Sacramento Automobile Accident Attorneys
Trucking and Big Rig Accidents

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Any highway accident involving a large commercial freight carrier can be especially dangerous due to their size and weight. You must exercise caution when you are driving on highways and roads where you are likely to encounter commercial size trucks and big rigs. Especially on major highways and at higher speeds, seemingly insignificant driving errors that may occur without consequence where small vehicles are concerned can result in catastrophe when an eighteen-wheeler is involved.

In 2002, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety conducted a study to identify the unsafe driver actions that lead to fatalities involving car-truck crashes.

According to the study, in 2005, there were 5,211 persons killed and 140,000 persons injured in crashes involving large trucks. This analysis also confirmed earlier studies that the actions of car drivers contribute more of fatal car-truck crashes than do the actions of truck drivers. "Motorists don't recognize that trucks behave very differently from cars, so they think trucks can stop on a dime and change lanes quickly," says J. Peter Kissinger, CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "In reality, trucks take a long time to stop and cannot whip from lane to lane. As a result, a mistake near a truck can have catastrophic consequences for motorists. In fact, in our study 98% of the fatalities were car occupants." Kissinger suggests that drivers adopt the following strategies:

• Never change lanes abruptly around a truck
• Slow down to let trucks have the right of way
• Drive at a safe speed
• Stay alert to traffic signals and road conditions
• Use turn signals
• Avoid driving alongside or immediately behind a truck
• Never cut in front of a truck, especially when it may need to stop

Because motorist safety is so important to prevent these types of serious injury crashes, The American Trucking Association has developed some "Share The Road" guidelines for motorists to follow.

The American Trucking Association's Share The Road Guidelines for Motorists

• Never cut in front of a truck - Fully loaded trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds and take the length of a football field to stop. Most cars weigh only 3,000 pounds.
• Don't linger alongside a truck - There are large blind spots around trucks where cars momentarily ""disappear"" from view and the driver can't see you.
• Pass trucks quickly - To make themselves visible cars should not linger near trucks, and should move past them or slow to back off out of the blind spot.
• Changing lanes - Change lanes when you can see both of the truck's headlights in your rearview mirror.
• If possible, pass a truck on the left, not on the right - A truck's blind spot on the right runs the length of the trailer and extends out 3 lanes. Motorists should try to avoid passing through this large blind spot.
• Keep a safety cushion around trucks - Try to leave 10 car length safety cushion in front of a truck and stay back 20-25 car lengths. Following a truck too closely obscures your view.
• Check the truck's mirrors - If you're following a truck and you can't see the driver's face in the truck's side mirrors, the truck driver can't see you.
• Allow trucks adequate space to maneuver - Trucks make wide turns at intersections and require additional lanes to turn, so motorists should allow a truck the space it needs to maneuver.

Trucking and Big Rig accident victims face medical bills, loss of wages, physical pain, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life. If injuries are severe or permanent, families suffer economic loss, mental anguish and the loss of companionship in caring for an injured family member. In the event of death, families are torn apart without any warning.

It is important to know what to do to protect the legal rights of yourself and your loved ones. Selecting the right attorney is an important decision. You should choose someone who is experienced, aggressive and dedicated to working to get fair compensation for your injuries. Over the past decade we have successfully handled thousands of injury and death cases caused by a trucking accident. That is why you should contact the Law Offices of Frederick J. Sette.

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAS BEEN INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT,
IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS.

PLEASE CALL US TOLL- FREE AT 1-888-516-6262
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