Residents of Vallejo are familiar with I-80 and I-780, and if you travel either one of these highways enough, you have most likely seen your fair share of semi-truck or tractor-trailer accidents, as well as traffic jams caused by the collisions that often last for hours. 

Because it is impossible to live in Vallejo without spending a fair amount of time on I-80, local residents see a fair number of tractor-trailer crashes and backups caused by collisions involving large trucks. Whether the truck is transporting pallets of merchandise or produce destined for a Vallejo Walmart or the Vallejo Plaza Shopping Center, these gigantic motor vehicles present extraordinary risks to occupants of other motor vehicles that are traveling the highways and streets of Solano County.

As a Vallejo truck accident attorney, I have been representing victims who were seriously injured by negligent truck drivers since 1982. Decades of experience is invaluable when you are up against large trucking companies and their powerful insurance carriers in court.

A Vallejo truck accident lawyer must also have an extensive understanding of trucking litigation and all of the issues that come along with it. Trucking accidents are some of the most deadly of all collisions on the highways and byways of the U.S. because of the gargantuan size and weight of commercial trucks. There is an extreme difference between a passenger car and a massive semi- or tractor-trailer truck. A tractor-trailer that is loaded to full capacity can weigh as much as 26 times more than the average economy-sized car.

Trucking accident lawsuits are also unique because of the state and federal regulations that the trucking industry is expected to follow. The primary regulatory agency for truckers and trucks crossing state lines is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The California Department of Transportation is the primary regulatory agency that governs truck drivers and trucking companies operating within the state lines of California.

Unfortunately, truckers and trucking companies have learned how to quickly cover their tracks when truck accidents occur. Their insurance companies send out quick response teams to the site of accidents to talk to witnesses and to essentially cover their best interests in the event a lawsuit arises. This is yet another complication that comes with being a Vallejo truck accident attorney – we have to fight against the large insurance companies and trucking companies that have already had a head start working on defending their side of the case.

I would not say that most truck drivers are negligent. On the contrary, most truck drivers are good people who want to follow all of the rules and regulations they are held up to. However, the truck drivers that do not follow the rules are the ones that we usually see on the news for some of the most catastrophic truck accidents we have ever seen.

Often, truck drivers are pushing unrealistic shipping schedules that aim to keep profits high and expenses low, but this is more on the end of peer pressure from the company they work for, rather than their own decisions.

An experienced Vallejo trucking accident lawyer realizes that the majority of commercial truck accidents are caused by preventable errors that include:

• Speeding to ensure a load is delivered as fast as possible
• Exceeding the maximum driving time allowed without sufficient rest to ensure load is delivered on time
• Not checking blind spots
• Maintenance issues
• Failure to screen driving records of the truck driver
• Use of alcohol and drugs
• Selecting poor route – i.e. steep grades
• Failure to ensure vehicle inspection is complete
• Insufficient amount of training and supervision of truck drivers

With the extensive experience of decades of representing trucking accident victims that I bring to the table, I have learned how to take proactive steps to gather and preserve trucking litigation evidence. I also know the different tactics that truck drivers and their companies use, such as altering and manipulating their logbooks.

You see, truckers are supposed to log their hours of service (HOS) in logbooks to ensure that driver fatigue is kept to a minimum. However, it is not abnormal to find that fuel receipts, GPS data, and other information does not match up to the HOS like it should. These are the things that I look for when I represent victims of serious truck accidents. 

Collisions that occur between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles often end with catastrophic injuries, and sometimes, wrongful death. More often than not, it is the passenger vehicle occupants who are seriously incapacitated, due to the sheer difference in size between the two vehicles. It is not uncommon for a truck driver to walk away from a truck accident that killed several other motor vehicle passengers.

Devastating truck accident injuries can result in the inability to continue to provide for a family like a victim is used to doing. They can also rip away the enjoyment of simple life experiences. Living in pain on a daily basis makes life more challenging.

Some of the serious injuries my past clients have suffered after their truck accident include:

• Spinal cord injuries (quadriplegia, paraplegia)
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal organ injuries
• Loss of an extremity
• Broken bone injuries
• Extensive Burns
• Wrongful Death

The video below explains why truck accidents are so serious.

I’m Ed Smith, a Vallejo Truck Accident Lawyer. If you or a member of your family has been seriously injured in a trucking accident, please call me today at (707) 564-1900 or (800) 404-5400.  I offer free and friendly advice to anyone who calls me.

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

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Editor’s Note: This page has been updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 10.9.19]