If you were injured in an accident with a semi-truck or 18-wheeler in Orange County, CA, you might be wondering how you will recover physically and financially from your injuries. You don’t have to face these questions alone. The attorneys at Sam & Ash Injury Law have helped many people rebuild their lives after serious accidents. We are ready to help you too. Our Orange County trucking accident attorneys have the experience and tenacity to pursue full and fair compensation for you while you focus on healing.
We know what causes truck accidents and how devastating their impact can be. We also know the many tactics that insurers use to avoid paying accident claims. One of our partners is a former insurance defense lawyer. We use that experience and insight to your advantage.
The attorneys at Sam & Ash Injury are committed to helping you seek What’s Right. Contact us today to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Orange County.
How Do Truck Accidents Occur?
According to the American Trucking Association, there are 37.9 million trucks registered for business purposes, about ten percent of which are Class 8 trucks, also known as tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and 18-wheelers.
With millions of trucks transporting goods on highways in California and surrounding states, serious accidents occur every day. They occur for a variety of reasons, including driver inattention, distracted driving, driving too fast for road conditions, mechanical failures, and driving while dangerously fatigued.
There is one commonality to nearly all accidents: someone was negligent, meaning that their actions created the circumstances that caused the accident to happen. Determining who was negligent and in what way is key to establishing who is ultimately financially liable for a truck accident.
That’s why Sam & Ash Injury Law is prepared to move quickly to investigate a serious truck accident and gather evidence that may point to the cause of the crash. Truck accidents often happen because of the negligence of either the truck driver, the trucking company, the truck manufacturer, or other parties. Our 18-wheeler accident lawyers in Orange County, CA, can investigate any of these parties and pursue fair compensation.
Truck Accident Statistics
The California Highway Patrol said that in a recent year:
- 327 fatal truck crashes occurred in California, accounting for 367 fatalities
- 6,897 truck crashes occurred causing injuries, resulting in 9,710 injured persons
- 10 fatal truck crashes occurred in Orange County
- 390 truck crashes causing injuries occurred in Orange County, resulting in 544 injured persons
- Unsafe speed and improper turning were the two most common factors causing truck accidents in which the truck driver was at fault
- Truck crashes accounted for 9.1 percent of all fatal crashes and 3.6 percent of all injury crashes in California
How Much Is My Truck Accident Settlement Worth?
If you have been injured in a truck accident in Orange County, you may be wondering how you will pay your medical bills and whether you can seek compensation from the trucker who caused the crash. An experienced truck accident lawyer at Sam & Ash Injury Law in Orange County will evaluate the factors involved in your specific accident and give you an estimate of the value of your claim based on our experience handling many injury claims.
Factors that affect the amount of compensation you may receive include:
- The severity of your injuries: Severe injuries, such as a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord damage, can require extensive medical care for a long period of time and create higher medical bills.
- Your ongoing treatment needs: Some injuries may require future medical treatment, such as occupational therapy, and reconstructive surgery.
- The percentage of fault of each party involved in the accident: Multiple parties may share the fault for an accident, including those who were injured. For example, suppose that a truck was speeding when it collided with the rear end of a passenger vehicle that changed lanes without signaling. The driver of the passenger vehicle may be held partly liable for the accident, reducing the amount of compensation the automobile driver would be eligible to receive if awarded compensation.
- How much time you miss from work due to your injuries: Injuries that result in long-term disability will generate a greater loss of income. You may seek to recoup the value of your losses as part of a truck accident injury claim.
- The extent of damage to your car: Minor car damage that can be repaired will result in a lower settlement amount than extensive damage that totaled your car.
Common Types of Commercial Truck Accidents in Orange County
Tractor-trailers, when fully loaded, may weigh up to 80,000 pounds. A truck of that size and weight can cause serious damage if it gets into a collision with an automobile.
The truck accident lawyers of Sam & Ash Injury Law have represented Orange County residents who have been injured in many types of truck accidents including:
- Jack-knife collisions
- T-bone collisions
- Rollover collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Wide-turn collisions
- Sideswipe collisions
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Orange County
Determining the cause of a truck accident is a key component of determining which party may be held financially liable. The Orange County semi-truck accident attorneys at Sam & Ash Injury Law are experienced in investigating truck accidents. The following are common causes of truck accidents in Orange County:
- Inexperienced truck drivers
- Fatigue or failure to follow hours-of-service regulations
- Distracted drivers
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driving at unsafe speeds
- Failure to perform proper truck maintenance
- Oversized or imbalanced loads
- Unsecured loads
- Mechanical failures such as tire blowouts or brake failures
- Wet or icy road conditions
- Road hazards such as debris on the roadway
- Construction zone congestion
- Poorly marked roads or malfunctioning traffic lights
Who Can Be Held Responsible for Injuries from a Truck Accident?
A negligent truck driver, a trucking company, or a vehicle manufacturer may have liability after a truck accident. Each of these parties must abide by certain regulations at both the state and federal levels.
An experienced truck accident lawyer in Orange County can determine which party or parties are liable for your injuries. They may include:
- The truck driver: Driver error is frequently the primary cause of truck accidents. Drivers who are speeding, distracted, fatigued, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol can be held liable if they cause a semi-truck accident.
- The trucking company: The company that owns the trucks and employs the drivers can be held liable for the negligence of its employees and for failure to properly maintain the trucks.
- The manufacturer of the truck or its component parts: If the truck or a component part is defective and causes an accident, the company that manufactured the component could be held financially liable for the harm caused.
- The mechanics who work on the truck: If a mechanic fails to perform adequate maintenance on the truck because of carelessness or corner-cutting, the truck maintenance shop could be held liable for the resulting accident.
- Government entities: If a hazard on the roadway, such as a malfunctioning traffic light, uneven pavement, or a pothole, contributes to a truck accident, the government agency responsible for maintaining the roadway could be held responsible.
Compensation You May Recover in an Orange County Truck Accident Case
If you were injured in an accident that was not your fault, the Orange County trucking accident attorneys at Sam & Ash Injury Law can help you pursue compensation for losses, including:
- Medical bills
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages from missed work
- Diminished future earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
Why You Need an Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer
If you were injured in an accident with a semi-truck in Orange County, CA, you need the help of an experienced semi-truck accident attorney who can advocate for your interests while you focus on your health and your recovery. You will be at a disadvantage if you try to deal with the trucking company or its insurer on your own. The experienced Newport Beach trucking accident attorneys at Sam & Ash Injury Law are ready to stand up for you and hold those at fault fully accountable.
We are committed to helping you demand What’s Right for you. Contact our Newport Beach law office today to find out how we can help you pursue the maximum compensation for your trucking accident injuries.
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