Stockton Truck Accident Fatally Injures Driver
Stockton Truck Accident Fatally Injures Driver — A truck accident in rural east Stockton claimed the life of a passenger vehicle driver on September 21, 2018. The accident occurred along eastbound Highway 4 in the vicinity of Hollenbeck Road shortly after 9:00 p.m. A driver of a Freightliner tractor-trailer had reportedly pulled onto the shoulder of the roadway as an attempt to make a U-turn. While doing so, an oncoming BMW was unable to stop in time and struck the side of the second trailer of the Freightliner. Emergency personnel responding to the scene pronounced the BMW driver deceased at the scene. The victim’s identity has been withheld pending family notification.
I would like to express my sympathy to the friends and family of the victim of this traumatic accident while they are mourning the loss of their loved one.
Injuries from Truck Accidents
Occupants of passenger vehicles are likely to suffer serious injuries when involved in accidents with large trucks. This is due to the overwhelming size and weight of the big rig involved. Some common injuries from a truck accident may include:
- Abdominal Injury: This can cause damage to organs within the body. Some symptoms may include pain, tenderness or distension to the abdominal area, lack of bowel sounds, or pneumoperitoneum.
- Broken Bones: These are considered the most common injuries victims tend to suffer in a motor vehicle accident.
- Brain and Head Injury: This type of trauma can range from a concussion and subdural hematoma to contusion of the brain and fracture of the skull. The symptoms of a brain and head injury often go unnoticed by an injured party. These may include vomiting, nausea, headache, difficulty with vision or speech, and weakness in a specific area of the body. Treatment varies upon the type of head injury and its severity.
- Chest Trauma: This injury can result in bruising of the heart or fractured ribs. A lung can be punctured by the jagged end of a broken rib which can cause it to collapse. This can lead to wrongful death if appropriate treatment is not rendered immediately.
- Spinal Cord Injury: While these injuries often result in lifelong pain and complications, severing of the spinal cord can lead to partial or complete paralysis.
Determining Liability in a Truck Accident
Since California is a comparative fault state, this means that each party who is found at-fault for an accident due to negligence can be held financially responsible. For instance, if an injured party was assigned 20 percent fault for a truck accident, he or she may still be able to reclaim 80 percent of the amount awarded. It is essential to understand how liability is determined in a truck accident and it may affect a victim’s ability to recover compensation for their personal injury damages. To learn more about determining liability in a truck accident, watch the following YouTube video.
Truck Accidents and Wrongful Death
Truck accidents often result from driver error, lack of maintenance, poorly balanced loads, fatigue, and other reasons. When a person loses his or her life in an accident due to a trucker’s negligence, the bereaved family of the decedent may file a wrongful death claim to be compensated for their loss. These types of claims compensate surviving family members for their loved one’s death and subsequent losses such as costs of a funeral and burial, end-of-life medical care, loss of future financial support, and more.
Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years from the date of a loved one’s death. Failing to meet this deadline may result in the court dismissing the case. It is essential to retain an experienced wrongful death attorney in Stockton to ensure all deadlines are met for your case.
Related Articles
- Caution is Required When Driving Near Trucks
- Common Causes of Truck Accidents
- How to Avoid Trucking Accidents
Stockton Truck Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton truck accident lawyer. The death of a loved one in an accident can leave surviving family members with grief, shock and a deep sense of loss. If this has happened in your family, you are welcome to call me anytime for compassionate, free and friendly legal advice at (209) 227-1931 in the Stockton area or toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
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I am a longtime member of the Million Dollar Advocates. This forum is comprised of top trial attorneys who have obtained awards in excess of $1 million through case verdicts and settlements.
Visit my Verdicts and Settlements page to check out my past cases and their results.
Stockton Truck Accident Fatally Injures Driver: AutoAccident.com
Photograph Attribution: By “StockSnap” via Pixabay / Stockton Truck Accident Fatally Injures Driver
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