Accident at Balls Ferry Road Railroad Crossing Involves Big Rig and Two Passenger Vehicles
A truck accident at a railroad crossing with two other vehicles on February 8 in Cottonwood, south of Redding, resulted in damage and minor injuries. The collision occurred at Balls Ferry and Live Oak roads around 1:05 p.m. According to the incident report, the northbound lane was blocked by the accident, and rock debris was strewn in the southbound lane.
Major Damage Reported in the Railroad Crossing Accident
The Nissan Maxima involved in the railroad crossing crash was found 10 feet off the roadway with major front and rear-end damage as well as the left-side wheels broken. The big rig also sustained major damage to its front end. The report issued by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated that there was exposed wiring at the crossing, and the control arm had been demolished., The railroad company was notified to expedite repairs.
Investigation Underway to Determine Cause of Crash
In addition, a crew with PG&E was called to perform repairs on a power pole. The CHP is investigating the accident to discover how it occurred.
Big Rigs and Railroad Crossing Requirements
Requirements at train crossings are strict for commercial motor vehicle operators (CMV) and CDL drivers in California. Unless these requirements are followed, the driver may receive a traffic ticket and even have their professional license suspended for 60 days if they are convicted of this offense. Big rig drivers are required to stop within 15 feet of the first track, but not more than 50 feet away.
The trucker must put down their window, check both ways up and down the track looking and listening for trains even if the crossing has no flashing light or gate. It is also important for the driver to ensure that the vehicle can be driven across the tracks without stopping or changing gears before continuing.
Compensation Recovery Following an Accident Caused by a Big Rig
Since tractor-trailers are so large and heavy, a collision with one can cause serious injuries to those in smaller vehicles nearby. A personal injury attorney experienced in handling such cases knows that multiple parties can be responsible for your trauma and can search for evidence to support your compensation claim. Damages can be recovered in the following ways:
- Medical expenses: All injury-related medical expenses, including ambulance service, hospitalization, medication, surgeries, doctors’ bills and rehabilitation costs are recoverable.
- Lost earnings: Those who are injured often find themselves unable to work after an accident, losing their wages as well as the benefits they would receive. Some of them end up maxing out their sick leave or taking vacation time, but it frequently isn’t enough. The entire amount can be recouped. If they must take a lower-paying position or become disabled and unable to return to work, either the difference in pay is calculated or they recover their wages until retirement age.
- Pain and suffering: A person may be compensated for the pain and suffering caused by an accident, as well as any psychological or emotional trauma that it caused.
California Truck Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a truck accident lawyer. Large vehicle crashes commonly cause severe injuries to those in smaller vehicles. If you suffered an injury caused by a negligent truck driver, call our accident attorneys for our free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 to discover whether you can place a claim to recover compensation. Contact us online as well.
We are pleased to be members of the following associations, which demonstrates how hard our injury lawyers work to ensure our clients receive fair compensation:
Here are a few examples of how we’ve handled truck accident claims in the past:
Photo attribution: Image by Erich Westendarp from Pixabay
:cd llo [651] bw