Do you need a truck accident attorney in Beverly Hills?
When truck accidents happen in California, they are much likelier to leave people suffering from permanent disabilities or to cause fatalities. Commercial trucks are very large and heavy, which means that they must travel much further than smaller vehicles in order to come to full stops. When they are involved in crashes, the shear forces that are released in the collisions may cause catastrophic injuries to the occupants of other vehicles. An experienced Beverly Hills truck accident lawyer may help you to hold the responsible parties liable so that you can receive fair compensation for all of your losses.
Truck accident statistics
In 2015, there were 83,000 truck-involved injury crashes and 3,598 truck-involved fatality accidents, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These collisions caused the deaths of 4,067 victims and injured 116,000 more. Nationally, the fatality rate for large trucks per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.45. California large truck accidents in 2015 resulted in 313 deaths for a fatality rate of 0.09 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
What are the causes of truck accidents in Beverly Hills?
Truck crashes may be caused by driver-related factors and others. Some of the most common factors that lead to truck accidents include:
• Inadequate training
• Unfamiliarity with the roads
• Drowsy or fatigued driving
• Distracted driving
• Driving while impaired
• Speeding or driving too fast for the conditions
• Inattentive driving
• Poorly maintained truck parts
• Defective components
• Improperly secured loads
• Improperly loaded cargo
Truck collisions may be caused by the drivers, the other motorists, defective parts, poor maintenance and other factors. In some cases, there may be multiple parties that are at fault.
What happens when the truck accident was caused by the driver?
When truck drivers cause injury or fatality accidents, their employers are most often the parties that will be held to be liable to pay damages. Trucking companies may be responsible to pay for the damages that result from the negligent actions of their drivers when the accidents happen while the drivers are working within the normal scope of their jobs. This is called vicarious liability, which means that employers are responsible for the negligent actions of their employees while they are working.
When might a third party be at fault in a truck accident?
In addition to the drivers and the trucking companies, other parties might be liable in truck accident cases. These might include companies who were responsible for repairing or maintaining the trucks’ brakes if they failed, the manufacturers of defective parts, distributors who loaded the trucks improperly, shippers and brokers who negligently contracted with trucking companies with bad safety records and others. Your attorney will analyze the case so that he or she can identify all of the parties that should be named as defendants to your lawsuit.
How is fault determined?
Determining fault in a truck accident case can be a complex process. Your attorney may get help from accident reconstruction experts, review products specifications and records and use technology to help to build a clear picture of what happened. The police and accident reports are also important as is evidence of the driver’s commission of law violations immediately prior to the accident.
In some cases, the other motorists will also share some fault. California follows the pure comparative negligence rule, which means that you will not be prevented from recovering damages if you shared some blame for your accident. Your damages will be reduced by the percentage of fault that is attributed to you. If you are determined to be 20 percent at fault, your award will be reduced by 20 percent, for example.
When should you contact a truck accident attorney in Beverly Hills?
Insurance companies often aggressively defend against truck accident claims because of the amount of money that may be involved. It is important for you to get help from a lawyer as soon as you can after your accident. This can allow your lawyer to start building a strong case that shows the liability of the driver or others for your accident while the evidence is still readily available.
Contact an experienced Beverly Hills truck accident attorney today
Truck accidents can be devastating to the people who have been injured or the families of people who have been killed. When you get help from a Beverly Hills truck accident lawyer, you can have an advocate who may fight for you so that you can deal with your injuries or grief. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with an experienced Beverly Hills truck accident attorney.
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If you or a loved one has been injured, you will want a top rated San Fernando Valley personal injury attorney that understands how to get the maximum compensation you deserve. Our pledge is to be your partner, and provide passionate, yet skillful legal representation needed to win your case. Contact our highly trained personal injury lawyers today for a free case evaluation.