Two lanes of eastbound highway 210 in California were closed recently after a fatal accident. But this accident wasn’t just any accident; it was a tractor-trailer accident involving one big rig and one SUV. As readers of this blog are aware, any 18-wheeler accident has the potential to cause serious, if not catastrophic, injuries.
The accident occurred around 5:20 in the morning. According to accident reports, an SUV was parked on the right shoulder of a California freeway when an 18-wheeler crashed into it. The initial collision caused the SUV to be pushed to a sand embankment that was nearby. One of the three passengers in the SUV was thrown from it and fatally injured. The other passengers in the SUV and the driver of the big rig were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The cause of this collision is still under investigation. However, the information that has initially been released may mean bad news for one of the parties. When a truck accident, or any type of car collision, occurs, the liability could be placed on one or more involved parties if it is determined that they acted negligently in causing the accident.
Drivers that operate commercial motor vehicles are held to a higher standard of care than other drivers that are traveling on and sharing the same roadways. These higher standards exist for numerous reasons, one of which is the size of the vehicles and the often-hazardous nature of the products that they carry. If a truck driver is found to be in violation of any of these standards of care, she could be in danger of losing her commercial driver’s license and may also be held responsible for providing compensation to the injured parties.
Everyone that has been injured in an accident involving a truck driver or trucking company should handle the situation carefully, and be sure not to come to an agreement or settlement until they have taken the time to understand the rights and compensation to which they may be entitled.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Fatal 210 Freeway crash in Rialto closes some lanes,” Nabih Bulos, May 7, 2014
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