Holding Negligent Truckers Accountable in Turlock and Stockton
As soon as possible after a truck accident has injured you or a family member, contact us at Scott Mitchell Law Incorporated. A Modesto personal injury lawyer from our team is ready to meet with you to discuss the circumstances of your accident and to determine whether you may have grounds to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim against the driver or the trucking company. Most commercial truck drivers take reasonable precautions to avoid causing collisions, but it only takes one careless or reckless trucker to change your life forever.
The Devastation of a Truck Accident
The consequences of an 18-wheeler accident can be absolutely devastating. Semi-trucks can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds, which is 40 times more than the average passenger automobile. Even a rear-end collision at relatively low speed can crush the back of the smaller vehicle and may leave the accident victim with whiplash or other serious injuries. Big trucks are also prone to be involved in more dramatic types of accidents, such as the jackknife accident, which occurs when the tractor trailer swings forward, pivoting on the trailer hitch and sweeping up any vehicles that were driving alongside the truck.
Filing a Truck Accident Injury Claim
When we handle the filing of our client's truck accident claim, we leave no stone unturned in our search of evidence to prove that the trucker or trucking company was at fault. For example, we may be able to use the driver's logs to demonstrate that he or she was violating the federal hours of service regulations by staying behind the wheel for excessively long hours despite being fatigued.
Similarly, the truck driver may not have performed the routine maintenance and equipment inspections that are required by law. It may also be possible to show that the driver caused the crash by committing a traffic violation such as by speeding, changing lanes without signaling or checking blind spots, or denying you the right-of-way at an intersection.
Take the first step now by contacting us for a free case evaluation so that we can review the situation and get started on a plan of action for you!