Trucking companies are responsible for hiring drivers with the requisite knowledge and experience necessary for handling large commercial trucks. Unfortunately, many trucking companies prioritize profits over safety by cutting corners during the hiring and training process. This wanton disregard for safety puts everyone in Los Angeles County at risk of being involved in a serious (and potentially fatal) trucking accident.
Frost Law Firm, PC is proud of the unparalleled legal guidance that our attorneys provide to injury victims in and around Downey, CA. Our years of experience handling complex accident cases makes us uniquely poised to handle even the most complicated truck crash claim. If you’ve been injured in a collision that wasn’t your fault, contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation with a truck accident lawyer.
Truck Accident Statistics for the State of California
Staying abreast of truck accident statistics allows us to garner a better and more thorough understanding of these types of collisions. Taking into consideration data from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for 2017, we can see that truck drivers are most often the at-fault party in truck accidents. Let’s take a closer look at this data:
- There were 3,795 truck accidents involving injuries
- Truck drivers were at fault for 2,967 of the truck accidents involving injuries
- There were 203 fatal truck accidents
- Truck drivers were at fault for 84 of the truck accidents involving fatalities
What You Need To Know About Federal Trucking Regulations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the primary agency responsible for creating regulations and overseeing the safety of the trucking industry. The FMCSA has regulatory power over more than half a million commercial truck companies and four million truck drivers with valid commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
In accident cases where fault is a point of contention, truck accident lawyers often investigate whether any violations of FMCSA regulations occurred. The following are some of the regulations that truck drivers violate most frequently, making them a common contributing factor in collisions with smaller passenger vehicles:
- Hours of service regulations
- Pre- and post-trip inspection requirements
- CDL and endorsement requirements
- Electronic logging device requirements
Truck Accident FAQ
Frost Law Firm, PC offers free consultations to injury victims in Los Angeles County, including those located in Downey. During these one-on-one meetings, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the details of your case with an actual truck accident attorney. We also welcome any and all questions you may have about your specific case, or truck accidents in general.
As a courtesy to injury victims in the Downey, CA area, we have also compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked truck accident questions. Never hesitate to reach out to one of our truck accident attorneys if you have any additional concerns about the following information, or have questions unique to your situation.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
The vast majority of truck accidents can be traced back to a single factor—driver error. Driver error may take the form of many different behind-the-wheel behaviors that we know to be dangerous, including:
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
- Texting, scrolling through social media, or otherwise physically manipulating a phone
- Eating or drinking
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Rolling through stop signs or running red lights
Large commercial vehicles are significantly taller, longer, and heavier than the average passenger vehicle. Any time that a truck driver makes a preventable error or knowingly engages in dangerous or reckless behavior, they are putting the lives of everyone on the road at risk.
What Types of Truck Accidents Occur Most Frequently in California?
California is home to a number of interstates, freeways, state roads, metropolitan roadways, and more. The types of truck accidents that occur on these roadways will vary depending on things like speed limits, number of lanes, road maintenance, and more. Some of the most common types of truck accidents that occur in Downey and the surrounding area include:
- Sideswipe accidents
- Jackknife accidents
- Underride and override accidents
- Head-on and rear-end accidents
- Rollover accidents
Don’t worry if you don’t see your specific type of collision listed above. The truck accident lawyers from Frost Law Firm, PC will investigate your crash to determine what type of accident you were in and what caused the collision.
What Type of Compensation Am I Owed for Truck Accident Injuries?
Truck accidents typically cause more than just physical injuries. We often meet with accident victims who are dealing with not only their physical recovery, but the financial and emotional toll of what happened. For this reason, it is exceedingly important that you realize what types of compensation you may be entitled to. Most truck accident cases involve compensation for economic (financial) and non-economic (non-financial) damages.
Economic damages may encompass some of the following financial losses:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Auto repairs
Non-economic damages address losses that do not have a specific dollar value, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment in life
In a small number of truck accident cases, punitive damages may be awarded in addition to the above compensatory damages. Punitive damages are not intended to compensate the victim for any damages they have suffered, but rather to punish the at-fault party for exceptionally egregious or grossly negligent behavior.
The truck accident lawyers at Frost Law Firm, PC have the knowledge, skill, and experience that are necessary to correctly value the worth of a truck accident claim. If you are ready to learn what you might be owed, contact us today to schedule your no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation.
Do I Need To Talk to a Downey Truck Accident Lawyer?
California state law abides by pure comparative fault in regard to seeking compensation for accident injuries. This means that you may receive compensation for your injuries even if you were 99% at fault for the accident. However, your compensation would be proportionately reduced by your percentage of fault. In other words, the greater your percentage of fault, the less compensation you are entitled to.
This is something the trucking company and its insurer will try to exploit. At Frost Law Firm, PC, we have seen time and time again how big insurance companies will attempt to manipulate the facts to place an unfair portion of the blame on victims.
We highly encourage victims who have been involved in truck accidents in Downey, CA to contact a qualified truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Your legal team will advise you of what to say (and what not to say) to the insurance company, and your lawyer may even be able to take over all communications with the insurance adjuster on your behalf.
Having the backing of a Downey truck accident lawyer from Frost Law Firm, PC means that you will always have an unrivaled advocate on your side.
Frost Law Firm, PC Is Committed To Winning Truck Accident Cases
We don’t think it is right that trucking companies and their insurers have the power to bully truck accident victims into settling for far less than what they are owed. Our team of truck accident attorneys is committed to holding these corporations and their insurance companies liable for all negligent, reckless, and wrongful actions that contribute to the suffering of our clients.
California state law allows only a limited period of time to take legal action for a truck accident, but do not let this discourage you from moving forward with your claim. Contact Frost Law Firm, PC to learn more about how a Downey truck accident lawyer can investigate your accident, value your claim, and file a lawsuit on your behalf, all within the statute of limitations. Our first meeting is always free.
