Truck Accidents
While the number of accidents involving commercial trucks continues to rise, safety regulations are not being aggressively enforced to ensure the safety of truck drivers, and the general public who are at risk due to unsafe trucking practices. Drivers are typically only paid for their driving time and often make unsafe choices for that reason.
This can be especially dangerous considering the number of hours that drivers work daily, the large size of the trucks, and some drivers’ risky decisions to meet deadlines, all of which can and do impact the public.
When victims are injured in truck accidents, they are commonly traumatized, confused, and scared, if the accident is not deadly. If you or a loved one was injured by a semi-truck, an 18-wheeler, or another commercial vehicle in Oceanside, immediate help is available to you. Contact an aggressive and skilled Oceanside truck accident lawyer, who can represent your interests in the aftermath of the accident.
Common Causes of Collisions
Trucking accidents are commonly the result of a truck driver falling asleep, driving impaired by alcohol and/or drugs, texting while driving, becoming distracted while driving, or driving too fast for the weather conditions. While many truck accidents are caused by a driver’s choices, they may not be the only person that is legally liable for the accident.
Even when a truck driver seems like the obvious responsible person in a trucking accident that the driver caused, there may be multiple parties that are at fault for a victim’s injuries.
Many trucking accidents can be directly attributed to business decisions made by trucking companies and other entities that hire commercial drivers. A trucking company may be liable for injuries caused by its driver if it was negligent when hiring the truck driver.
As an Oceanside truck accident lawyer can explain, negligence in hiring can include failing to verify that a driver has a valid license, failing to complete annual reviews to confirm a driver still meets the medical requirements to drive, if necessary, and failing to ensure that the driver maintains an acceptable driving record.
A commercial driver’s employer may also be liable when it allows a driver to drive and its dispatchers are or should be aware that a driver has exceeded their allowable driving hours, which are set forth by the Department of Transportation.
Additionally, a trucking company or commercial entity may be liable for injuries that were caused by one of their drivers when the driver was inexperienced, the equipment was unsafe, the weight loaded on the truck was inappropriate or incorrect, or the driver failed to follow federal trucking regulations.
Talk to an Oceanside Truck Accident Attorney Today
Truck collision cases can be complex. It is essential that victims of trucking accidents work with experienced truck accident attorneys. While any motor vehicle accident can be serious, truck accidents almost always have significant consequences, including serious injuries, medical complications that can last the remainder of the victim’s life, and/or death.
Uncovering the facts that led to the accident is the first step for your attorney in your truck accident representation.
Regardless of whether the truck accident was the result of weather, an equipment malfunction, a driver’s negligence, or another issue that may arise when operating a commercial truck, an Oceanside truck accident lawyer is available to assist you in navigating the complicated legal arguments that are sure to be made when a commercial truck driver is involved in an accident.