Los Angeles, California is notorious for its heavy traffic volume and convergence of 18 wheelers and passenger vehicles on overcrowded highways. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Freak accidents do occur from time to time, but in our experience, negligence can often be assigned to one or more parties.
Driver error, roadway design and maintenance, and trucking company oversight are just a few of the issues that come up in trials or settlement talks. If you or a loved one have been hurt in a crash, call 888-259-4060 to explore your legal options with an experienced Los Angeles truck accident attorney at Salamati Law. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
There are four stretches of highway with extremely high concentrations of 18 wheeler accidents each year:
Nationally, 4 percent of all registered vehicles are considered big commercial trucks, but these vehicles account for 9 percent of all fatal crashes and 3 percent of all property damage crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 3,903 people died in truck-related accidents in 2014.
Due to the sheer size of 18 wheelers, the injuries in big rig accidents are typically quite severe, such as:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) looked at more than 120,000 large truck accidents over a two-year period. They concluded that driver error was the most obvious cause of most crashes.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration broke down crashes into four driver factors:
In addition, they found 10 percent of crashes were caused by to vehicle issues — cargo shift, faulty brakes or tire defects – and 3 percent of large truck crashes were related to environmental factors like weather, loose gravel, or poorly designed construction zones.
Passenger vehicle drivers were often at-fault when illegal drug use, alcohol consumption, illness, or fatigue were factors.
Blowing a tire on an unavoidable object or sudden weather events can cause truly blameless crashes, so it’s important for 18 wheeler accident lawyers to build a substantial case for liability. Since California does not allow the collection of compensation for drivers who are partially at fault, it is especially crucial to establish negligence. At Salamati Law Firm, we bring in crash reconstruction experts, medical professionals, truck driving safety instructors, and other industry professionals to bolster a case.
It is not always a passenger vehicle driver or an 18 wheeler driver who is at fault. Sometimes trucking company owners, vehicle maintenance personnel or auto parts manufacturers can be held liable for negligence. Trucking firms are at least partially accountable if they have scheduled drivers for more hours than the law allows. They may fail to train drivers, ignore repeated code violations, or fail to perform background checks. Subcontractors responsible for securing safe loads may fail in their duties, causing dangerous conditions beyond the driver’s control.
Local municipalities may be liable for failing to fix broken signs, clear brush from blind turns, maintain pot holes, lower speed limits, or design reasonably safe construction zones. Failure to address a known traffic safety hazard where multiple accidents have occurred is often grounds for settlement. The City of Los Angeles may also end up paying a settlement if one of their city workers causes a crash.
Multiple parties could be on the line for compensating injured victims or decedent family members for medical bills, lost income, funeral expenses, or emotional pain and suffering.
There are many factors affecting how much settlement money you are offered, including:
So much depends upon strength of argument in big rig accidents. You want a law firm that has successfully litigated complex accident cases and won. The skilled Los Angeles truck accident attorneys at Salamati Law have a long track record of securing millions of dollars for truck accident victims in the state of California. Call 888-259-4060 for a free legal consultation. Our legal services are provided at no charge to you – unless we take on your case and win! You have up to two years following the accident (or, in some cases, after the discovery of serious injury) to collect compensation, so call today.