Riverside Truck Accident Lawyer

In truck accidents, questions of cause and responsibility can be complicated. There may be many liable parties, and getting the information to identify them can require some industry-specific knowledge. The interrelationships of persons and entities connected to the truck, the trailer, and the load determine whether a valid, viable claim exists.

You can stand up to these companies with our help. Rizio Lipinsky Heiting personal injury attorneys in Riverside, California, has provided representation to accident victims in Southern California for more than 20 years. With Greg Rizio’s experience as a former insurance defense lawyer leading the firm, our truck accident lawyers have unique insight into semi-truck accident and injury cases.

Please call our office at 888-292-8888 to schedule a free consultation with our experienced Riverside truck accident lawyer.

Laws Governing Truck Accidents

Federal regulations that establish interstate standards for truckers under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) often determine who is liable for damages caused by truck accidents.

Every state government has a department that makes and enforces commercial trucking regulations. So trucking law is extensive and complex. To succeed, every Riverside truck accident lawyer must develop formidable knowledge, skills, and abilities for a challenging practice. These are the skills that Rizio Lipinsky Heiting possesses throughout our 20 years of experience.

Who Is Responsible?

In truck crashes, many parties may bear some liability for a claimant’s injuries:

• The driver
• The owner
• The lessee
• The manufacturer of the vehicle, its brakes, tires, or other parts
• The shipper or loader of truck cargo

Truckers, haulers, and lessees often argue about whose insurer should pay a claim.

Trucking companies try to evade liability by distancing themselves from their drivers, vehicles, and equipment. When trucks cause crashes, big truck companies argue in each case that the driver was not their employee, so they are not liable for driver error.

They may also claim that they do not own the equipment and are not responsible for its operation, maintenance, upkeep, or repair. Under current federal law, every trucking permit holder is liable for all injuries by any truck displaying its placard or name. This is regardless of any lease terms or whether the driver is an employee or independent contractor.

Devices similar to aircraft black boxes are used in the trucking industry. These devices record truck speed, speed patterns, break times, and how long the truck has been on the road. Inclinometers record information about slope and corner angles. A successful truck accident attorney always secures and preserves such data for use as evidence of crash conditions.

Truck Accident Injury Statistics

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), collects and analyzes data involving truck accidents and the serious injuries they cause in all 50 states. According to a recent report, 3,978 trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds were involved in fatal crashes, which is a decrease of 5 percent over the previous year. However, this is the first decrease in fatal truck accidents in years, and may not a temporary decrease.

The number of truck accidents resulting in injuries was 88,000 in 2014, which was an increase of 55 percent since 2009. In addition, injury crashes involving large trucks rose by 21 percent, and truck accidents resulting only in property damage rose by 31 percent from 2013 to 2014.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 98 percent of all semi-truck accidents result in one or more fatalities. Also, tractor-trailer accidents are responsible for more than $20 billion in damages each year.

When it comes to commercial trucks as a larger classification, the average truck accident results in about $59,200 in damage, and 90 percent of these accidents are caused or made worse by human error.

Common Types of Commercial Truck Accidents

The types of accidents that can occur with trucks are quite varied and differ from the accidents caused by passenger cars. Here are some of the common types of truck accidents:

Jackknife – When a tractor-trailer stops suddenly, the trailer can swings out to the side, impacting with other vehicles.
Load drop – Cargo on trucks that is inadequately secured may come loose and spill onto the roadway or other vehicles.
Rollover – Truck drivers sometimes lose control of their vehicles, and they tip onto one side or roll from one side to another.
Blind spots – Trucks have large blind spots that block a driver’s view of the road and other vehicles.

Get Legal Advice From an Experienced Riverside Truck Accident Attorney

When a semi-truck or tractor-trailer is involved in an accident with a passenger vehicle, the result is often catastrophic with severe injuries. Liability may seem straightforward in these cases. However, the trucking company and its insurance company will try to deny liability to truck accident victims by any means necessary. They employ teams of lawyers, insurance adjusters and other experts to protect the company (and their insurance companies) from the expense of a truck accident claim and truck accident cases.

Maximum compensation is our goal for payment of your total recovery costs. This includes compensation for car accident property damage, medical bills, lost wages, and even pain and suffering.

Rizio Lipinsky Heiting law firm has assisted victims with truck accident claims and wrongful death lawsuits in Southern California for over 20 years.

Call 888-292-8888 today to schedule a free consultation and free case evaluation with our skilled truck accident attorney in Riverside. You can also use our online form if you would prefer. Learn your legal rights and get the legal advice you need.

We have offices conveniently located in Riverside County and San Bernardino County to meet with you and discuss your personal injury claim.