Walnut Creek is a hub for the communities that surround it. Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, and just east of Oakland, the city sees many trucks that travel the nearby I-680 and other surrounding highways every day. These massive trucks have to interact with the thousands of motorists who travel in and around Walnut Creek every day and these interactions do not always go well. Sometimes, truck accidents occur here, and when they do, it is generally those in the smaller vehicles who sustain the worst injuries. When this happens, it is crucial that accident victims speak to a Walnut Creek truck accident lawyer who can help them pursue the compensation they deserve for their losses.
Truck Accidents Get Complicated QuicklyWhen motorists are involved in a truck accident, they often think the process afterward will be similar to that after a car accident, but this is not the case. Truck accidents are far more complicated than crashes involving two smaller vehicles for many reasons.
The first of these is that commercial trucks are much larger than other vehicles on the road. They weigh more, it is harder for truck drivers to check their blind spots, and it takes much longer to slow down and stop a truck than another vehicle. Due to this, the injuries that result from a truck crash are often much more serious. Accident victims often have to wait much longer to file a claim because they are unsure about the severity of their injuries. Tragically, accident victims also do not always survive these crashes, meaning that their families must file a wrongful death claim, which is inherently more complex than a personal injury claim. Whether you were injured or you lost a loved one in a truck crash, an experienced truck accident attorney in Walnut Creek can help you hold the at-fault party accountable.
Liable Parties After a Truck AccidentAnother reason truck accidents are so much more complicated than other crashes is because there are so many potentially liable parties. Many times after a truck accident, victims automatically assume that the crash was caused by the truck driver’s negligence. This is not always the case, however. Truck drivers may show negligence by speeding, driving under the influence, and working past the federally-regulated hours of service. However, other parties may be liable, as well.
The trucking company may be liable for not properly maintaining their vehicles, and not having them inspected sufficiently. Trucking companies can also be held liable if they did not have appropriate practices for hiring and training their drivers.
Any company that performed repairs on the truck involved in a crash can also be held liable if those repairs were not done properly. If another company improperly loaded the truck, causing it to be unbalanced, and that caused a crash, the loading company can also be to blame.
Lastly, if the truck or any part of it was defective, the truck manufacturer can be held liable for a victim’s damages. The best way to ensure you are pursuing the appropriate party following your accident is to consult with a Walnut Creek truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Our California Truck Accident Lawyers can Help with Your ClaimIt is difficult to determine liability after any crash on the roads, but it becomes even more challenging after a truck accident. If you have been injured in a truck accident, our truck accident attorneys in Walnut Creek can help. At the Brod Law Firm, our experienced attorneys can determine who was responsible for your crash, and aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve, and that you need to recover from your injuries. Call us today at (800) 427-7020 to schedule your free case evaluation to learn more about how we can help.