Trucking Accidents
Attorneys at Albert G. Stoll, A Law Corporation, have participated in dozens of trials involving serious personal injury or wrongful death, including injuries brought on by collisions with trucks and other large commercial vehicles on the roads in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. Semi-trucks significantly outsize and outweigh passenger vehicles. Any collision with a semi-truck on the highways is likely to result in catastrophic injuries to the occupants of the passenger vehicle. Proving a case of negligence against a trucking company requires special attention to certain issues unique to the trucking case, which a qualified and experienced personal injury trial attorney will be aware of.
Most trucking accidents are due to a combination of driver error and equipment maintenance, often compounded by traffic or weather conditions at the time. Some of the most common causes are:
Driver Error
- Driver fatigue
- Driving too fast for the given road conditions
- Overly-aggressive driving
- Driving under the influence
- Inexperienced or untrained driver
Equipment or Other Company Error
- Poorly-maintained brakes
- Poorly-maintained, inadequate or absent safety equipment
- Oversized vehicle
- Vehicle is overloaded or improperly loaded
The activity of trucks and commercial carriers is heavily regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The regulations promulgated by this agency control every aspect of trucking, from loading to driving, and inspecting and maintaining equipment. More importantly, the regulations require drivers and trucking companies to maintain detailed logbooks, including records of maintenance performed and documentation of other trip activity. Whenever a client is injured in a motor vehicle accident involving a semi-truck or other covered vehicle, our attorneys obtain these records and scrutinize them to determine if the driver and the truck were in compliance with federal regulations at the time of the accident. We also work with experts where necessary to determine whether the logbooks or other documents were doctored or prepared after the fact to disguise negligent conduct on the part of the driver or the trucking company.
Besides issues of truck maintenance, lading and load balancing, driver logs are helpful to determine whether the driver was exceeding maximum driving time or hours of service as defined in the regulations. We know that commercial truck drivers may be under pressure to deliver their goods within a certain timeframe. These time pressures may encourage the driver to drive for longer periods than are safe, to drive faster than is prudent, or to abuse substances in an attempt to stay awake and alert. Combined with the limited field of vision and obstructed views posed by trucks, as well as their decreased mobility and increased braking times, a truck driver in a hurry represents a recipe for disaster.
The trial lawyers at Albert G. Stoll have successfully handled cases involving trucking accidents and catastrophic injuries and understand the particular factual and legal issues involved. We know what evidence to collect and how to get it, how to properly value a claim, and how to achieve a fair and just recovery for our clients, either through settlement or at trial. If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident, contact Albert G. Stoll, A Law Corporation to discuss your claim.