Truck Accidents Are More Complex Than Most Auto Accidents

When a small vehicle becomes involved in a crash with a massive commercial tractor-trailer truck weighing as much as 80,000 pounds loaded, serious injuries are almost guaranteed. These injuries, combined with the complex legal issues of identifying and proving liability, result in extensive challenges for victims seeking the compensation they need to effectively deal with their injuries.

Due to the significant size and weight of semitrucks, sharing the road with them is more difficult and dangerous than dealing with smaller passenger vehicles. With the number of trucks increasing on the roads, it is not surprising that accidents where truckers are at fault are also increasing. According to the most recent data available from the California Highway Patrol, from 2010 to 2011, fatal collisions with trucks increased from 41 to 57, and injury collisions increased from 2,156 to 2,257.

Each of these collisions represents one or more claims by injury victims or their families. However, trucking accident claimants face a more complex legal situation than the victims of passenger vehicle accidents, such as the following:

• The cause of the accident does not always point solely to driver error. Equipment failure, faulty cargo-loading, and countless other issues can extend liability to anyone from workers responsible for loading and inspection to trucking company management personnel who set policies.
• The severity of injuries is likely to result in extensive medical and rehabilitative costs. However, victims often also need compensation for long-term disabilities, requiring them to accurately predict a potential lifetime of additional expenses.
• Trucking companies employ a dedicated legal staff that focuses solely on defending against liability. Individual accident victims usually do not have the knowledge or power needed to help protect their rights to the full value of their claims.

If you or a loved one suffers injuries in an accident with a large commercial truck, never assume a simple insurance claim can guarantee that you receive the full and fair compensation needed to deal with extensive losses. It costs nothing to consult with a truck accident lawyer at The Law Offices of Young Wooldridge, LLP.

Photo Credit: Al Pavangkanan via Flickr Creative Commons