Thousand Oaks Accident Blocks Highway 101
I’m Ed Smith, a Thousand Oaks car accident lawyer. An accident between a semitruck and a motor vehicle on April 29, 2017 resulted in injuries. My sympathy goes out to the injured and their families in this time of upheaval in their lives with the wish that the persons who were injured recover quickly and completely.
What Happened
The truck accident occurred in the evening on Saturday along Highway 101 where it connects with Rancho Conejo Boulevard shortly after 12:30 in the morning. It is unknown at this time why the semi and other vehicle, which was a Toyota Camry, collided. The collision resulted in the highway’s lanes all being blocked. However, the blockage may have had something to do with a spill from the semi, which was carrying diesel fuel at the time of the crash.
Accident Injuries
Paramedics arrived at the scene of the accident and attended to those who were injured. It is unknown how severe the injuries were or whether they were transported to the hospital. The on-ramp and lanes on Highway 101 heading south were blocked by fire officials to enable the accident site and resulting spill to be cleaned up.
New Statistics Show an Increase in Accidents
Statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that early estimates of the first half of 2016 show 17,775 fatalities from motor vehicle crashes, an increase of over 10 percent over the previous year. In 2015, 16,100 fatalities were reported the first half of the year. However, the new statistics show that the number of miles traveled by drivers also increased by around 50.5 billion, which is around a 3.3 percent. Fatality data from the NHTSA goes all the way back to 1975 that shows periods of increases and declines in traffic fatalities. The last time fatalities decreased in the United States was the 17 quarters leading to the end of the quarter in 2010. Crash statistics also show that for every 1.12 fatalities in 2015, there were 78 injuries.
Truck accidents
Approximately 15.2 million trucks are on the road nationwide, and about two million are classified as semitrucks. In addition, there are over one million trucking companies whose drivers covered 432.9 billion miles.
Nationwide, the number of truck accident annual fatalities average 43,000 out of 500,000 accidents, according to Truckinfo.net. In fact, every quarter hour, one person dies in a trucking accident in the United States. Although this statistic is staggering, just 16 percent of fatal accidents are due to driver error. Due to the truck’s size and construction, 98 percent of those injured or killed in an accident between car and a truck are in the smaller motor vehicle.
Spills onto the highway can cause accidents as noted in the case described above. Many times, this is related to loading of the hauled material or the condition of the vehicle. Trucking companies and drivers are required to load trucks so to avert spills.
Head trauma, fractures, and spinal injuries are some of the medical problems faced by those involved in an accident with a much larger vehicle. This can lead to exorbitant medical bills and lost wages. A personal injury attorney’s job is to help the injured person recover those expenses.
Attorney Ed Smith
Thousand Oaks Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, Thousand Oaks car accident lawyer. If you’ve been in a trucking accident, I offer friendly and free advice in Ventura County at (805) 372-0200. Elsewhere in California, call (800) 404-5400.
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