How Do Truck Accident Claims Differ from Regular Car Accident Claims in Sacramento?

You were in an accident with a truck. Chances are good you thought the process would be as simple and straightforward as working with an insurance company for a car accident. Yet, there are numerous differences, and not understanding those could leave you with less compensation than you are owed. 

So, how do truck accident claims differ from regular car accident claims in Sacramento? There are several significant ways.

At Triumph Law, P.C., our Sacramento truck accident attorney consistently provides our clients with exceptional support as they seek compensation for their losses. We are here to help you navigate the challenges that come with truck accidents, so start with a free consultation. Call us now to get started.

Consider the Vast Number of Differences in a Truck Accident Claim

The following are some examples of the differences between a truck accident claim and a passenger accident claim. Your case is unique. To provide personal advice to you, we encourage you to contact us directly.

The Truck Is Larger, Often Leading to More Serious Injury

Truck accidents often involve fast-moving, heavy vehicles, often with a significant amount of weight behind them in a tractor-trailer. This can nearly always lead to more significant injuries. When that weight is traveling at a high speed and it collides with others on the road, that can lead to devastating losses for all involved.

Trucks Are Harder to Navigate and Manage

If you have ever been in a commercial truck, you may know they are harder to drive overall, even for those with some experience. These trucks have challenges such as:

• The need to make much wider turns
• The need to start stopping much sooner than in a car
• The truck needs extra room to slow down
• Blind spots are numerous and hard to overlook
• Trucks are often cut off by other drivers, which can make it hard for truckers to avoid an accident

These are very real problems. Because of these factors, even the most skilled truck driver could cause a devastating accident on Sacramento highways.

Truck Drivers Are Often on the Road for Numerous Hours at a Time

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association has very strict rules in place about how many hours a driver can be behind the wheel and how much break time they get. Even when those rules are followed, a driver is still doing the same tedious task over and over again, and that leads to fatigue. As a result of this, truck drivers are more likely to cause an accident than a person who just got behind the wheel of their car 20 minutes ago.

Tired truck drivers can cause a number of complications:

• They may be unable to react fast enough to changing road conditions, such as a person changing lanes at the last minute
• These drivers may swerve or move into the lane of another driver randomly
• Fatigued drivers are also likely to not stop soon enough or signal when they are changing lanes

In some ways, a tired truck driver can be just as risky as being on the road with a person who is intoxicated. The losses that could occur are numerous and put the lives of others on the line.

There Could Be More than One Person Responsible for the Claim

Truck accident claims are a bit more complex because it is up to you to determine who is at fault. This may be the truck driver, but if that person is an employee of another company, then the company may be at fault as well. Consider the following complications that often come from truck accidents:

• The truck owner could be at fault for the injury.
• The company that loaded the truck improperly could be responsible for a toppled truck.
• A company that did recent repairs on the car and those repairs led to the injury could be at fault.
• The truck or part manufacturer who sold a component that was faulty which led to the incident could be at fault.
• The third-party trucking vendor that did not attach the trailer properly could be at risk.
• The maintenance team that failed to do their job properly could be at risk.

There are many parties to consider here, and often, more than one should be held responsible for the losses you have incurred. As a result of this, it is critical to have a good overview of the entire setup of the company and an understanding of what went wrong.

The Evidence in a Truck Accident May Be Different

Another way that a truck accident differs from a standard car accident is in the evidence itself. Though truck accidents will use many of the same types of evidence, such as witness statements and photos or video of the area, there are often additional types of evidence available. Data here may be more complex and harder to understand, but some examples include:

• The black box recording of the truck’s accident and the time before it
• Recordings used on logging devices that could show location or speed
• Driver hours-of-service logs
• Manifests for cargo loading and processes
• Screening records

There Are More People Working Against Your Claim

Another very big difference in a truck accident case is who is working against you. There are a lot of parties that could face financial loss from an accident, and oftentimes, that comes with a lot of risk. The risk may involve fines from the government, limitations on licenses to operate, and costly fines. 

As a result, most truck accidents will involve insurance adjusters as well as attorneys who are working on behalf of the responsible party.

Let Our Truck Accident Attorneys in California Help You

At Triumph Law, P.C., we know how truck accident claims differ from regular car accident claims in Sacramento, and our experience allows us to fight against those challenges to provide our clients with ample compensation. Set up a free consultation with our Sacramento truck accident attorney now. Let us offer insight into what your legal rights are and how we can help you navigate the process.