Truck crashes can cause widespread damage and severe injuries, and some truck accidents happen due to negligence on the part of trucking companies. Seek help from a San Francisco truck accident lawyer if you’ve been injured.
Truck accidents can occur just about anywhere in and around The City of San Francisco. Truck accidents are just as common on rural, dual-lane highways as they are on major interstate highways like I-280. While truck accidents often occur because of negligence on the truck driver’s part, the trucking company that employs the negligent driver could also share in some or all of the blame for the accident.
When a large box truck, big rig, or tractor-trailer collides with a much smaller passenger vehicle, it is almost always the driver and occupants of the smaller vehicle who are injured in the accident. If you or someone you love has suffered an injury in a truck accident that resulted from someone else’s negligence, the knowledgeable and experienced San Francisco truck accident lawyers at The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. are here to help. Our legal team could assist you with filing a legal claim or lawsuit against the negligent truck driver and/or trucking company’s insurer, seeking the compensation that you need for your injuries.
Please call us today to find out more about how we could assist you with handling every aspect of your truck accident personal injury claim.
Common Ways that Truck Drivers and Trucking Companies are Negligent
There are several ways that both truck drivers and the trucking companies who employ them can negligently cause truck accidents. Truck driver negligence can take on a variety of different forms. Common types of truck driver negligence that may lead to a collision with a smaller vehicle include the following:
- Driver fatigue causes a truck driver to become drowsy or fall asleep at the wheel
- Negligent driving, including operating the truck in a reckless or careless manner, violating the speed limit, and/or violating other road rules
- Distracted driving, including paying attention to a cellular device or tablet – instead of the roadway—while operating the truck
- Operating a large truck or tractor-trailer while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Failing to comply with both state and federal motor carrier regulations
Trucking companies can also be negligent in a variety of ways. Trucking companies often encourage their employee drivers to log as many hours as possible – and to try and deliver cargo to its final destination ahead of schedule. When drivers are able to log long hours and distances, they often receive financial compensation and other incentives, usually in the form of a bonus. In order to meet these demands, however, truck drivers must often drive for hours on end and with little or no breaks. Some truck drivers even rely upon drugs to keep them awake for long hours.
When a truck driver’s negligence results in a collision with another vehicle, the employer trucking company might also be on the line if the accident occurred while the driver was on the job and within the scope of the driver’s employment.
In addition, trucking companies are responsible for hiring and retaining competent truck drivers who will operate their vehicles safely. When a trucking company negligently hires or retains a problem truck driver who has a history of moving violations or driving infractions, the trucking company could be deemed fully or partially responsible for any accident caused by that driver. Moreover, trucking companies are responsible for supervising their drivers’ activities and whereabouts while they are on the road.
Finally, trucking companies are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are in compliance with all state and federal motor carrier regulations. For example, trucks and trailers must not exceed the applicable load limits, and cargo must be secured to trailers properly. Moreover, overhead and undercarriage lights must be in working order at all times in order to prevent serious accidents from happening. When trucking companies fail to comply with these regulations, they can be deemed negligent for any resulting accidents.
Pursuing Monetary Compensation and Damages in Truck Accident Cases
Injuries sustained in truck accidents can be debilitating and serious. In addition to seeking medical treatment and physical therapy for the injuries sustained, the accident victim might have to spend time away from work in order to recover from these injuries.
The extent of the accident victim’s injuries in a truck accident usually depends upon the speed of the vehicles, the force of the impact, the type of collision (e.g., rear-end, head-on, or T-bone), and the way in which the accident victim’s body moves in the vehicle at the point of impact. Typical injuries that accident victims suffer in San Francisco truck accidents include the following:
- Bone fractures and breaks
- Traumatic head injuries
- Soft tissue injuries (muscular contusions, sprains, and strains)
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, you might be eligible to file a claim against the negligent truck driver and/or the trucking company’s insurer. Your San Francisco truck accident attorney could file a claim with the insurance company on your behalf, seeking monetary compensation and damages for your injuries.
In order for you to be eligible to recover damages in a San Francisco truck accident case, you must be able to demonstrate that the truck driver and/or the trucking company did something wrong and acted unreasonably under the circumstances, that this negligence led to the accident, and that you suffered one or more injuries because of the accident.
Successful personal injury claims and lawsuits can result in damages being paid to the accident victim. Those damages are meant to compensate accident victims for all of their medical expenses, lost earnings, inconvenience, pain, and suffering (past, present, and future).
Contact a San Francisco Truck Accident Lawyer about Your Case Today
The legal team at The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. could file a truck accident claim on your behalf against an at-fault trucking company or truck driver. Our legal team will guide you every step of the way and pursue the compensation that you deserve for your injuries.
To schedule a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a San Francisco truck accident attorney, please call us at (415) 851-6486 or contact us online today for more information about how we could assist you throughout your personal injury case.
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