If you drive anywhere in California, chances are you’ll be sharing the road with a big truck. Big trucks are vital to the state’s economy, transporting goods from one destination to another to keep up with the demands of a growing population. At any given time, there are thousands of big trucks out on the roads.
Some of the different types of big trucks you’re likely to encounter during your daily travels in and around the South Bay area can include:
- Tractor-trailers (also known as semis, semi-trailers, big rigs, semi-trucks, 18-wheelers or semi-tractor-trailers)
- Flatbed trucks
- Cement trucks
- Dump trucks
- Tanker trucks
- Delivery trucks
- Big truck towing vehicles
- Mail trucks
- Crane/utility trucks
- Fire trucks/emergency vehicles
A Big Truck Accident Can Happen at Any Time
Most truck drivers are highly trained and experienced professionals. However, even the safest drivers can be involved in an accident, no matter what type of vehicle they drive. It’s important for drivers of both big trucks and automobiles to be extra careful when approaching or passing each other, pulling out into traffic, or making a turn.
Big trucks have more blind spots, are harder to maneuver, and take longer to come to a stop than automobiles. And because of the differences in size and weight, automobiles and their occupants are often the big losers in an accident involving a big truck. Automobile drivers and passengers can suffer serious, even fatal injuries during a collision with a big truck, including:
- Bone fractures
- Burns
- Soft tissue and organ injuries
- Deep cuts
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
9 Types of Big Truck Accidents in California
There are many different types of big truck accidents in California:
- Head-on collisions: The driver of the truck or automobile wanders into oncoming traffic. These are among the most serious types of accidents and often result in serious injury and death.
- Wide-turn collisions: These types of accidents occur when a truck driver fails to check their blind spots before attempting to make a wide turn — swinging their vehicle into a left lane in order to complete a right turn.
- Rear-end collisions: Big trucks take longer to stop than cars; if you were forced to hit your brakes suddenly, the big truck behind you may not be able to stop in time. Whiplash and other neck, back and spinal cord injuries are common in rear-end collisions involving big trucks.
- Jack-knife: A jack-knife occurs when a truck hits its brakes and the trailer swings around or “jack-knifes” into another lane. Drivers often have trouble controlling their rigs when the trailer jack-knifes.
- Rollovers: A rollover accident can be particularly devastating to both the truck, its driver, and the occupants of any vehicle it rolls over.
- Blindspot or “no zone” collisions: Sideswipes and other types of collisions can occur when a car is riding in a truck’s blind spot when the truck driver decides to change lanes or make a turn.
- Underride/Override: These types of accidents occur when a vehicle becomes pinned beneath a big truck.
- Lost load: Improperly secured cargo can fall off the truck, striking nearby vehicles and causing massive damage and injury.
- Mechanical failure: A big truck accident occurs due to a defective tire or brake. In some cases, the manufacturer of the defective part may share liability for the accident with the truck’s driver and owners.
Big truck accidents happen for many reasons. In some instances, adverse weather and poor road conditions are to blame. In others, the driver of an automobile becomes careless and underestimates the size, speed, and power of a big truck. Finally, the accident can be the result of negligence on the part of the truck’s driver, its owners, or the manufacturer of a defective part.
Protect Your Rights After All Types of Big Truck Accidents
If you’ve been injured in an accident with a big truck, it’s important to take steps to protect your rights — especially the right to seek compensation for the damages caused by your injuries. Medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering are just a few of the damages that can result from an accident with a big truck.
Investigating a big truck accident can be more complicated than your average car accident. There may be several parties that share liability for the accident — the driver, the truck’s owner, or even a parts manufacturer. In addition, trucking companies are often difficult to deal with, and federal as well as state laws may apply in your case.
A personal injury attorney with experience in big truck accidents will be able to effectively investigate your claim and obtain the evidence you’ll need to prove your case.
Talk to a Manhattan Beach Big Truck Accident Attorney Today
Scott Dinsmore has been protecting the rights of clients in Manhattan Beach and other South Bay communities injured in a wide range of big truck accidents for more than 30 years. Scott’s vast legal knowledge and skills have enabled him to obtain millions of dollars in settlements for his clients, including a $1,000,000 + settlement in a wrongful death trucking accident, and $1,000,000 (of $2,000,000 total) for aggravation of spasmodic torticollis in a trucking accident.
Contact the law offices of Manhattan Beach truck attorney Scott Dinsmore, APC to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your accident. We handle most big truck accident claims on a contingency basis, which means there are no up-front charges and we don’t get paid until we recover compensation for you.