Car accidents and truck accidents may both cause property damage, injuries, and lengthy traffic delays for others on the road. However, they also have some key differences between them. Take a look below to learn how these types of road incidents differ, and how a Santa Ana auto accident lawyer can help you with either kind of crash.
Vehicle Size and Weight
When a car crash happens between two passenger vehicles, the automobiles are roughly the same size and weight. If you are driving your car and get into an accident with a semi-truck, 18-wheeler, or another large commercial vehicle, it is far larger and far heavier. These trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and when they exert that force in a crash, it has much greater potential for devastation.
Severity of Injuries
As mentioned, the impact a truck exerts on a car during a crash causes devastation, and not just in property damage. You’re far more likely to suffer catastrophic injuries in a truck accident than in a car accident. Broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, crushing injuries, amputations, and paralysis are common types of injuries when a truck crashes into a car.
More Liable Parties
Most car accidents involve one other vehicle but even when there are multiple vehicles involved, it’s far less complicated than a truck accident. In trucking accidents, there can be many more responsible parties beyond the truck driver. While the trucker is the one behind the wheel, the trucking company employing them may also be to blame.
Trucking companies are hard-pressed to find drivers due to the increased demand for goods placed on the trucking industry. Some companies may shirk their responsibilities in vetting properly trained and qualified drivers. Others may break the rules set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regarding hours of service and push their drivers to go beyond these hours. Ignoring maintenance and inspections can also leave trucking companies liable.
There are still even more potentially liable parties in a truck accident, including the cargo loaders. The companies must evenly distribute cargo and tie it down according to proper protocols. Truck drivers must inspect their freight at regular intervals along the journey as well.
When it comes to keeping a fleet in tip-top shape, trucking companies must stay on task. However, the company in charge of maintaining and repairing these vehicles can also be in hot water if they were negligent in its maintenance. They may be backlogged with several trucks to examine and not perform a thorough inspection, which could result in a crash.
Other liable parties may include the truck manufacturer, parts manufacturer, the freight company, or even another driver of a passenger vehicle who drove recklessly, causing the trucker to lose control and crash.
Investigations and Evidence
In car accidents, victims need to call the police to the scene to fill out a police report. The officer will likely detail their findings and indicate their observations in this document. Car accident victims may take photos or videos, and they may get eyewitness statements. An attorney can help get other evidence, such as traffic camera footage, or can hire expert witnesses who can recreate more complex crashes to determine fault and liability.
When it comes to truck accidents, victims should also call the police to the scene, especially if the truck is hauling hazardous or explosive materials. However, investigations will be much more complicated for these types of accidents and will need to go far beyond what the law enforcement officer observed.
While you could handle your insurance claim with another motorist when it’s a minor fender bender, the complications of truck accident claims require legal expertise. Attorneys who represent truck accident victims know how to obtain a wide array of evidence, including data from the electronic logging devices (ELDs) and truck black box, and are familiar with the FMCSA’s rules and regulations.
Since there will potentially be many more liable parties after a truck crash, there will be much to investigate to gather evidence. Also, since victims in truck wrecks are often seriously hurt, they may be immediately sent to the nearest emergency room via ambulance. An attorney can work quickly to start investigations and get all vital evidence on behalf of the victims before it disappears.
