A gravel truck carrying a double load collided into a home near Santa Barbara on August 24, 2010, leaving a man, woman, and child dead. The truck driver sustained facial cuts and was treated at the accident scene.
According to an Associated Press article, the truck’s brakes may have failed as it was transitioning from State Route 154 onto State Street around 7 a.m. The truck accident destroyed the home entirely and even buried some parts of it in gravel. The man and woman were discovered dead inside the home after the collision and a child was later found dead. At the time of the article’s release, a team of rescue workers were searching the wreckage for a second child who may have been inside the home.
Although trucks only comprise a small amount of vehicles on the road in comparison to passenger cars and other motor vehicles, they are responsible for a significant number of injury and fatality accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that one out of nine traffic fatalities in 2008 were caused by an accident involving a large truck. In the same year, 4,229 people died and an additional 90,000 were injured in truck collisions.
Due to the inherent dangers associated with operating a large vehicle that weighs 80,000 pounds or more, truck drivers and the companies that employ them must follow strict federal rules and regulations relating to proper truck operation, maximum hours of service, maintenance, and repair. If these rules are not followed and an injury or fatal truck accident occurs as a result, the negligent trucking company or truck driver can be held legally accountable.
At Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, our California truck accident attorneys have handled a wide range of large commercial truck and motor vehicle accidents in relation to driver negligence and defective vehicle parts. We have seen first-hand how devastating truck accidents can be for injury victims and family members of wrongful death victims, which is why we are committed to obtaining full and just compensation for our clients. Call 877-800-1700 today for a free consultation of your truck accident case.
