Navigating the highways of California, it isn’t uncommon to see accidents involving 18-wheeler trucks and passenger cars. In most cases, the truck driver seems to be unscathed, but the same cannot be said for the passenger car’s driver and other occupants. Perhaps this is why truck drivers so often seem to drive the roads as if they own them and force the more diminutive cars off the road when changing lanes or making those wide right turns. A single truck can stop traffic across multiple lanes when making a turn, seemingly oblivious or unconcerned with oncoming traffic and their need to suddenly brake, even if they have the right of way.
Moreover, truck drivers are often on the road operating these trucks while fatigued or hopped up on caffeine and other stimulants. While there are laws against this, some drivers are as unconcerned with legal ramifications as they are with other motorists.
Sometimes truck drivers do everything right. They work hard and sacrifice family time to make the money needed to support the ones they love most back at home. However, they are at the mercy of the trucks they operate, and if they have not been properly maintained, it can spell disaster for everyone. Proper truck maintenance is the responsibility of the company that owns the trucks and puts them on the roads and, if they are falling down on their duty, they should be held accountable.
If you have been injured in an accident involving a truck, you may be experiencing more hardships than just physical recovery. Finances and emotions also take a significant amount of time to recover from and, chances are, you are owed significant monetary damages from others behind this accident. This is where the personal injury law firm of McKnight, McKnight, McKnight & McKnight, Attorneys at Law may be able to help you.