La Habra Truck Accident Lawyer

There are many different types of truck accidents that can occur at any moment and all of them can result in devastating injuries. Anyone involved in a collision with a tractor-trailer or a big rig would be well-advised to discuss his or her legal options with an experienced La Habra truck accident lawyer . Regardless of the causes or circumstances that lead to a truck accident, victims almost always suffer devastating injuries.

Head-On Collision

Truck drivers work long hours. Drivers often push through fatigue and drowsiness to get to their destination sooner. Other drivers may find themselves bored with staring at the roadway and they may begin searching for entertainment on their phone or other electronic device. Distracted and drowsy truck drivers put everyone on the roadway at great risk because they are more likely to lose control of their vehicle or veer out of their lane of traffic. There are cases every year involving a truck driver letting his or her vehicle to veer into oncoming traffic.

Tragically, the injuries suffered in head-on collisions involving trucks are often life threatening or fatal. The surviving victims, or the victim's family, will have to prove that the truck driver violated the law by veering into oncoming traffic. California Vehicle Code section 21651 states that it is unlawful "to drive any vehicle over, upon, or across the dividing section." Head-on truck collisions often occur with such violence and intensity that they are often deadly.

Rear-End Collisions

According to California Vehicle Code 21703: The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicle and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the roadway. This means that all motorists including truck drivers must leave adequate space between themselves and the vehicles in front of them. It is crucial for all truck drivers to adhere to this law because large trucks pulling heavy cargo are difficult to stop. Sudden changes in the speed of traffic can result in a deadly rear-end collision. Such collisions can also occur when a truck driver is distracted or fatigued.

Jackknifing

If you can picture a pocketknife folding at an acute angle, you can imagine what a jackknifing truck looks like. In such cases, the trailer swerves out of control and spins the front of the truck. This can happen in adverse weather conditions when the truck driver did not adjust his or her speed accordingly or it can occur when a truck driver brakes too hard. Anything that causes the trailer to veer out of control can result in a jackknifing accident. Anyone in the vicinity of a jackknifing truck is in danger of being crushed by the out-of-control trailer. When these types of accidents happen, it must be determined if the trailer was loaded properly, if the brakes were working properly and if the driver was behaving negligently.

Truck Underride Crashes

More than 350 people a year are killed in the United States as a result of a truck underride crash or an accident where a vehicle strikes the back of a big rig and slides underneath. Big rigs are required to have rear impact guards to prevent such accidents, but not all trucking companies follow these federally mandated standards. Truck underride crashes can result in catastrophic injuries or even fatalities. A recent study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) showed that rear guards that meet U.S. standards are not strong enough to prevent these underride crashes. Canada requires rear impact barriers that are 75 percent stronger than the ones found in the United States. The IIHS tests found that the Canadian-style guard held up properly when hit by a car.

Protect Your Rights

Truck drivers, their insurance providers and their employers actively fight the claims made against them. The experienced La Habra truck accident lawyers at Bisnar Chase have a long and successful track record of helping truck accident victims obtain just compensation for their injuries, damages and losses. If you or a loved one has been injured in a La Habra truck accident, please call us at 949-203-3814 or contact us for a free and comprehensive consultation.