Orangevale Truck Accident Lawyer

Orangevale, located in Sacramento County, is probably best known for its proximity to the Sierra Nevada mountain range. But it is also a bustling city with congested roads like Greenback Lane, Hazel Avenue, and Madison Avenue. Sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and large commercial tractor-trailers, these major roadways are routinely traversed. As a result, there is a risk of serious collisions occurring between smaller commuter vehicles and large commercial big rigs.

The Department of Transportation reports that the average tractor-trailer traveling on Orangevale roads weighs more than 75,000 pounds and can be 75 feet long. In contrast, the average sedan weighs less than 5,000 pounds. As you can see, if a car is hit by a tractor-trailer, the occupant inside the vehicle will likely bear the brunt of the damage.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, more than 141,000 accidents involved big rigs in 2015. More than 4,000 people lost their lives in those collisions, while more than 70,000 suffered serious bodily injuries.

In many incidents, the primary cause of a collision between a sedan, pickup truck, or SUV and a large commercial tractor-trailer is the careless or reckless actions of the commercial truck operator. For example, some of the commonly reported causes of these severe collisions include:

• Driver fatigue
• Speeding
• Failure to yield at a traffic signal
• Failure to stop at a stop sign
• Texting and driving
• The driver was intoxicated or on prescription medications
• Defective equipment (e.g., balding tires)

If you or a family member was seriously injured in a collision with a semi-truck, you have the right to pursue financial restitution for your harms and losses. You can seek monetary compensation through a truck accident injury lawsuit. When a truck operator causes a severe accident where bodily injuries were suffered, the operator (and their employer) can be held liable for your damages.

You may be asking yourself, "how can an employer be held responsible for an employee's actions?" There is an established legal doctrine known as respondeat superior that creates vicarious liability. Basically, when an employee engages in negligent conduct while acting in the course and scope, the employer can also be held responsible in a civil claim. 

To establish liability, you (through your Orangevale truck accident attorney) will need to present sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim that the truck driver was negligent.

This means you need to show that the truck operator breached a legal duty to use due care and that breach proximately caused your bodily injuries. All motorists must adhere to specific duties and responsibilities on Orangevale roads and highways. For example, a tractor-trailer operator owes a duty of care to operate their rig safely. So, when a truck operator fails to comply with this duty, and you suffer a severe bodily injury, the truck operator can be deemed negligent and, therefore, liable for your harms and losses.

An injured plaintiff can pursue monetary damages for the following types of harms and losses:

• Medical expenses (both the costs associated with your immediate care after the wreck and long-term medical expenses)
• Lost wages (and potentially future income if you are left disabled as a result of the crash)
• Pain, suffering, mental anguish
• Punitive damages (depending on the specific facts of your case)

Watch the YouTube video below for safe driving tips on sharing the road with commercial trucks.

When a semi-truck is involved in an accident with a smaller vehicle or pedestrian, the consequences are often devastatingly catastrophic. If you or your loved one has been injured or even killed in such an accident, please do not hesitate to contact me right away- your recovery could depend on prompt action. We can be reached by telephone at 916.921.6400 or 800.404.5400and online for free and friendly advice.

We have served the Orangevale and Greater Sacramento communities since 1982, advocating for the rights of injured parties and their families. 

We are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

See our client reviews on Avvo, Google, and Yelp and our past cases on our Verdicts and Settlements page.

EEditor'sNote: This page has been updated for accuracy and relevancy. [cha 2.23.22]

Photo by: falco on Pixabay

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