Truck Accident 101
I’m Ed Smith, a Dixon truck accident lawyer. A lot of things about truck accidents are common sense. However, some information is not typically known. In this blog, I’ll provide you with valuable, often-unknown information regarding large commercial truck collisions.
General Truck Misconceptions
It is perhaps a bit obvious that collisions involving large trucks often result in much more serious traumatic injuries than collisions that only involve regular passenger vehicles. However, many people still tend to overestimate trucks’ abilities to respond quickly to changing roadway conditions.
Trucks are not able to turn suddenly, stop quickly, or remain in control at high speeds and are much less capable of avoiding collisions than normal vehicles. Because trucks usually weigh upwards of 10,000 pounds, it can be extremely dangerous and even fatal to not allow them space to make safe collision-avoidance maneuvers.
Legal Differences
Truck accidents differ from passenger vehicle accidents when it comes to the law. For instance, there are federal regulations that truck drivers must adhere to that are not in place for the drivers of normal passenger vehicles.
Some of the regulations that truck drivers must obey include not driving for extended periods of time, keeping detailed logs and records of their driving histories, and more. Because of these additional regulations, truck accidents usually involve a much larger amount of documentation. The extra documentation can be helpful, but can also complicate cases when documents are not requested or handled in the correct time frame.
What To Do After a Truck Collision
If you have been involved in a collision with a large commercial truck, your immediate priority should be to get to a safe place away from traffic and other dangers. If one or more individuals are unable to exit the vehicle, you should turn on the hazard lights, use road flares, put out traffic cones, and do anything possible to warn other vehicles of your presence.
Once this has been taken care of, you should contact the police and emergency medical services as soon as possible. Even if you don’t immediately notice an injury, you may have sustained trauma that won’t be apparent until later. Obtaining an evaulation by a qualified doctor is of the utmost importance.
Gathering Information
After immediate health and safety concerns have been addressed, you should record the driver’s information. The information that one should record includes:
- Driver’s name and license number
- License plate number
- Name of the company that employs the driver
- Driver’s phone number
- Driver’s insurance provider
It is also a good idea to take pictures of the crash and record any information that you think may be relevant to the incident. Additionally, if you’ve been in an accident with a large truck, you are likely to be upset. Trying to remain calm and keeping a clear head will make the entire process much easier and safer.
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Dixon Truck Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Dixon truck accident lawyer. Accidents often have serious consequences. If you or an individual who is important to you has suffered significant or fatal injuries in a vehicle accident, call me at (707) 564-1900 to receive some friendly and free advice. In other area codes, you can contact me using this toll-free telephone number: (800) 404-5400.
Since 1982, I’ve helped residents of Dixon with their claims including wrongful death, personal injury, or both, to obtain the recompense they legally deserve.
Many of my client reviews and ratings can be found on: Google, Yelp, and Avvo.
I am in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This is a forum for top-rated U.S. trial attorneys. All members have successfully obtained verdicts or negotiated settlements valued at over $1 million.
Some of our Past Verdicts and Settlements can be viewed here.
I started the site AutoAccident.com. It’s the best website in Northern CA for getting current, practical information on personal injuries and car collisions.
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