Articles Posted in Trucking Accidents

Drivers And Their Employers Are Responsible for Problems with Truck Loads from Start to Finish

Semi tractor-trailer rigs are big, awkward, challenging-to-operate vehicles. Even when empty, a typical tractor and trailer together weigh about 35,000 pounds and are more than 70 feet long, about 8.5 feet wide, and 13.5 feet tall. It’s easy to understand why it takes a considerable amount of training and experience for a truck driver to learn to safely drive one of these big rigs. Another significant challenge is the weight and distribution of a load being carried inside the trailer. That load can be up to about 45,000 pounds, and it’s sitting perched on top of a trailer that typically weighs less than a quarter of that amount, resulting in a tall vehicle with a high center of gravity that can be prone to tipping over when turning at high speed or experiencing lateral forces such as from high winds. And if part of that 20+ tons of load is unbalanced or suddenly shifts, it can quickly result in disastrous trucking accidents that can cause serious property damage, injuries, and even deaths. That’s why federal law holds truck drivers and their employers responsible for the proper distribution, balance, and securement of their cargo from start of trip to finish. When trucking accidents may have occurred due to improperly loaded cargo, a skilled personal injury attorney will know to review the details of the cargo’s loading and securement and compare these facts to the regulatory requirements to look for important discrepancies upon which a personal injury claim or lawsuit may hinge.

Retread Tires Lead to Trucking Accidents 

They don’t call tractor-trailer rigs “18-wheelers” without reason — although the exact number of wheels and tires may vary depending upon the configuration of the tractor and one or more trailers, they do require quite a lot of rubber on the road.  When considering that a commercial truck tire may cost upwards of $500, it’s clear that the monetary investment in tires for a tractor-trailer rig is many times the amount for a passenger vehicle.  Once that tire is on the road, the amount of wear available in its tread before reaching the minimum thickness may only carry the truck for a relatively short amount of time — perhaps only a year for a commercial tire used in a local delivery operation where lots of turning tends to wear tires down more quickly.  Considering the significant tire investment, commercial trucking companies do not just toss them out when their tread has reached 4/32-inch thickness. Instead, they refurbish tires through the process of “retreading.” Unfortunately, this process does not usually result in a product that is “good as new,” which may lead to more trucking accidents from retread tires. 

Natomas Big Rig Crash on Interstate 5

A Natomas big rig crash with several other vehicles occurred February 7 along Interstate 5 southbound. It happened just south of the Arena Boulevard onramp and resulted in injuries. The accident was between a FedEx semi pulling a trailer, a Chevy Silverado and a dark colored sedan. It occurred shortly after 6:00 in the morning. One of the vehicles was reported by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) as facing the wrong way, blocking the Arena Boulevard offramp. The others were along the right-hand side, blocking the lanes. It is unknown what caused the Natomas big rig crash. The incident is being investigated by the CHP to determine the reason for the crash.

Sacramento Truck Accident Spills Cargo

Sacramento Truck Accident Spills Cargo

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento truck accident lawyer. Several Sacramento drivers narrowly escaped injury when a commercial truck accident dumped concrete panels onto the freeway near the Sacramento International Airport.

Basic Truck Driver Responsibilities

Basic Responsibilities of Truck Drivers

As a long-time Sacramento resident, I want to help my fellow Sacramentans understand the responsibilities of the commercial trucks with whom we commonly share the roads. Knowing these responsibilities can help us understand when a commercial truck driver is liable for a trucking accident.

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Big Rig Collision Tracy

I’m Ed Smith, a Tracy truck accident lawyer. A big rig transporting bags of packaged salad mix was traveling along Interstate 5 in Tracy during the morning of Friday, March 17, 2017. The motorist of the big rig was driving in the right lane and was unable to avoid an alleged slow-moving truck carrying honey ahead of them. This, unfortunately, resulted in a big rig collision.

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Common Causes of Chico Truck Accidents

I’m Ed Smith, a Chico truck accident lawyer. Trucks are a crucial part of California’s economy. Practically every industry relies on truck drivers and trucks in some way, shape or form. Although trucks keep our economy growing, they can also pose some very dangerous risks on the roadway. Of course, every truck accident is different, but the majority of commercial truck accidents can typically be classified into one of three groups:

Stockton Truck Accident Lawyer

Deadly Sacramento Big Rig Crash

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento truck accident injury lawyer. We have heard multiple reports this morning from news agencies throughout the region of a deadly Sacramento big rig crash along Interstate 5. This is the sort of news you never want to hear about – especially when our roads are wet, slick and the rain is pouring down.

Truck Drivers and Distracted Driving

Long-haul truck drivers have tough jobs that require them to spend thousands of hours on our roadways each year. Their driving keeps them away from those they love for long periods of time. Countless companies rely on commercial truck drivers to transport their goods all over the country in a safe manner. Most truck drivers are hard-working people who are conscious of the need to drive safely. But large trucks do wind up in serious traffic collisions when a truck driver or a passenger vehicle driver is distracted while behind the wheel. Given the great weight and size of an 18-wheeler, a crash with another vehicle on the highway often results in catastrophic and fatal injuries to people inside the other vehicle. It is crucial for truckers to remain alert and watchful for distracted drivers and be aware of the dangers involved in being a distracted driver behind the wheel of a large commercial truck.

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