Truck Accident Attorneys in Los Angeles County
If you’ve been injured in a big-rig accident, call Andrew Ryan today, a Los Angeles truck accident attorney. The Ryan Law Group is known throughout Los Angeles for offering the best truck accident lawyers in the area. Attorney Andrew Ryan has a deep well of experience helping accident victims get the compensation they deserve after a trucking accident.
Unfortunately, devastating truck accidents are very common in California. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 300 people lose their lives in large truck accidents in California every year. Having the top truck accident lawyer in California or the best Los Angeles truck accident attorney will enable you to ensure your legal rights are honored. Usually, when a truck crash happens, the consequences are catastrophic due to the weight and size of the truck and the speeds involved. Negligent trucking companies must be held accountable for their drivers, and the quality of their equipment.
Aside from the loss of life, negligent truck companies are responsible for thousands of life-changing injuries that impact innocent victims every year. When the insurance companies get involved, and the trucking companies have their corporate lawyers working to minimize their responsibility for the accident, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer like Andrew Ryan who can ensure you get the maximum compensation you really deserve while fighting off predatory insurance companies and high-powered attorneys.
Los Angeles Truck Accident Resources
- Truck Accidents vs. Car Accidents
- Determining Liability in a Truck Accident
- Truck Crash Injuries and Compensation
- Time Limits in a Truck Accident Case
Where do Most Truck Accidents in California Happen?
According to the NHTSA, most truck accidents in California happen in Los Angeles County on the I-5, I-10 and I-715. The I-5 is the main trucking route to the rest of the country going in and out of California. That said, accidents along this freeway in both Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties are common. In many cases, tired and distracted drivers that have recently entered California are trying to make good time to their unloading point of call, and as a result, they can strike cars causing severe accidents. At the same time, truck drivers trying to get out of California and make good time ahead of traffic clusters also cause catastrophic accidents. In fact, data reveals that most truck accidents happen within a 20 mile radius of their place of origin or destination.
What Types of Injuries has the Ryan Law Group Dealt With in Truck Accident Claims?
The Ryan Law Group has more than a decade of experience in defending injury victims involved in a truck accident. Some of the common injuries from truck accidents include the following:
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Amputations
- Head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Lacerations
- PTSD and emotional suffering
- Neck injuries
- Whiplash
- Back injuries
- Quadriplegia
- Paraplegia
- Nerve damage
- Wrongful death
In most cases, truck accident victims will have multiple injuries and a complete diagnosis and prognosis can’t be established right away. For complicated cases like this, having a truck accident attorney like Andrew Ryan in your corner will make all the difference and ensure you get full compensation.
What Kind of Damages am I Entitled to After a Truck Accident?
Truck accidents usually cause serious damage to both you and your car. Getting the right medical care, having your car repaired, and learning to live with permanent injuries resulting from the truck accident can all be very difficult. You may even lose a great degree of money in trying to address all of these things. When you work with a skilled truck accident lawyer in Los Angeles serving all of California, they can help you get the level of compensation you really deserve for both bodily injury and property damage.
Economic compensation is one type of financial help that a truck accident attorney can help you with. This is reserved for truck accident victims who lost money due to the following reasons associated with a truck accident:
Medical Costs – You suffer from a personal injury that requires medical treatment. This can include hospitalization, surgery, medication, therapy, and any other types of care that medical professionals provide.
Auto Repair Costs – Your car was damaged or totaled, and you either need it fixed or replaced. Not only will the best truck accident attorney ensure this gets done to the highest standards, but he will also work to get it completed in a timely manner to avoid any further inconveniences.
Loss of Wages – When you are injured in a truck accident, and your injuries prevent you from going to work and financially supporting your family.
Financial Support Losses – When a loved one passes away or is severely injured due to a truck accident, and they are no longer to financially support you.
Other Property Damage – When possessions in your car are damaged or destroyed due to a truck accident. For example, you may have a piece of artwork in your backseat that you just got professionally framed, and a collision with a truck destroys it. You would be entitled to recover this loss.
Another type of damage you would be entitled to includes non-economic damages. These are areas of suffering that don’t include financial losses but instead cover physical and emotional trauma. These include the following:
Pain and Suffering – Your physical and emotional or psychological health has suffered due to your injuries from a truck accident.
Disfigurement – Your injuries are permanent and may include the functional loss of a limb, or in severe scarring.
Disability – Your injuries from the truck accident are permanent and your lifestyle is changing in a way that downgrades your quality of life, career and health.
Each truck accident handled by The Ryan Law Group has similarities, but at the same time every case is different, and this means various victims will qualify for different types of compensation. Before you even attempt to create a list of damages, you need to talk to a truck accident attorney and let them investigate your accident. Truck accident lawyers almost always identify and find evidence of comprehensive damage in areas of your accident that you would never think to look at, and they will be able to get you the maximum level of compensation while fighting off predatory insurance companies who are trying to make sure you get as little as possible from their insured.
Truck Accident Statistics
With hundreds of thousands of large trucks on the road, truck accidents are relatively common. Although truck companies and truck drivers have the ability to prevent collisions, accidents still occur when one or more parties are negligent. Unfortunately, this happens more often than most trucking companies are willing to admit. According to the FMCSA, in 2018 alone:
- 4,862 fatal auto accidents involved large trucks
- 112,000 large trucks involved in injury crashes (5% more than in 2017)
- 414,000 large trucks involved in property-damage-only crashes (14% more than in 2017)
- There were 1% more fatal truck accidents than in 2017
An analysis of fatal truck accidents in the U.S. found:
- 83% occurred on weekdays
- 73% involved collisions with other vehicles as the first harmful event
- 57% occurred in rural areas, 26% on interstate highways and 13% in both categories
- 36% occurred at night (from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.)
At The Ryan Law Group, we keep up with truck accident facts and statistics to better understand how and why these collisions occur. We use our knowledge and experience within truck accident law to better serve our clients in holding trucking companies and other entities liable. At our law firm, you will never be treated as a statistic. Our Los Angeles truck accident attorneys see the person behind the personal injury claim.
Difference Between a Truck Accident and a Car Accident in Los Angeles
Truck accidents, unfortunately, result in more serious injuries than accidents strictly involving cars, and often, these increased risks are overwhelmingly against those in passenger cars.
In 2018, 4,136 people died in large truck crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Of those fatalities, 82 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists.
The evidence confirms the high rate of death for other vehicle drivers is due to the size and weight of commercial trucks. Reports and statistics verify the likelihood of significant long-term life-threatening conditions and serious damage to property.
Beyond the significantly increased risk of serious injury, accidents that involve a semi-trailer truck are unique because of the parties usually involved. In a car accident between two private parties, the matter is often handled between themselves and their personal liability insurers. But with a semi-trailer truck accident, the driver of the semi-trailer is almost always driving under the employment of a trucking company. The truck is the driver’s place of work and the insurance obligation and liability are the responsibility of his employer.
There are usually much higher insurance policies for a company with a fleet of large trucks capable of incredible damage.
Someone injured by a semi-trailer truck looking for proper compensation is immediately going up against a large company. This is usually coupled with a professional insurance company incentivized to protect their drivers, to protect their company’s reputation, and to pay out as little as they possibly can.
Causes of Truck Accidents in Southern California
In any workplace, there is often added pressure to perform to the expectations of the company. The trucking industry is no different. However, sometimes trucking companies take shortcuts. Thus, they don’t take the necessary steps to ensure that their drivers are operating with the utmost safety.
For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates hours-of-service rules and specific guidelines. These guidelines are undertaken to ensure truck drivers receive the proper rest during long-haul deliveries. However, sometimes truck drivers are pressured to stay on schedule. Thus, they may skip these rest periods to ensure all deliveries are on time. This results in drowsy driving and an increased risk of accidents.
Additionally, although truck drivers may receive the necessary training, some may nonetheless engage in unsafe driving practices in order to ensure on-time delivery. This can include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Not following recommended driver safety laws
- Eating while driving
- Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
It is also important to consider that there may be additional issues that have contributed to an accident:
- An 18-wheel semi-truck trailer is a complicated vehicle. It requires proper maintenance and regular checking to make sure that all the parts are safe to drive on. Any potentially defective or otherwise malfunctioning equipment can easily cause accidents.
- Improper loading of a trailer can make driving a truck significantly more difficult due to uneven weight distribution. In extreme cases, unbalanced loading can even cause trucks to lose control, rollover, or even jack-knife.
- A semi-truck trailer is also at the mercy of the environment around them. An accident could also be caused by an outside force, such as weather conditions or animals.
All of these things will need to be investigated by a Los Angeles truck accident attorney. This way, we make sure that all liable parties are accounted for and a clear picture of what caused the accident is determined.
Call the Ryan Law Group for the Best Truck Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles County
It can be very difficult to hold negligent trucking companies accountable for their mistakes. Without the help of a truck accident lawyer who knows how to navigate the system, prove fault, and provide expert witnesses, you truly are in an uphill battle. Call The Ryan Law Group today and speak with the best truck accident attorney Los Angeles has to offer. Discover why we are considered the best in all of California.