Highway crashes are among the most serious types of truck accidents. While some motor vehicle accident victims may suffer minor injuries, this is unlikely in highway accidents, where higher speeds and more traffic are involved. Unfortunately, highway truck accident victims often suffer traumatic injuries, and negligent trucking companies and truck drivers try to minimize their liability with the help of legal teams and insurance companies.
If you’ve been injured in a truck crash, you need a legal advocate on your side who will push back against their greedy antics. An experienced truck accident lawyer from Belal Hamideh can protect your legal rights and fight for maximum compensation. Contact our legal team today to discuss your case during a free and confidential consultation.
Common Causes of Highway Truck Accidents
Knowing the most common reasons for highway accidents can help prevent them. It can also help determine liability in case of a crash:
- Speeding: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding increases the likelihood that the driver will lose control of the vehicle and the distance required to reach a complete stop after recognizing a hazard. These things are particularly true in cases involving large trucks, which are already more difficult to handle and require more distance to stop due to their large size and weight.
- Truck driver fatigue: Because fatigued driving is a rampant problem, the federal government has implemented hours-of-service rules. These driving hours limits set maximum hours that drivers can work in a given day and workweek. However, truck drivers may violate these rules or drive beyond their physical capacity.
- Failing to check blind spots: Truck drivers may drive aggressively, swerving between lanes and merging without checking for oncoming traffic. Because their vehicles are so large and long, they have comparably large blind spots, so they can cause collisions when they don’t carefully monitor these spots near the truck.
- Cargo problems: When traveling at high speeds, improperly loaded cargo can shift, causing the truck to become unbalanced and tip over or jackknife.
- Mechanical issues: Blown tires, faulty brakes, or other mechanical problems can cause serious or fatal accidents on highways when traveling at high speeds.
Who Is Responsible for a Truck Accident on a Highway?
Determining liability for a truck crash is difficult because so many parties are involved in the trucking industry. Depending on the circumstances, the following parties could be liable for a truck accident:
- Truck drivers
- Trucking companies
- Truck owners
- Cargo loading companies
- Mechanics
An experienced personal injury attorney can carefully investigate your case and determine who is responsible for your injuries.
Evidence to Prove Liability in Truck Accident Cases
Because there are so many potential parties that can contribute to a truck accident, and they are all likely to try to deny blame, you will likely need strong evidence to prove fault, such as:
- Onboard camera footage
- Video footage from traffic cameras or nearby surveillance cameras
- Dash cam footage
- Accident reports
- Black boxes or event data recorders
- Cell phone records
- Logbooks
- Weigh station records
- Witness statements
- Accident reconstruction expert reports
Our experienced truck accident lawyers can help gather crucial evidence to prove your case.
Financial Compensation You Can Recover in a Truck Accident Case
Truck accidents tend to result in catastrophic injuries that have life-altering effects. Truck accident victims can seek compensation for the economic damages they sustain, which represent losses with monetary values. This includes payment for medical bills they already incurred, as well as future medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. These damages are generally demonstrated with evidence such as medical bills, invoices, receipts, and estimates.
Additionally, accident victims can pursue compensation for their non-economic damages, which represent more subjective losses, such as pain and suffering, emotional anguish, mental distress, and lost enjoyment of life. These types of damages can be difficult to quantify, so insurance companies may use a pain multiplier based on the victim’s economic damages to arrive at a figure for their non-economic damages.
What to Do If You Are Involved in a Highway Truck Accident in Southern California
While it can be difficult to keep your wits about you after a serious truck accident, taking the following steps can protect your legal rights and health:
Get to Safety
Pull your vehicle over to a safe location that is near the crash scene but away from oncoming traffic. Activate your hazard lights to alert other drivers to the danger.
Report the Accident
Call emergency services to report the accident. Request an ambulance for you or any injured passengers. When police respond to the scene, stick to the facts. Law enforcement can help collect evidence and gather statements from witnesses.
Gather Information
While you’re waiting for the police to arrive, request information from the driver operating the truck, including their:
- Name
- Phone number
- Address
- Employer name and contact information
- U.S. DOT number
- License plate number
Ask any witnesses for their names and contact information, too.
Document the Accident Scene
If possible, take pictures or videos of the accident scene, making sure to capture the following:
- Different angles of the accident scene
- Close-ups of skid marks and property damage
- Nearby traffic signs and signals
- Damage to all vehicles involved
- Debris on the roadway
Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney
Truck accident cases can be complicated, involving complex federal and state regulations, a need to launch a comprehensive investigation into the crash, and powerful legal teams and insurance companies working diligently to protect the trucking company’s financial and legal interests. You need a lawyer who can stand up for you. Look for a lawyer with trial experience in automobile crash litigation, especially handling truck accident cases. Belal Hamideh has decades of experience securing fair compensation for our clients.
What If I Am Partially at Fault for a Truck Accident?
California uses a pure comparative negligence system, so accident victims can recover compensation for their injuries as long as someone else bears responsibility. Even if the accident victim is 99% at fault, they can still pursue compensation for the remaining 1%.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Truck Accident Lawsuits in California?
The deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is generally two years from the date of the accident, under California’s statute of limitations. However, if the claim involves a government truck or agency, the truck accident victim must file a notice of claim within six months of the accident. Missing the applicable deadline can result in the victim losing any chance of financial recovery.
Contact Our Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Case Review
Truck highway accidents are serious matters. You need a skilled truck accident attorney who will fight to protect your rights and to hold the at-fault parties accountable. If you were injured in a truck accident, contact the law firm of Belal Hamideh for your free, no-obligation consultation.