A crash with a big rig or 18-wheeler can have devastating results. It can severely damage your car or property, not to mention cause injuries so bad you cannot work, earn an income, or perform routine daily tasks. Oftentimes, truck accident victims do not survive.
Truck accident lawsuits are typically very complex. Truckers often work for large organizations backed by powerful insurance companies. That’s why you need an attorney. If legal costs seem like too much of a challenge, then legal funding in Los Angeles can help until a proper settlement is reached.
To put it concisely, if any of the circumstances mentioned earlier apply to you, contact an attorney and then apply for legal funding. Only with an experienced attorney will you receive fair and just compensation for you and your family.
Why Do Truck Accidents Happen?
In California, trucks are seen on all major roads. Trucking helps drive the economy, making truck drivers extremely important. But with a high volume of truck traffic, accidents happen all too often. Some of the reasons include:
- Cell phone use
- Cars in blind spots
- Driver fatigue
- Speeding
- Boredom
- Tailgating
- Jackknifing
- Long work shifts
- Unrealistic schedules
- Failed dashboard indicators
- Neglect to inspect tires/brakes/lights
- Ignoring signs banning trucks
The Extreme Dangers of Truck Accidents
The sheer size of a semi (up to 45 times the weight of a car) puts car drivers and passengers at risk. A typical semi weighs 70,000 pounds. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards cover guidelines that protect car passengers from impacts with vehicles of similar size, not trucks. Speed is often a factor. A truck that strikes at 70 miles per hour has twice the momentum of one going 50 miles per hour. The faster the truck, the more extreme the damage.
Trucks often lack rear and side bumpers. As a result, passenger car windows and doors are often smashed to bits, causing a high percentage injuries and deaths. Occupants of the car are usually most affected; truck drivers, on the other hand, often walk away unharmed.
Truck Accident Statistics
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration releases the Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts report on an annual basis. Here is a look at some of the latest facts:
- In 2017, there were over 4,400 fatal crashes involving large trucks or buses. The number of fatal crashes is up from just under 3,200 in the year 2000.
- Over 5,000 people were killed in large truck or bus crashes in 2017, and 180,000 were injured in such crashes in 2016 (up from 93,000 in 2009).
- In 2017, there were 13.0 fatal large truck crashes per million people in the U.S. This reflects a 23% increase from the 10.6 crashes per million people reported in 2010.
- As of 2016, the number of trucks/buses involving only property damage rose to 443,000, compared to 395,000 in 2015.
- Roughly 83% of fatal crashes involving trucks occurred from Monday through Friday.
- About 35% of truck crashes occurred between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am.
How to Handle a Truck Accident Injury in California
At Fund Capital America, we know the catastrophic injuries and losses that can result from a big rig accident. As your attorney works tirelessly to resolve truck accident lawsuit, we can help you pick up the pieces with non-recourse pre-settlement funding. You don’t have to wait until a case settlement to receive your money. And don’t let the insurance company hold you back. Apply today and get approved for legal funding in Los Angeles within 24 hours.
