Los Angeles Commercial Trucking Routes Are Commuter Routes- A California Injury Lawyer explains how this impacts Freeway Auto and Truck Accidents..
By Lou Cutrone
As all southern California drivers know, car accidents with commercial trucks, including big rigs, semis, eighteen-wheelers, and tractor trailers, are commonplace on our local freeways. Many of these freeways are in fact major routes used by commercial trucks for the transportation of goods throughout California. Interstate 110 connects San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles with Downtown L.A. at the interchange with Interstate 10, which runs west to Santa Monica and east to San Bernardino. Interstate 710 serves as a direct route from the Port of Long Beach to Downtown L.A. The I-5 is a major north-south artery, running the length of California. It is frequently employed by trucks hauling freight, particularly agricultural products that are transported from the Central Valley to market in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles. Trucks are also commonplace on I-405, which runs through the San Fernando Valley and into the west side of Los Angeles before continuing south toward Orange County. Likewise, commercial trucks make frequent use of U.S. Highway 101, which connects Downtown Los Angeles with Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, and Ventura County. Just as these routes are often used by commercial trucks, they are each of them major commuter routes as well. Most California injury attorneys who specialize in freeway car accident and freeway truck accidents confirm that the nature of our freeway systems play a major role in freeway vehicle accidents.
Sharing the Road with Trucks – A California Injury Lawyer Perspective
Sharing the road with large commercial trucks can be challenging. Due primarily to their size, trucks are beset by a number of structural obstacles, including limited visibility, poor maneuverability, and longer stopping distances and times. Lane changes, turns, stopping, and negotiating changes in the flow of traffic can be the cause of Los Angeles truck accidents. Many California personal injury attorneys believe that these unique truck characteristics play an important role in understanding the nature and severity of these types of accidents.
In addition, many California injury lawyers have found that the pressures of commercial trucking combined with the structural limitations of the trucks themselves can lead to unsafe driving practices and accidents. Trucks drivers often face delivery deadlines, many of them hauling time-sensitive or perishable freight, which may prompt some truck drivers to sacrifice safety for expedience. To combat sleep deprivation among truck drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires commercial truck drivers to limit their driving to no more than eleven hours of driving in a fourteen hour period following ten consecutive hours of rest. Unfortunately, not all truck drivers comply with federal requirements, and even those that do are still often rushed and sleep-deprived, which can significantly compromise their reaction time and decision-making behind the wheel. Some truck drivers may resort to the use of drugs to stay awake during long hauls, further impeding their ability to safely operate their vehicles. When truck drivers fail to take rest breaks as required and instead use drugs to stay awake, or when truckers engage in unsafe parking practices such as failing to use proper hazard signal flashers and warning devices when parked on a freeway shoulder, hill, or curve, accidents with other vehicles often result. Experienced truck accident attorneys Los Angeles will attest that because of the heavy weight of trucks as compared to automobiles, major catastrophic injury is all too often the tragic result of auto vs. truck accidents, especially at higher freeway speeds.
Truck Accident Lawyers
When a car is involved in an accident with a truck, the results are often devastating. As stated above, due to the significantly greater size of commercial trucks relative to most automobiles, victims of truck accidents are far more likely to suffer major injuries and fatalities than drivers involved in other types of motor vehicle accidents. That’s why it is so important to consult with an experienced truck accident attorney Los Angeles. As with any accident, victims of truck accidents may experience mounting medical bills and loss of time at work. They often find themselves unable to perform activities of daily living and must rely on family and friends for assistance as their injuries heal. To further complicate this recovery process, dealing with trucking companies and large commercial insurance policies can be confusing and frustrating. The California injury attorneys at Cutrone & Associates have nearly two decades of experience in handling California truck accident cases. These licensed California injury attorneys are experts in matters of law related to truck safety practices and driver conduct. Every California injury attorney at Cutrone & Associates is highly skilled at navigating the commercial truck claims process and advocating for the rights of our clients. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Los Angeles truck accident, we are here to help. Let our dedicated, experienced and talented California injury attorneys handle your truck accident case so that you can be free to focus on your recovery. Contact Cutrone & Associates for a free, no-obligation consultation and case evaluation.
