Minor Injuries Reported in Underride Truck Accident
An underride truck accident occurred in downtown Sacramento on December 11 but fortunately only caused minor injuries. The collision occurred around 1:00 in the morning along westbound US 50 at the beginning of the connector ramp for southbound I-5. The report issued by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated that the connector was blocked as well as both lanes and that debris was strewn all over the roadway.
Additional Information About the Underride Truck Accident
The collision involved a California Sierra Express big rig and a sedan, which became wedged under the truck. Sacramento Fire Department first responders were summoned to the scene both to check for injuries and after receiving a report that one of the vehicles was on fire. When they arrived, they discovered the truck driver and those in the sedan had safely exited their vehicles.
Big Rig Catches Fire
However, the tractor of the big rig was fully engulfed in flames, and there was fear that the trailer would soon be involved as well as the sedan. All lanes of traffic were stopped and a SigAlert was issued when it was discovered that either diesel fuel or an oil spill had occurred as well. This necessitated shutting down the westbound lanes of US 50 and calling for a large amount of absorbent and a sweeper to clean up the site.
Westbound US 50 Remains Closed for Hours
The hard closure wasn’t put into place until 2:55 a.m. The roadway reopened, and the SigAlert was canceled around 6:55 a.m. The underride truck accident is under investigation by the CHP to determine the cause.
The Hazards of Colliding With a Big Rig
Accidents involving a big rig often cause serious injuries to those in a smaller vehicle. This is related to the much larger size and weight of a big rig as well as its ground clearance. Despite having guardrails across the back end of the trailer to protect against an underride truck accident, those rails may be old and ineffective. In addition, there usually aren’t any guardrails along the side of the trailer being pulled or the front of the tractor-trailer.
Collecting Compensation for an Accident Injury Caused by a Big Rig
Drivers of tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles often carry a large insurance policy. However, that doesn’t mean they want to pay out a large claim when serious injuries occur in an accident. Because of the complexity of an accident involving a big rig, it is important that the injured party enlist the help of an injury lawyer to get the compensation they deserve.
Negligence in an Accident Involving a Tractor-Trailer
Among areas of investigation to collect the evidence to prove an underride truck accident claim are:
- Because big rigs are subject to state and federal regulations on hours of service and rest breaks, we examine their records to ensure those have been followed.
- The vehicle itself is examined for problems with maintenance that could have led to an underride truck accident.
- Accident reconstruction is performed, which often indicates which driver was at fault.
- The driver’s record is checked to see if there are previous traffic infractions or accidents.
- Company records are examined for infractions and to look over their maintenance records.
- The police report is checked for inaccuracies.
- Witnesses are interviewed.
- Traffic cameras are checked to see if the accident was caught on tape.
Truck Accident Attorneys in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, and I’m a truck accident attorney in Sacramento. Collisions with a big rig frequently cause severe injuries. If the trucking company or driver was at fault, you may be able to claim compensation. Give us a call for our free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. You may prefer to message us online. We can set up a free, no-obligation consultation virtually or in-person to review your case, answer your questions and let you know what options there are to recover compensation.
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Since 1982, we’ve successfully handled many claims for truck accidents, all types of car collisions, pedestrian, motorcycle, and bicycle crashes, wrongful deaths, and more.
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Photo attribution: Image by chapay from Pixabay
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