Santa Clarita Truck Accident Lawyer

Looking for a Santa Clarita truck accident lawyer?

In California, commercial trucks have maximum weight limits of 80,000 pounds. When these large, heavy vehicles are in collisions with other vehicles, they are much likelier to cause significant damage, catastrophic injuries and deaths. Truck accidents may be caused by several factors, and the resulting lawsuits may be very complex. If you have been injured in an accident with a commercial truck or have lost your loved one, you should speak to a Santa Clarita lawyer who is experienced with handling truck accident claims. Our attorneys have the experience and legal knowledge to help our clients to recover fair compensation when they have suffered losses because of truck accidents.

How often do truck accidents happen?

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, fatalities in truck accidents account for an average of 10 percent of all motor vehicle deaths in the U.S. each year. In 2016, 3,986 people were killed in accidents with large trucks. Of the people who were killed, 2,642 were inside of the passenger vehicles, and 660 were inside of the large trucks. In addition to the number of people who are killed in large truck crashes each year, tens of thousands more are seriously injured.

Common injuries from truck accidents

People who are in vehicles that are struck by large trucks may suffer from a number of different injuries, including the following common types:

• Neck and back injuries
• Fractures
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Facial injuries
• Serious lacerations
• Internal injuries
• Thoracic injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Death

Because of how much larger and heavier commercial trucks are compared to passenger vehicles, it is common for the occupants of the passenger vehicles to suffer multiple, severe injuries in truck accidents.

What causes truck accidents?

Truck accidents may be caused by truck driver errors, passenger vehicle driver errors or a combination of both. They may also be caused by the negligent acts of third parties such as maintenance companies or parts manufacturers. Truck accidents are commonly caused by the following factors:

• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Inattentive driving
• Unsafe lane changes
• Improper passing
• Unfamiliarity with the roads
• Drugged or drunk driving
• Defective or poorly maintained parts
• Driving too fast for the weather or road conditions
• Poorly maintained roads
• Improperly loaded trucks
• Improper load securement

Your attorney will carefully review what occurred so that he or she can identify all of the factors that contributed to your accident and name all of the parties as defendants who share some of the liability.

How soon you should contact a lawyer about your truck accident injury

In California, you must file your personal injury claim no later than two years after the date that the accident happened. If you do not file your claim within that time period, your recovery of damages will be permanently barred. It is better for you to retain an experienced lawyer as soon as possible after your accident so that your attorney may gather evidence that supports your claim before it is lost.

Why you should contact a Santa Clarita truck accident lawyer

While you might think that truck accident cases should be easy to prove, they are often highly complex. Because of the serious nature of the injuries and the high policy limits of the insurance policies, these claims are often aggressively defended against by the responsible companies. An experienced lawyer may be able to secure orders to preserve evidence so that it is not lost. For example, large trucks have black boxes, and the attorneys may secure the data contained on them before it can be destroyed. Getting help from an attorney in Santa Clarita may help you to protect your rights so that you can recover the compensation to which you should be entitled. Call us today to schedule a consultation so that you can learn more.