What To Do After A Truck Accident In Los Angeles?
- Feb 12, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 7, 2022
Hire the Top Rated Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer To Help You File Your Claim After an Accident
With more than 3.5 million licensed truck drivers in the United States, it seems like truck accidents are inevitable, but that isn’t the case most of the time. In fact, it’s estimated that 88 percent of truck accidents are preventable.
These are defined as “Any accident involving trucks unless it is properly parked, which results in property damage or personal injury if the driver failed to follow traffic laws to prevent the accident.” Under this definition, most truck accidents happen due to negligence.
California’s highways contribute to a significant number of truck accidents every year. As a matter of fact, both I-5 and I-10 contribute to over a thousand truck accidents every year. In the last 10 years alone, California has averaged over 250 truck accident fatalities annually; the national average increased by 16% in 2017.
That said, let's talk about how truck accidents happen, how injuries can occur, and how a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer handles them.
Main Contributing Factors For Truck Accidents in California
While the causes of a truck accident can be many, statistically, we found that the most common factors contributing to truck accidents in California are the following:
Performance causes
A performance cause for a truck accident is anything related to the driver’s performance or actions that contributed to the truck accident. We found that speeding is the most common. In fact, speeding is by far the most common factor contributing to fatal vehicle accidents, resulting in over 25% of all vehicle accident fatalities every year.
Speeding is even more dangerous for large trucks because they need a long distance to stop, and going fast just increases the chances of an accident. Speeding also reduces the truck's stability due to its weight; thus, it's more difficult for the truck to successfully maneuver.
If you've been a victim of a driver's negligence, consult with a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer ASAP. This ensures you'll recover physically and financially and hold the responsible party liable for your losses. A lawyer can pursue negligent drivers and their companies and ensure you'll get the compensation you need to get back on your feet.
Mechanical causes
A mechanical cause means any problems with the truck itself that contributed to the accident. Tires are usually the top contributing factor under this category. Tire blowouts are very dangerous and a cause of rollover accidents. However, issues with tires are preventable with the right maintenance.
Brake problems are a very common mechanical problem in truck accidents contributing to over 29% of truck accidents. This includes brake failure, and worn-out breaks, both of which are to blame for slow stops. Again, brake issues are completely preventable with the right maintenance.
A Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer can go after a negligent driver and a negligent company that produces and maintains trucks. After all, mechanical issues can be caused by negligence, either in the production or maintenance of trucks.
What To Do After A Truck Accident In California?
Seek medical attention if you or someone else is injured.
Move to a safe area but remain at the scene.
Follow the usual protocol after accidents by exchanging information with all other parties involved.
Do not provide any additional information regarding how the accident occurred, and DO NOT admit fault.
Do not say you are not hurt; because of your high adrenaline, many injuries will show upper hours and sometimes days later, even if you feel OK right after the accident.
Document everything about the crash, and especially your injuries.
Confusion, being scared, and high adrenaline can cause you to make the wrong decisions. Most importantly, you won't be in the right state of mind to spend time going through a selection process to choose the right Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer.
1000Attorneys.com is a California Bar Association-Certified Lawyer Referral Service that can refer you to a prescreened lawyer best fit to handle your case. Contact us on our 24/7 lawyer referral hotline at 1-661-310-7999 or complete our inquiry submission form for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.
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