In the United States, truck accident incidents are the reason behind more or less 5,000 fatalities and 133,000 injuries, every year. In California, truck accidents are considered as severe problems because only a few vehicle drivers and the passengers in it survive the impact of colliding or crashing on a truck.

A truck being used for commercial purposes like large freight cargo carriers and eighteen-wheelers commonly weigh around 2.5 times more then that of a usual sized average vehicle. Almost all truck accidents result in catastrophic consequences with traumatic effects.

Furthermore, the unique threats that are probable in truck accidents may worsen depending upon the contents or cargo contained in the commercial trucks.

Many scenarios owing to the contents of the trucks that may pose as a secondary harm to the victims involved.

• If the truck holds hazardous, toxic, or flammable substances, burns and respiratory injuries may add as a secondary harm to all the victims involved • Many commercial truck drivers do not drive quite safely because of deadlines and probably even if according to statistics, they are relatively the safer driver than the other smaller vehicle drivers are.

Causes of truck accidents

There are quite a lot of causes that trigger truck accidents to occur. The sad fact is, the trucking business itself that does not always promote safety in its operation.

• Some truck drivers have not received professional or even proper training in handling and driving such big rigs

• Drivers of trucks are encouraged to work for long hours and they miss the necessary rest just to stay completely alert.

• Automobile drivers are the ones who become negligent and cause the vehicle's collision or crash with a truck.

Most usual causes of accidents involving trucks:

- the truck driver or the driver of the other vehicle is under the influence of alcohol or drugs - schedules are unrealistic, and therefore encourages speeding – ignoring of imposed 55mph truck speed limit in California

- the truck driver is already too overwhelmed with fatigue

- driver boredom and mobile phone use

- tailgating and jackknifing

- the truck's load is not properly arranged or loaded

- truck has faulty maintenance - failure of proper inspection and maintenances of the truck's brakes, tires and lights

- violations of road safety rules and regulations

- truck drivers' aggressiveness

- failure in installing mirrors for blind spots in order to avoid the dangerous lane changes

Differences between truck accidents and other vehicle accidents

• Same laws of negligence apply but commercial truck drivers and trucking companies have to obey some special Vehicle Code sections.

• Truck drivers have special training and licensing requirements – one factory why truck accidents are tougher to defend and easier for those who sued to win adequate compensation

If you were injured or a loved one of yours was killed in the aftermath of a truck accident, you can file a personal injury lawsuit on account of a truck accident against another party who is allegedly at fault.

Liability for truck accident cases

- Any entity or person determined to be at fault for making the accident happen

• truck driver and trucking company

• trailer owner

• shipper

• any other party that contributed to make the accident happen • • negligent owner of any private or public property