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Hanford Truck Accident Lawyer

Hanford is primarily an agricultural town that sees its fair share of large commercial trucks on its streets and highways.  Each year around 5,000 people die in accidents involving large commercial trucks, and Hanford suffers its portion of these.

Fatalities and serious injuries are no surprise when a large truck is involved. A fully loaded semi-truck weighs around 80,000 lbs. while a passenger car weighs around 3,500 lbs, and this size and weight difference can be devastating to those smaller cars involved in an accident with the truck.

Commercial Trucks and Liability

Many times the financial losses that a victim of an accident suffers far outstrips the available compensation. When any driver is at fault in an accident, their insurance company will have to pay for the damages, but only up to the limit of the policy.

While no one wants to be in an accident with a truck, typically the amount of compensation available is far greater than would be in an accident with the typical passenger car driver. Drivers in California are required to have insurance, but the minimum policy amount is only $15,000 for bodily injury and $30,000 for each accident

Both California and federal laws set a much higher limit for commercial trucks. The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration sets the minimums based on the type of cargo.

Type of Cargo                                                      Minimum Insurance Limits

Non-hazardous freight under 10k lbs                     $300,000

Non-hazardous freight over 10k lbs                        $750,000

Oil                                                                                     $1,000,0000

Other hazardous freight                                           $5,000,000

Almost all freight and trucking companies have policies in excess of $1 million for most trucks and $5,000,000 for hazardous freight loads.

Who is at Fault?

Statistics show that truck operators are much safer drivers than the typical passenger vehicle driver. However, when a truck driver is at fault, the injuries and fatalities are much higher. Califorina law requires every driver to operate their vehicle using reasonable caution so that others around them may proceed in safety.

Truck drivers have a greater burden because of the size of their vehicles and the weight of their load. They are required to secure their load and make sure they operate their vehicle with the caution due under the circumstances that exist on the road.

Common Truck Driver Mistakes that Lead to Accident

The number one culprit is speed. Once a large truck gets up to speed, it can take over double the length and time of a car to stop. Other factors include:

  • Drowsiness
  • Distraction
  • Alcohol
  • Road Conditions
  • Weather
  • Equipment Failure
  • Poor Maintenance
  • Non-Secure Load
  • Overloading

Types of Truck Accident Injuries

Truck crashes can be violent and do a lot of damage before the truck comes to a halt. Some of the injuries can be severe and cause the victim months and even years to recover. Some of the most common types of injuries in a truck accident are:

  • Blunt Force Trauma
  • Head Injuries/Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Broken Bones
  • Chest Compressions
  • Organ Damage
  • Internal Injuries/Bleeding
  • Airbag injuries

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer.

After an accident involving a serious injury in the Central Valley, contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free consultation and case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to every case. He believes that every client should work directly with their lawyer, get honest advice and personalized attention to detail their case deserves.

Additional Resources:

Support for Families After a Fatal Hanford Truck Accident