Dog Food Spill on Interstate 5 Hampers Traffic
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento accident lawyer. A semi dumped dog food on Interstate 5 when it overturned on Sunday, all but halting traffic heading north for about six hours. The accident, which the truck driver said was caused by a hit and run, is still under investigation.
Details of the Accident
The big rig overturned just after noon in the vicinity of the I-80 off ramp, preventing drivers from exiting I-5 heading west. Cleanup crews were discharged to the site to remove the cargo from the highway where multiple lanes were closed pending the cleanup. A California Highway Patrol representative issued a bulletin advising that traffic should be back to normal at approximately 6 p.m. The driver suffered minor injuries, but at the time of this report, there is no word about the nature of the injuries or whether the driver was taken to a hospital.
Why Do Trucks Overturn?
Due to their weight and elevated center of gravity, big trucks have a greater propensity for rollover accidents. According to a Federal Motor Carrier causation study of over 200 large trucks that overturned, about 50 percent were the result of the trucker’s failure to slow down on a curve, primarily on ramps leading on and off the roadway. Other reasons for rollover are related to:
- Cell phone use
- Overcorrecting
- Falling asleep
- Over steering
- Problems with the height, weight and proper security of the load
- Brake maintenance and condition
- Road condition
- Distracted driving
Why Do Curves Matter?
The reason that trucks are most likely to overturn on curves relates to the direction of the centrifugal forces placed on the truck as it rounds the bend in the curve. Trucks lean toward the opposite direction of the curve, making them susceptible to roll over if the driver takes the curve at a higher speed than conditions and other attributes would allow. Roughly 9 percent of all truck accidents involve rollover.
How to Prevent Large Truck Rollovers
One of the most important steps a driver can take before driving is to perform adequate system and load checks to make sure there are no malfunctions, and the load is adequately secured. Checking brakes and tire pressure and the pertinent maintenance logs is vital to prevent problems on the road. A big problem area is when a truck is overloaded and the tire pressure is low, facilitating rollover.
Fatalities in Big Rig Accidents
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 3,852 fatal truck accidents occurred in 2015. This reflects an increase of 22 percent over those in 2009. Fifteen percent of those killed were motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Sixty-nine percent were drivers and passengers in cars and light trucks. Only 16 percent were occupants of large trucks. Tractor-trailers were involved in more fatal accidents than trucks defined as a single unit by a ratio of 75 to 25 percent. The majority of fatal crashes were not on interstates or freeways, which saw 30 percent of deadly crashes. Rather, 53 percent of accidents ending in death happened on other types of roadways. Minor roads had 14 percent of such accidents. Almost 30 percent of passenger occupants killed in an accident with a big rig were in a head on collision while 20 percent involved rear impact by a car or light truck.
Reasons You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer
Truck accident cases are often complex due to the types of and reasons why truck accidents occur. Truckers and their employers are responsible for making sure the truck is maintained. Determining why a truck accident requires an injury lawyer experienced in such accidents is essential. It is important to have a legal representative who will fight for their client’s rights, and make sure the compensation the client receives is adequate and just.
Sacramento Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento accident lawyer. When you have been in an accident caused by a negligent truck driver or trucking company, call me at (916) 921-6400. If you are out of the calling area, use my toll-free number, which is (800) 404-5400. I will provide you with friendly advice that is free of charge.
Northern Californians, including Sacramento area residents, have relied on my personal injury law firm to protect their rights, and ensure that they obtain damage compensation that they need and deserve for traumatic injuries and wrongful death claims.
Some of my previous cases and their results can be viewed on my Verdicts and Settlements page. Client reviews and ratings are are easily found on Google, Yelp and Avvo, a legal review site that also has comments by my peers.
Million Dollar Advocates Forum only invites the top one percent of trial attorneys who can demonstrate that they’ve garnered verdicts or settlements of $1 million or more for clients to be a member. I am proud to say I am a member from the state of California.
To view informative pages on personal injury law, go to my website, autoaccident.com, which I founded and own.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/street-traffic-high-way-automobile-1721451/
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