{"id":367,"date":"2020-08-03T13:15:59","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T13:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barghoutlaw.com\/?p=357"},"modified":"2020-08-03T13:15:59","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T13:15:59","slug":"commercial-truck-accidents-differ-from-single-passenger-car-accidents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/barghoutlaw.com\/stage\/2020\/08\/03\/commercial-truck-accidents-differ-from-single-passenger-car-accidents\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do Commercial Truck Accidents Differ From Single Passenger Car Accidents?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Commercial truck accidents share some important similarities with passenger car accidents. For example, both types of crashes can lead to serious injuries and the law provides a path to financial compensation for injured victims. That being said, there are also some very important differences between semi-truck accidents and passenger car collisions.<\/p>\n
If you or your loved one was injured in a trucking accident, you need an experienced legal advocate who understands these differences and knows how to protect your rights. Here, our San Deigo truck accident attorneys<\/a> highlight the most important ways in which large truck accidents differ from car accidents.<\/p>\n Commercial trucks are enormous. According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a fully loaded semi-truck typically weighs somewhere between 30,000 pounds and 70,000 pounds\u2014with some trucks being even larger than that. Of course, this dwarfs your average passenger car, which weighs a little less than 4,000 pounds.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, as a consequence of the immense size of commercial trucks, these accidents have the potential to result in truly catastrophic injuries. Indeed, while large trucks are involved in less than three percent of all highway collisions in the United States, they are involved in more than 12 percent of fatal accidents.<\/p>\n In California, highway accident liability is based on negligence\u2014this is true whether the crash involves a large commercial truck or only standard-sized vehicles. However, the types of actions and inactions that constitute \u201cnegligence\u201d are different in truck accident claims. This is because commercial trucking is regulated by a complex web of regulations.<\/p>\n The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) publishes a list of regulations that apply to commercial operators in California state. If a trucking company violates a safety regulation\u2014for example, if the truck driver fails to comply with the applicable service hour restrictions\u2014the company can be held liable for a resulting accident.<\/p>\n All serious motor vehicle accidents require comprehensive investigation. The investigative process is different in truck accident cases. One of the primary reasons why is that there are unique forms of evidence that can be used to establish liability in a truck accident case.<\/p>\n For instance, trucking companies have a duty to conduct adequate inspections of the vehicle. A San Diego truck accident lawyer can help you get access to those inspections. As another example, modern commercial trucks are often equipped with a \u201cblack box\u201d. That electronic data may be relevant to your personal injury case<\/a>. It is crucial that injured victims are represented by an attorney who knows how to obtain all relevant evidence.<\/p>\n In California state, commercial trucking companies are required to carry policies with much higher limits than those carried by passenger vehicles. As these policies have large limits, there is often much more on the line in a truck accident injury case than in other types of auto accident claims.<\/p>\n The large insurance companies that issue commercial truck policies are extremely aggressive in defending their own financial interests. They are not on the side of injured victims. You need a San Diego truck accident injury lawyer who knows how to navigate commercial insurance policies and hold big corporations accountable.<\/p>\n Another issue is that there are often multiple defendants\u2014and thus, multiple insurance companies\u2014involved in the same truck accident case. The trucking company, the truck driver, and the truck itself may all be insured by different policies. In practice, this means that these companies may try to shift blame to each other, working to limit their own liability. It is imperative that a plaintiff is represented by a truck accident lawyer who understands the process and knows how to hold all defendants and insurers liable for their share of crash damages.<\/p>\nFive Ways Truck Accidents Differ From Car Accidents<\/h2>\n
Truck Accidents are More Likely to Result in Serious Injuries<\/h3>\n
Trucking Companies are Governed By Complex State and Federal Regulations<\/h3>\n
Different Types of Evidence May Be Used to Prove Liability<\/h3>\n
Trucking Companies Have Larger Insurance Policies<\/h3>\n
There May Be Multiple Defendants in a Truck Crash<\/h3>\n
Call Our San Diego Truck Accident Lawyers Today<\/h2>\n