In our last post we discussed the relationship between truck accidents and the holidays. Truck accidents may be more common during the holiday season, but these crashes can occur at any time and any place.
The NHTSA reports 3,675 fatalities and 80,000 injuries due to trucks with a heavy gross vehicle weight. Approximately 276,000 of these vehicles were involved in accidents during 2010. The number of fatalities caused by large trucks in 2010 increased by 9 percent from 2009. Occupants of other vehicles accounted for 76 percent of the fatalities while occupants of large trucks accounted for 14 percent of fatalities and the remaining 10 percent were not occupants of the vehicle.
The total number of vehicles involved in fatal crashes in California was 3,691, including 239 trucks. Trucks were involved in 6.5 percent of the fatal accidents in California and 6.9 percent of all fatal accidents in the United States.
Legal representation may lead to additional compensation
Most people who have been involved in a truck accident may not want to hire an attorney. However, you almost always need more compensation than the trucking company’s insurance agency will be willing to pay, and understanding your rights and navigating the legal labyrinth can be confusing and frustrating.
An experienced personal injury attorney will aggressively pursue litigation to win a significant settlement. An attorney who specializes in personal injury law should also be prepared to win in a jury trial, should that become necessary.
