What do you get when you mix a San Diego roadway, a large construction truck, a heavy load of construction materials, a tank full of diesel gas, and even the slightest driver error? The potential for a construction truck accident and serious or fatal injury.
From dump trucks, bulldozers, and cranes to loaders, cement trucks, and road graders, San Diego drivers share the road with numerous heavy construction vehicles every day.
If you or a relative was involved in a construction truck accident in San Diego or elsewhere in California, Premier Truck Accident Lawyers can help you recover the compensation you deserve. For a free case evaluation from qualified San Diego construction truck accident lawyers, fill out this form our website or call 866-999-9085.
Injuries from a construction truck accident can range from negligible to deadly. Accidents often cause cuts, bruises, broken bones, and road rash. The most horrific accidents can result in serious burns, dismemberment, crushing injuries, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, decapitation, or other fatal injuries.
After being injured or losing a relative in an accident, you may have grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. When you put your case in the hands of a trusted attorney at PTAL, we can manage your legal affairs so you can focus on your recovery, healing or grieving your loved one.
Sometimes, construction truck drivers themselves are injured. In June 2022, a dump truck driver was seriously injured when he lost control of the truck in Mission Valley, San Diego. He drove through a guard rail and off the elevated Interstate 8 ramp to Morena Boulevard. His dump truck loaded with dirt spilled diesel fuel, then fell about 50 feet and overturned in a riverbed. The driver had to be extracted from the car and lifted vertically from the riverbed by rescue workers before being taken to a hospital.
There are numerous potential causes of construction truck accidents, including:
While drivers are responsible for safe operation of their trucks, construction companies are responsible for hiring qualified drivers and ensuring they are adequately trained in the first place. If equipment failure was a factor in your accident, you may be able to pursue compensation from the manufacturer.
Depending on the circumstances of your accident, there may be more than one party at fault. Premier Truck Accident Lawyers’ experienced San Diego construction truck accident attorneys can help you determine the best course of legal action.
Construction trucks used to transport equipment or materials must follow strict weight limits, and cargo must be carefully loaded and secured. If an improperly secured item flies off a truck, it becomes a dangerous projectile that can cause a chain reaction. In other cases, an overloaded or imbalanced construction truck is at risk of rolling over or spilling its cargo onto the road.
In addition to improper cargo loading, there are many other potential causes of construction truck rollovers. Speeding, turning too fast, driving up on a curb, swerving or overcorrecting, and maneuvering over steep angles can all contribute to a rollover accident.
Like other large trucks, construction trucks have large blind spots on all four sides. These blind spots can cause accidents when the truck merges, turns or stops. Even with the use of mirrors, construction truck drivers may not be able to see another vehicle in their blind spot until it is too late. Construction truck drivers must keep close tabs on their surroundings, and other drivers should avoid trucks’ blind spots.
Construction trucks’ large blind spots increase the risk of back-over accidents, in which a truck backs over a person. Due to the sheer size and weight of a construction truck, chances of survival without serious injury are slim to none. These types of accidents are most common on or near job active job sites, and the victims are often construction workers.
Underride accidents can occur when a construction truck stops and a vehicle behind it doesn’t. The vehicle behind the truck may be pinned or crushed under the truck or its trailer. Underride accidents are particularly deadly.
Some other types of construction truck accidents include jackknifing, tire blowouts, rear-end, T-bone and head-on collisions.
After a construction truck accident, the best way to ensure you recover damages is to hire a reputable attorney. Premier Truck Accident Lawyers’ San Diego attorneys are ready and waiting for your call at 866-999-9085, but here are a few other steps you can take in the meantime:
After your accident, you may be wondering how you could ever afford a lawyer on top of medical bills, costs of vehicle repair or replacement, lost pay from time off work and/or funeral costs if a loved one was killed in the accident. Premier Truck Accident Lawyers recognizes this may be a traumatic and financially trying time in your life, which is why we offer our services on a contingency basis. This means there is no charge for our representation until you are paid out for your lawsuit or settlement. You can get started with a free case evaluation at 866-999-9085 or on our website.
While it is important to take the time you need to recover or grieve after an accident, you should not wait too long to file a lawsuit. In California, the statute of limitations for filing your construction truck accident claim is two years from the date of the accident. However, if you are pursuing a case against a government-employed or government-contracted construction truck driver, you may only have six months to file your initial claim.
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