Three people suffered major injuries this morning when the SUV they were driving became disabled in the slow lane on northbound Highway 99 and was hit from behind by a big rig. The big rig plowed the SUV into a sound wall on the shoulder, crushing the SUV in the process. Two occupants of the SUV were ejected and a third person was trapped inside. All three victims of the Highway 99 accident were transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Although this California injury accident remains under investigation, the information available indicates that traffic had been backed up as a result of the disabled vehicle, and therefore the driver of the big rig would be primarily at fault for causing this collision by violation Vehicle Code §22350, driving at a speed that was unsafe for traffic conditions.
Big Rigs represent a unique danger on our roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,374 people were killed during 1998 in collisions involving large trucks. In those fatal collisions, 86 percent of the victims were either occupants of another vehicle or not in any vehicle. Because of their size, big-rigs represent an especially dangerous threat on the roadways. In many instances, the conduct of the big-rig driver and/or their employer can greatly increase the risk of the general motoring public. Statistics show that many of the big-rig collisions resulting in injury or fatality are caused in part by the following:
- Truck driver fatigue caused by driving long hauls while failing to comply with minimum sleep and continuous driving regulations;
- Use of drugs by drivers to assist in driving long hours and for recreation and failure to maintain an effective drug testing program;
- Failure to maintain the tires, brakes and other mechanical conditions of the tractors and trailers through minimum required inspections;
- Trucks with loads that over the weight limit or that are subject to shifting due to improper balance or lack of restraint;
- Excessive speeding and other driving violations often ignored by the employer;
- Lack of training and minimum experience requirements.
- Truck driver fatigue caused by driving long hauls while failing to comply with minimum sleep and continuous driving regulations;
- Use of drugs by drivers to assist in driving long hours and for recreation and failure to maintain an effective drug testing program;
- Failure to maintain the tires, brakes and other mechanical conditions of the tractors and trailers through minimum required inspections;
- Trucks with loads that over the weight limit or that are subject to shifting due to improper balance or lack of restraint;
- Excessive speeding and other driving violations often ignored by the employer;
- Lack of training and minimum experience requirements.
Unfortunately, the victims and their families of a big-rig or truck collision often have a difficult time obtaining fair compensation, sometimes because the trucker is from out of state and the insurance company is an obscure commercial carrier with experience in avoiding payment of claims. Injured victims or the family of a deceased victim are urged to obtain the legal assistance of An experienced Personal Injury Attorney, who will investigate the causes of the collision, protect the injured person’s legal rights, and make sure that they receive adequate compensation for all of the consequences of their injuries.
