If you get into an accident with a semi-truck, you could be dealing with severe injuries that might require surgical procedures and weeks or months of recovery time. Added to that is all your lost income while your injury keeps you from working. As if that isn’t enough to deal with, you also have to navigate through a challenging insurance claim process that can quickly overwhelm you. That is when you need to talk to an experienced Inglewood truck accident lawyer.
At Frost Law Firm, PC, when we agree to work with a client who has been in a severe accident with a truck, we make sure that they are offered information about all the options for pursuing an equitable resolution. We’ll focus on the negotiations while you focus on getting better.
If you’re looking for assistance in navigating the legal system after a truck crash, schedule a consultation with an attorney in our office. It’s free. So, if you’re looking for assistance in navigating the legal system after a truck crash, schedule a consultation with an attorney in our office. It’s free.
Truck Crash Statistics
When you add up the statistics provided by the Federal Highway Administration, there are 173,372 miles of roads in rural areas across the state and another 213,232 in urban areas like Inglewood. Despite all of those roads, only 7.3% of all fatal crashes involve large trucks. Data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) finds that there were 12,204 non-fatal crashes nationwide with trucks in 2023.
Types of Trucks Involved in Collisions in Southern California
It is not just 18-wheelers hauling cargo that make up these statistics detailed above. Instead, there is a wide range of truck types that could be involved in an accident, including:
- Armored trucks
- Big rigs
- Box trucks
- Cement trucks
- Commercial delivery trucks
- Dump trucks
- Garbage trucks
- Gravel trucks
- Logging Trucks
- Postal Service trucks
- Produce trucks
- Semi-trailers
- Street sweepers
- Tanker trucks
- Tow trucks
- Tractor trailers
- Utility trucks
- Water tanker trucks
Any of the above trucks could have issues with their cargo, tires, brake systems, or reckless actions on the driver’s part. Those are all the issues that you should discuss with an Inglewood truck accident lawyer, as those details can help them hone in on what may have caused your crash.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
The force of impact from a fully loaded cargo truck can be especially catastrophic. Even a minor “tap” from all that weight can set a car spinning, rolling over, or suffering an accordion collision that totals the car. There are many truck accidents where the driver and their passengers could walk away with only minor injuries. Unfortunately, serious injuries, such as the following ones, often stem from crashes involving tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Burn injuries
- Bone fractures
The worst-case scenario would be a fatality. In that unfortunate situation, the surviving family members could file a wrongful death claim against the parties involved.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Collision?
There are many “moving parts” associated with any type of trucking operation. Each job involves a route, shipping manifest, and deadlines for picking up and delivery. Often, multiple trucks pick up the same shipments and travel to different drop-off destinations. Along each step of the way, there are state and federal regulations to follow to ensure a safe journey. If there is an accident, those same agencies could get involved in the investigation to determine who was at fault.
Your truck collision attorney will work diligently to establish who can be held responsible for your accident. Those at-fault parties could be one or more of the following:
Truck Drivers
The primary party responsible for a truck accident will be the truck driver. They are obligated to operate their truck in a manner that protects them and everyone they share the road with. A truck driver’s actions extend beyond the driving. They also are required to inspect their trucks’ mechanical systems and the cargo. The drivers are also responsible for following the FMCSA service hours regulations. They are also required to log those hours, which can be evidenced in an accident where drowsy driving was a factor.
The Trucking Company
A trucking company puts every driver through a thorough screening process—at least it should. That screening process includes criminal background checks, drug tests, and a review of driving history. The goal is to hire responsible and experienced drivers. Failure to conduct those screenings could put the safety of other motorists at risk.
It is also vital that trucking companies provide realistic scheduling and proper fleet maintenance. Those could also be factors in an accident.
Truck or Equipment Owners
Not every truck on the road is owned by the trucking company. Because of their expense, other entities could buy the truck and lease it to the trucking company. That shifts the burden of responsibility of maintaining that truck onto the company that owns the rig.
The Maintenance Company
In an effort to shift blame for an accident, a trucking carrier could point to the maintenance company hired to maintain the fleet. They would not necessarily be wrong with their assertion. If the maintenance company servicing the truck fails to make effective repairs or uses substandard parts, it could be held liable for the accident.
Cargo Loaders
The smaller the trucking operation, the more likely that the truck driver is responsible for loading their truck. On bigger rigs, independent cargo loading companies are responsible for securing the shipment. No matter who does the loading, they must follow the regulations for proper cargo securing. Shifting cargo can lead to spills, rollovers, or jackknifing accidents.
Truck and Parts Manufacturers
If you have a defective part in your car, you could sue the manufacturer. This was an issue a few years ago with airbags that led to a massive class action lawsuit and settlement. It is no different in the trucking industry. Trucks are constantly replacing parts because of the wear and tear. If those parts fail on the road because they have been found to be defective, the parts manufacturer or the truck maker could be added to your claim as a liable party.
Government Agencies
Every state has designated agencies that are supposed to maintain the highways and roads. In our state, the primary entity is the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans). A claim could potentially be brought against this state agency if a truck hits a pothole that has gone for weeks or months without repair.
With so many potentially at-fault parties, it’s easy to appreciate the value of a skilled Inglewood truck accident attorney who can help sort out the factors that contributed to your accident and clearly identify everyone who should be named in your claim.
Let an Inglewood Truck Accident Lawyer Support Your Claim
At Frost Law Firm, PC, we’re standing by to listen to what happened in your accident. You don’t need all the evidence or final bills for that first initial case evaluation. If we agree to work on your case together, it is important to understand the scope of how we can help.
Our work begins with a thorough investigation of the cause of the crash and who may be liable.
We’ll also take over all the negotiations with the insurance company to reach the fairest settlement possible. If the insurance company denies the claim, we aren’t afraid to hold big motor carriers accountable in court.
You have two years to file a civil lawsuit. That might seem like a long time, but it goes by quickly when you factor in the potential delays from insurance companies. That is why you need to start your process as soon as possible. Schedule a free case evaluation consultation with an Inglewood truck accident lawyer at our firm today. Don’t wait to get what you’re due.