent of the HM releases in nonfatal crashes.
“Collision with the vehicle in transport” was recorded as the most harmful event for 74 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes and for 76 percent of the large trucks involved in nonfatal crashes.
Long Beach Large Truck Crash Facts
The critical pre-crash event for 73 percent of the large trucks in fatal crashes was another vehicle, person, animal, or object in the large truck’s lane or encroaching into it. Twenty-three percent of the large trucks in fatal crashes had critical pre-crash events of their own movement or loss of control.
Singles (truck tractors pulling a single semi-trailer) accounted for 62 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes in 2016; doubles (tractors pulling two trailers) made up 3 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes, and triples (tractors pulling three trailers) accounted for less than 0.1 percent of all large trucks involved in fatal crashes.
Vehicle-related factors were coded for 5 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes and 3 percent of the passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes. “Other Working Vehicle” and “Tires” were the most common vehicle-related factors for large trucks in fatal crashes, at 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively. “Tires” was the most frequently coded vehicle-related factor for passenger vehicles in fatal crashes, at 1 percent.
Reasons for Truck Accidents in Long Beach
A truck accident may involve various serious injuries. Because of the high volume of commercial trucks driving on the roads this accident unfortunately commonly occurs on our highways. Trucking asked students are similar to what we all know his regular auto accidents however these may present additional issues and factors not commonly understood by every Long Beach truck accident law office. Typically for truck accidents, there will be some sort of commercial policy or company responsible for the driver of the truck.
The causes for a truck accident will vary from case to case it is very important that if you’re involved in an accident involving a truck that you contact a Long Beach personal injury attorney immediately.
Laws and Regulations for Commercial Truck Drivers
Most laws and regulations for commercial truck drivers will be sourced from the California Department of Transportation Office of Trucks and Services. These laws are put into place to ensure that trucks are on the road for complying with safety regulations. Each state will have specific laws to protect drivers from trucking companies who are operating illegally and making the roads unsafe.
The laws governing the truck size and weight in the State of California are found in Cal. Vehicle Code §§35001 et seq. at http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml). The provisions governing truck weight are in Cal. Vehicle Code §§35550 et seq. and permitting provisions are in Cal. Vehicle Code §§35780 et seq.
Most Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
Caused by Driver Fatigue
The cause of a truck accident is not always known at the time of the accident. In the event driver fatigue is confirmed as the cause of a truck accident, this will make things easier to establish liability and resolve your case. Sometimes a driver may admit that he fell asleep at the wheel, or when the police arrive they may make the determination the driver fell asleep at the wheel. Whatever information you receive about the condition of the driver at the time of the truck accident should be handed to your Long Beach truck accident attorney so that can record the information to prepare your case.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had provided recent studies on the issue of driver fatigue and data on those driving trucks on our roads. This information can be found here Power Point on Driver information and Fatigue
Caused by Mechanical Failure
Truck accidents can also be caused by failure to properly maintain a truck and its equipment. Commercial trucks undergo heavy use and there are many things that can go wrong if safety guidelines are not meant.
- Steering failure
- Breaking Failure
- Transmission Failure
Generally, a trucking company that is involved in a truck accident will have an insurance company cover any claims against them. Our Long Beach truck accident lawyers protect our clients against companies, insurance companies, law firms, and anything else that is in the way of us getting our clients what they deserve. Again most of the work is done by our staff and we try to involve our clients only when they need to be.
Because of all the technology out there today, our Long Beach truck accident attorney will explore all the different types of evidence that exist. This will involve dash cams, street cameras, police reports, witness statements, and black box data from the vehicles involved in the accident themselves. We ask our clients to provide us any information or evidence we have and we’ll take it over from there.
In addition to evidence that may be related to a specific accident is information that may have already existed about a particular driver or a trucking company, The history of those involved in a truck accident is always important and helpful when resolving a trucking accident claim.
Our Long Beach Truck Accident Lawyer firm will also collect information about the conditions and roads where the truck accident took place so we can have a complete picture of what happened and how it happened.
A semi-truck crashed my car, what do I do?
Just as any auto accident or personal injury matter you should immediately seek medical attention. After you’ve done that you should begin collecting basic information such as driver license information, and the names of any witnesses. After you’ve done this contact a Long Beach truck accident attorney immediately so your rights can be preserved and protected.
How can you protect me against a trucking company?
No company is too big to be held accountable. Our Long Beach truck accident attorneys understand the trucking industry and the insurance companies that cover them.
What are the first steps I need to take after a truck accident?
Just as any auto accident or personal injury matter you should immediately seek medical attention. After you’ve done that you should begin collecting basic information such as driver license information, and the names of any witnesses. After you’ve done this contact a Long Beach truck accident attorney immediately so your rights can be preserved and protected.
Who is responsible for the medical bills after my accident?
Responsibility for medical bills and any money awarded will depend on the liabilities of the parties involved. At Eldessouky Law we have settled hundreds of cases and worked with hundreds of doctors and hospitals when it comes to medical bills. We are happy to explain this process and work towards making sure our clients don’t pay a single dime for their medical bills! Not to also mention we make sure our clients get the absolute best medical treatment from the nation’s most renowned doctors.
How can I help preserve evidence after a crash?
Take as many photos as possible! Pictures can really tell a story and can be stronger than a thousand words. Together we will also explore the possibility of any cameras that may have recorded the accident. After taking pictures, getting a police report and witness statements is the second-best thing.
What does a Long Beach Truck Accident lawyer need me to bring to them when I first talk with them?
Not much! Basic information is all that we need to get started. The most important things our Long Beach truck accident attorney needs are the information of the other driver and the location of the incident – we’ll take care of the rest. Of course, the more information you bring, the faster we can work towards resulting your claim and getting you paid.
How does your law firm help people and stand out from other law firms?
Eldessouky Law puts its clients above all. We strive to enrich our communities, change lives for the better, and continue to provide maximum awards for those who are injured.
Our Long Beach truck accident lawyers stand out because we care and because we know what it takes. We have many resources that not every law firm has which allows working efficiently.
Should someone call the police if they’ve been involved in a truck accident, even if the driver tells them not to report an accident? Why?
Yes! A police report will always be essential to gathering information for an accident. Though it’s not necessary, it does assist our Long Beach Truck Accident Attorneys office in the beginning stages.
How can your law firm help a person with their truck accident lawsuit?
Long Beach truck accident attorneys at Eldessouky Law take all the worries away for their clients. We will make sure you have a car to drive, doctor appointments set up, and a worked-on case to ensure a maximum payout.
