We, in the United States, are heavily dependant on the trucking industry to transport everything from eggs to building supplies to vehicles from one side of the country to the other. Estimates are that there are over 3.5 million commercial trucks on the nation’s highways. While the vast majority of those trucks arrive safely at their destination without incident, collisions do happen. Unfortunately, a collision with a semi-trailer understandably has a much higher likelihood of resulting in serious, or even fatal, consequences. Recent statistics indicate that trucks are responsible for roughly eight percent of all fatal accidents on the nation’s roadways each year although they only represent three to four percent of all vehicles on the road.
Truckers are generally highly trained and responsible drivers. In order to drive a commercial vehicle a truck driver must first obtain a commercial driver’s license. Once the license is obtained, a truck driver must adhere to strict federal rules and regulations regarding the amount of time a trucker can spend on the road ad well as pass random drug screens by his employer in many cases. As a whole. Truck drivers are some of the most responsible and capable drivers on the roadways. Of course, they are not perfect and there are exceptions to the rule. Some truckers push too hard to get a load to its destination and fall victim to fatigue. Others may take their eyes off the road just long enough to miss the chance to avoid an impending collision. Regardless of the reason, when large trucks are involved in an accident there is a disproportionate chance that the injuries sustained by the occupants of the other vehicle will be fatal.
If you are a family member or loved one of a fatally injured victim of a truck accident, you may be entitled to file as a claimant in a California wrongful death claim. If the driver of the truck was negligent (a legal term that is basically equivalent to at fault), then you may be entitled to recover compensation for the death of your family member or loved. Of course, a lawsuit cannot turn back the clock and prevent the accident; however if you were financially, practically or emotionally dependent on the victim before his death then why wouldn’t he want you to be compensated for his death? A wrongful death claim under the laws of the state of California may entitled you to the value of the decedent’s contribution had he survived the accident. In other words, had he not been fatally injured, what would he have contributed toward your family? Even if the victim was not employed outside the home, household services have a value under the eyes of the law. Who may file a wrongful death claim and what compensation you may be entitled to will very depending on the unique facts of your case. The best way to determine what your legal options are is to consult with an experienced wrongful death attorney.
For a free and detailed evaluation of your potential fatal truck accident case, contact the wrongful death law firm of Ledger & Associates. The firm may be reached online at www.ledgerlaw.com or by telephone at 1-800-300-0001.
