According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), an estimated 3,921 people are killed and 104,000 people are injured annually in crashes involving large trucks. There is no doubt that a collision with an 18 wheeler is a traumatic experience and usually results in serious injuries.
Causes and Fault
Truck driver fatigue, poor maintenance, an overloaded truck or another form of negligence, are often the causes of big rig trucking accidents. It is not your fault. But most individuals have no idea how to gather pertinent information or prove negligence of the big rig driver or how to file a claim against a trucker or powerful trucking company. An experienced 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer can help.
Proving Your Case
In a semi-truck accident case, crucial evidence to proving negligence is investigating these issues:
Whether the driver’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) was in good standing
If the driver has any criminal record
Number of prior tickets of traffic citations the driver has received
Prior violations or warnings the trucking company has been given
How many accidents the driver was in
Whether the driver’s cargo load complied with the laws of the road
Whether the driver complied with the Hours of Service (HOS) laws and was driving only the allotted legal number of hours
If drugs, alcohol or narcotics were involved or if the semi-truck driver’s actions were foreseeable
Our qualified San Francisco attorneys serving San Jose, Oakland and all neighboring communities will take several steps to investigate your claim to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve. They will take actions that you may not be able to do on your own, or perhaps did not consider.
For example, a lawyer will search for and contact witnesses and obtain their statements, they will examine the accident site for surveillance cameras and they will even return to the scene to take additional photographs.
If you or a family member have been injured in an accident involving a semi tractor-trailer or other large commercial truck, contact our Bay Area trucking accident law firm toll-free at 1-877-702-7800.
Our legal office has the resources to make a strong claim and our attorneys have decades of experience as 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers. At Choulos, Choulos & Wyle we will work to maximize compensation for people who have been injured or lost loved ones in commercial truck crashes.
