Accident on Florin Perkins Road Involved Tractor-Trailer and Small Car
A big rig accident with a motor vehicle in Sacramento resulted in moderate injuries on February 22. The accident happened on Florin Perkins Road, south of Elder Creek Road, during daylight hours, according to the Sacramento Police Department. The driver was in a Mazda Miata, and their vehicle was struck in the driver’s side by the big rig, caving it in and causing severe damage.
Injured Driver Transported to Hospital for Treatment
First responders with the Sacramento Fire Department arrived at the scene to assess injuries, and the Miata driver was taken to a hospital with what were described as moderate injuries. One lane remained closed in both directions while an investigation into the cause of the accident was undertaken.
Dangers of a Big Rig Accident
Because of their much larger size and weight, a truck accident with a motor vehicle can be dangerous, especially for the passengers of a small car. Some of the added dangers include:
- Underride accidents are always a concern because they are often fatal. Tractor-trailers have some protection from underride/override accidents on the back of the trailer and front of the rig. However, there is usually no such protection on the sides.
- Big rig rollovers are another danger and sometimes happen when the load inside the trailer isn’t balanced. It can cause the weight inside the trailer to shift and the big rig to fall over, injuring those in nearby vehicles.
- Jackknife accidents can endanger those in multiple lanes. A jackknife can occur due to the trucker speeding, weather conditions, a tight curve or just inexperience in handling a large vehicle. When the truck jackknifes, the trailer is moving faster than the tractor pulling it, so it slides around to the side. This can slam into other vehicles in the next lanes, causing serious injuries.
- A blind spot big rig accident can cause serious damage. Truckers have blind spots all the way around a big rig. If the trucker doesn’t realize there is a vehicle in the next lane and tries to move over, it can cause a serious big rig accident.
- Turning a corner is also unlike that of a smaller passenger vehicle. Because of a tractor-trailer’s size and length, the driver often has to go out of their lane to make a turn, which endangers vehicles near it and can lead to a big rig accident.
Big Rig Accidents Are More Complicated
Big rigs drivers have to operate under state and federal regulations, maintain a logbook and perform a safety inspection of the vehicle every time the trucker takes to the road. This makes it more complicated to investigate a truck accident. Our investigators are thorough to ensure that evidence is collected to prove fault by the driver and/or company when they cause an accident. The investigation includes:
- Performing accident reconstruction
- Finding road, business, and area traffic surveillance cameras that may have captured the big rig accident on tape
- The police reports are examined for errors
- Witnesses are interviewed to understand what they saw
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer
My name is Ed Smith, and I’m a Sacramento personal injury lawyer. When you’ve been injured by a negligent trucker, you might be able to file a compensation claim to recover your medical costs, lost wages, and for your pain and suffering. Call me for free, friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400. You can message me online also.
Since 1982, my legal team of injury attorneys and I have helped many residents of Northern California in obtaining compensation for their traffic accidents, truck collisions, wrongful deaths and all types of traumatic injuries.
You can find out how my law firm has helped others at the links below:
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Attributed photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/truck-lorry-white-truck-cargo-truck-4588791/
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