Oakland Truck Accident Lawyers Trucking accidents can be devastating. Because of the size and weight of commercial trucks, even accidents at lower speeds can have serious consequences. A semi-truck can easily total a small car. A cement truck can easily cause another motorist, motorcycle rider, or pedestrian catastrophic injuries. Throughout California and the U.S., far too many truck accidents lead to preventable deaths. If you were injured in a truck accident or a loved one lost their life, do not hesitate to contact an Oakland truck accident attorney at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers. Our team has decades of combined experience representing injury victims and surviving family members after commercial motor vehicle crashes. We have the knowledge, skills, and resources you need to go up against a trucking company and their insurer. We never back down from a fight, and we are proud of our track record of success. We have helped more than 5,000 clients win over $300 million in settlements and court awards. To talk with us about how we can help you after a trucking accident in Oakland, call us at 1-800-GO-HARRIS.

We Handle Claims Involving All Kinds of Commercial Trucks

Commercial vehicles include but are not limited to:

• Semi-trucks
• 18-wheelers
• Truck-trailer combinations
• Flatbeds
• Tankers
• Cement mixers
• Box trucks
• Moving trucks
• Dump trucks
• Garbage trucks
• Livestock carriers
• Utility vehicles
• Hazardous materials vehicles
• Passenger buses

Any vehicle that transports goods or passengers for payment is considered a commercial vehicle. If you are in a crash with a vehicle you believe is a commercial vehicle and not for personal use, call our Oakland truck accident attorneys immediately. These types of accidents need to be handled differently than personal car crashes.

Our Oakland Truck Accident Lawyers Handle All Types of Wrecks

At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we handle truck accidents arising from:

• Speeding: Truck drivers always need to take their speed into account since it takes a great deal of time and distance for a large, heavy vehicle to come to a stop. Truckers who drive faster than the speed limit or faster than what is appropriate for the road, traffic, and weather conditions increase the risk of a crash.
• Impairment: Truck drivers who operate a vehicle after imbibing alcohol, consuming controlled substances, or abusing intoxicating prescription drugs put lives at risk. Evidence of drunk or drugged driving may lead to not only criminal charges, but also personal injury claims.
• Fatigue: Truck drivers often want to drive as far and for as long as they can in order to make deadlines and improve their income. To reduce the risk of drowsy driving, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires truckers to follow hours of service regulations. However, truckers may falsify their logs in order to drive longer hours or may get behind the wheel after getting too little sleep.
• Blind Spots: Large commercial vehicles have sizeable blind spots. Truck drivers need to fully utilize their mirrors and keep a close eye on traffic. Otherwise, truckers may change lanes or merge into other vehicles.
• Turns: Truck drivers are specifically trained in order to make left and right turns safely despite the vehicle needing to make wide turns, and at times, utilize other lanes of traffic. Truckers who are careless during a left or right turn are much more likely to collide with another vehicle.
• Brake Failure: Many truck accidents arise due to mechanical failures, and one of the most devastating is brake failure. This can cause a runaway truck and catastrophic high-speed collision.
• Spilled Cargo: If a truck’s cargo is not loaded properly or is not secured properly for the haul, the cargo may shift or spill out onto the road.
• Jackknifing: Truck drivers who are not careful when pulling a trailer may cause the truck to jackknife, which means the trailer swings outward and is at an acute angle from the cab.

How Our Oakland Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help

When you call us after a serious truck accident, we get started immediately. The trucking company and insurer will have been at the crash site and were gathering evidence right away. In most cases, they have a head start. It is important you call us as soon as possible so that we can begin our own process of gathering evidence. In most cases, we will recommend filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. This enables us to use the discovery phase of litigation. Through requests for documents, depositions, and interrogatories, we will obtain as much evidence as we can from the truck driver and motor carrier, including the driver’s employment record, maintenance records for the truck, and the truck’s electronic recorder data. Through a thorough analysis of the evidence, we will determine what went wrong and pinpoint who is liable for compensating you for your injuries. We will work closely with you, your medical providers, and expert witnesses to determine the value of your damages. Then, we will pursue the maximum compensation possible through an insurance claim or at trial. To schedule a free case evaluation with a truck accident lawyer in Oakland, call 1-800-GO-HARRIS today.