Conejo Valley Truck Accident Lawyer
Conejo Valley serious and deadly truck accident happen all the time as the adjacent freeways are major routes for trucks going up and down California. While the truck and truck driver may hardly register the collision, the much smaller car or motorcycle riders may sustain life-changing or life-ending injuries, even from a slow moving accident. If you are in this situation, you want to find the best Conejo Valley truck accident lawyer– you want to call Walch Law now. 1-844-999-5342
Helping Conejo Valley Truck Accident Victims
Truck accidents are a major problem in the United States as per data collected by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). There were 162,467 accidents in 2019 involving big rigs – with 12,761 crashes taking place in the California. These accidents resulted in 5,464 injuries and 452 fatalities. 67% fatalities in truck related accidents involved the occupants of other passenger vehicles.
While every truck accident doesn’t result in a fatality, there are thousands of people each year that suffer grievous injuries. Any type of truck crash, whether major or minor can be life-altering. It can cause both psychological trauma and injuries. Victims and their loved ones can file claim for damages against the reckless truck driver and their employer. You should speak with a skilled Conejo Valley truck accident lawyer to get the compensation you deserve.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Vehicle accidents can take place in a number of ways. This includes truck collisions as well. However, there are several causes unique to truck crashes since truckers spend far more time driving than the regular person. These are a few issues that can contribute to a crash:
- Distracted driving
- Reckless, careless, and aggressive truck driving
- Cargo loading errors and trailer defects
- Truck defects
- Driving under the influence
- Driver fatigue
- Lack of truck driver training and experience
- Maintenance issues
Establishing Fault for Trucking Accident
In California, the responsibility for a truck accident is based on the theory of negligence. This is the same with all other types of motor vehicle collisions. Generally, people are claimed to be responsible when they don’t use reasonable care.
This is care that any other reasonable person in a similar situation would have exercised. In truck related accidents, the driver as well as the trucking company can be held negligent. This is why you should consider working with a capable Conejo Valley truck accident lawyer.
Negligent truck drivers in California are financially liable for all injuries and losses that a person suffered because of them. These are the four elements of negligence that need to be proved:
- Duty: Duty of care was owed to the victims by the truck driver to operate in a safe manner
- Breach: The said duty of care was violated by the truck driver
- Causation: An accident was caused by the driver’s violation or breach
- Damages: Victim suffered injuries because of the accident
It is important to note that a truck driver may be held “negligent per se” if they violated a California or federal law, which caused the accident. This legal concept is used by lawyers when the at-fault driver:
- Violates some provision of vehicle code that was designed to prevent harm from occurring
- The violation results in a crash
Trucking companies may be held liable as well in some cases. For instance, they may be held responsible if they set goals which cause their drivers to violate safety rules or federal and state transportation regulations. The trucking company can he held responsible and negligent in a number of cases, such as:
- Negligent training and hiring of truck drivers
- Encouraging truck drivers to violate hours of service rules
- Overloading trailers
- Failing to maintain trailers and trucks in an appropriate fashion
- Allowing overweight vehicles
- Allowing trucks run with unbalanced cargo
There are other parties which may be held responsible for the truck accident. For instance, the truck could have faulty parts. In this case, the part manufacturer or truck manufacturer can be held responsible. In certain situations, government agencies and third-party companies can be held responsible as well. Truck accident lawsuits can be incredibly complex for a number of reasons.
It is vital that you work with a skilled Conejo Valley truck accident lawyer at Walch Law that can evaluate the facts of your lawsuit and identify all responsible parties. Get in touch NOW