Los Angeles serves as a massive public transit space for thousands of local and long-distance trucks. The trucks on the road, whether belonging to commercial loading or residential household goods moving companies, vary in size ranging from 12 feet in length to roughly 51 feet in length. Transportation logistics have always served as the crux of big city network conjunctions.
As the practice shows, truck drivers are repeatedly exposed to the same amount of risk daily and are not always able to make it safely to their destination. Some truck drivers are involved in major accidents that leave drivers with serious and life-altering injuries. According to recent U.S. transportation statistics, approximately 150,000 people are injured in truck accidents in the United States. Because of the weight and sheer size of such massive vehicles, it is likely that the sustained injuries involving trucks are extremely traumatic. Common causes of truck related accidents usually include fatigued driving, especially for long distance trips, and insufficient maintenance of trucks as well as poor road conditions.
If you happen to be injured in a truck accident due to another party’s fault, it is vital for you to understand your rights and pursue the appropriate compensation for your sustained injuries and losses.
At Amerberg Law Group, we work very hard to help you answer all the legal questions you may during this difficult. We will provide you with the best legal consultation in your pursuit of fair compensation for your medical bills, property damages, lost wages and pain relief. To protect yourself or your family you need to act fast and contact our highly rated attorney’s office where you can get an absolute, unequivocal understanding of your legal rights and proceed with the best solution to resolve and address your involvement in this unfortunate accident or event.
Minimum basic laws and regulations for Truck Driver include the following:
As per the new mandated Federal rules, truck drivers can drive up to a maximum of 11 hours in a workday that may total no more than a collective 14 hours maximum, after which they are legally required to take a minimum of 10 hours off duty. Truck drivers are also required to maintain logbooks of their time spent at work while driving behind the wheel.
Federal Law governs and closely monitors when truck drivers can be on route and when they must stop for rest for specifically regulated intervals of time. According to the law, truckers are not allowed to drive longer than 14 hours. These are hours of service regulations, which are closely regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
What is an accident?
A traffic accident is an event that occurred during movement of a vehicle on a road and with its participation, in which people were injured or killed and vehicles, structures and property were damaged or other material damage was caused.
Accident causes
Let’s take a look at the most common ones:
- Speeding
- Driving under the influence
- Lane splitting
- Sudden stops
- Inexperienced drivers
- Left turn accidents
- Dangerous road conditions
- Vehicle defects
- Hazard on the road
- Weather conditions
Statistics
- Unfortunately nowadays Los Angeles is considered to have the highest rate of traffic accidents resulting in injuries and fatal outcomes in the United States.
- In 2019 alone there have been roughly 54,000 collisions reported, making it a bit less than 2018, according to the LAPD including 236 reported deaths.
- It is a very disturbing fact that the amount of traffic collision deaths is 32% more compared to the previous 5 years making the pedestrians the majority of the victims.
- LAPD categorized over 25,300 crashes as hit-and-runs.
- Pedestrian fatalities raised by 69% over the past few years.
- Important to understand that fleeing the collision scene makes it a felony even in case it was not the driver’s fault.
- The main reason for the crash increase was caused by DUI and texting
What to do in a car accident?
When you get into an accident you might feel a bit or a lot frustrated, depending on the severity of the collision. It is important to pull yourself together (if possible) and take the following steps promptly:
- 1. Move to a safe area right away (if you can)
- Move your vehicle / motorcycle out of the way, for example the road shoulder, in order to prevent further harm. If your car is impossible to move, turn on your emergency lights to let other drivers know that you’re going to be there for a while.
- 2. Stop your car and get out of it
- Make sure that your car has come to a complete stop and is no longer moving, turn it off, put it into the park mode or use the hand break if you’re driving a manual. Take a deep breath and look around to make sure it is safe to get out before you open the door. Flares and other safety items might come in handy.
- 3. Check on other people
- Walk over to the other parties involved (drivers, passengers and pedestrians) in order to make sure they are not hurt. If someone is injured it is time to call 911. A person may be severely injured even if showing no significant signs other than dizziness and bruises.
- 4. Report to the police
- It is always best to have a police officer come to the scene which will allow you to prove important details in the future when dealing with the insurance company. Be careful not to admit fault or put the blame on the involved drivers right away at the scene. This would be the police job to adequately judge the situation and conclude whose fault it really is. There are cases when police often don't come to the scene (usually when there’s no injuries), in which case you can simply report your accident to your local DMV.
- 5. Information exchange
- Try to gather as much information as possible according to the list below:
- Name of the driver and the passengers
- License plate number
- Insurance information
- All involved vehicles makes and models
- Accident location
- The police officer’s name or badge number
- 6. Documenting the scene
- Most likely you have your smartphone with a camera, use it to take a few pictures of the accident. This will be a great addition to the other claim details.
- 7. File your insurance claim
- All these steps will make the process much smoother and less stressful.