Truck Accidents.

Semi-trucks. Big-rigs. 18-wheelers. Tractor trailers.

No matter what they’re called, drivers see these large commercial trucks on streets and highways every day in San Diego and all over California. If you’ve ever moved from one place to another, you’ve probably used a semi-truck to move all of your belongings. Semi-trucks are large and can weigh as much as four tons, making it difficult for a truck driver to handle it without proper training. Any mistake could cause a semi-truck accident that leads to personal injury or wrongful death.

Each year, over eight million registered semi-trucks travel over 200,000 miles on roads throughout the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, semi-truck accidents cause about 130,000 personal injuries and nearly 5,000 wrongful deaths. In California alone, 10,000 semi-truck accidents happen and close to 400 of those are fatal semi-truck accidents, with many accidents happening right here in San Diego.

If you or a loved one has been in a semi-truck accident in San Diego or any part of California, you should consider hiring an experienced auto accident lawyer.

Top Causes of Semi-Truck Accidents

The same factors that cause car accidents also cause semi-truck accidents. A semi-truck driver, who can’t see because of poor visibility due to bad weather conditions like rain and fog, can cause a semi-truck accident. Furthermore, a semi-truck driver driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs lacks the sharp driving skills needed to avoid a potentially catastrophic semi-truck accident.

One problem that plagues truck drivers routinely is drowsy driving. Accidentally falling asleep at the wheel can lead to a serious semi-truck accident. Some truckers drive all day and all night risking their safety and the safety of others. Federal regulators require truckers to log their hours and limit the amount of time that they can drive a truck, but many truck drivers have been caught with inaccurate and misleading records.

Another common problem with truckers is that they “overload” their trucks. When semi-trucks have too much weight, the truck sometimes can’t handle the weight and you’ve got to contend with a four-ton battering ram traveling at high speeds. Big-rig trucks can also cause a jack-knife accident if the truck driver loses control of the trailer. For this same reason, you should be cautious when driving near a tow-truck. Tow-trucks pull another automobile behind them, making it very dangerous should you get in a tow-truck accident.

Regardless of the reason, serious injury or wrongful death are very likely in a truck accident.

Why Hire Our Auto Accident Attorneys after a Truck Crash?

If you are hurt after a semi-truck accident, you will probably have many questions to ask:

How can I get my medical bills paid?
My injuries are preventing me from working; will this semi-truck accident cause me to lose my pay?
Can I recover money for property damage?
How much money for pain and suffering am I entitled to?

Our auto accident lawyers can answer them and more. Our firm’s founder, Michael Pines, is a former insurance company lawyer, and he knows how insurance companies work. Since 1992, the auto accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC in San Diego have been helping people recover money from their insurance companies. If you do not want insurance companies to take advantage of you, then you should hire an experienced auto accident lawyer. We work hard to investigate the facts of the semi-truck crash and can also communicate effectively with insurance companies. We may even be able to offer you medical treatment if you do not have health insurance.

In essence, our San Diego law firm will work to make sure your needs and best interests are serviced. If you have questions about your semi-truck accident, our auto accident attorneys will be more than happy to put your mind at ease. There is no cost for your initial consultation, and there are no fees until we recover a fair personal injury settlement.

If you were injured in a semi-truck accident that wasn’t your fault and believe that you deserve compensation, then call our bilingual law offices right away at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced auto accident lawyer in San Diego and find out how we can help you. We look forward to providing good advice for your case. There is no fee if no recovery.

Most Recent Blog Post

[caption id="attachment_21715" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: The San Diego Union Tribune"][/caption] Last week, we reported on a car accident in San Diego that resulted out of alleged teen street racing. In new developments, the 18-year-old driver charged with the death of the two teenagers involved in the street racing has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter among four other charges according to reports at the San Diego Union Tribune. The news follows the earlier arrest of another 16-year-old driver that was taken into custody on similar charges. Just shortly after his arraignment, Michael Johnson, the 18-year-old driver of a Volvo S40, said, according to his attorney, that he is not the responsible party in the tragic San Diego accident fatalities that occurred April 4. Accident reports indicate that Johnson was returning from a spring break beach party in La Jolla when he was allegedly involved in a street racing contest with another teen driver – the unidentified 16-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Passat whose name has not been released since he is a minor. According to Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler, the two vehicles were zigzagging across lanes at speeds reaching up to a staggering 100 m.p.h. The 16-year-old driver in the Passat lost control over the vehicle, causing the car to flip over several times across multiple lanes of the road. Two passengers, Anthony Foreman, 18, and Jayli Campbell, 16, were thrown from the Passat and died at the scene of the accident. Two passengers survived the crash. Charlotte McQuillen, survived the accident although she suffered serious injury as a result of the collision including reports that say the teen will have to recover from traumatic brain injury. Anthoney Taylor, 16, also survived the crash although his injuries are unclear at this time. Johnson did not flee the scene of the accident according to police reports and cooperated with authorities once officers assessed the scene of the collision. The teen has no prior criminal record, although authorities say his vehicle was found containing a small amount of marijuana. Johnson is being charged with intoxicated driving, although his lawyer says there were no field sobriety tests to confirm the teen’s alleged intoxication. Teen driving: reminders for concerned parents Last week, we blogged on actions parents can take to prevent teen car accidents. Tips include:

Sign a parent-teen contract. Download your free contract now.
Enforcing the rules. Every teen driver needs to know that rules are there for a purpose, and when they are broken, consequences will follow.
Have a DUI backup plan. As most parents can attest, there are many instances when teen drivers run into problems that supersede their know-how and maturity. Drinking is one of those problems. In cases of emergency, your teen should have an open-door policy where they feel safe to call you when they need help – such in the case of drunk driving or driving while intoxicated.

About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC The Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC are specialists in car accident injury. Every personal injury attorney in our San Diego office works hard to seek maximum recovery for every injured client. Your case is handled without any out-of-pocket costs, so do not hesitate to speak to a San Diego personal injury lawyer today for a free legal evaluation. Call us at 1-800-655-6585.