What Trucks are Considered Commercial Vehicles?

A commercial trucking accident can have enormous implications for all parties involved, and the fall-out can involve assessing and determining liability among multiple parties. This often catastrophic event typically involves very serious injuries and requires extensive hospitalization and medical treatment. The impact of this long term care becomes costly, as medical expenses along with lost wages become a factor in the patient’s ability to recover after the accident. If you’ve been involved in a commercial trucking accident in California, consider contacting a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer who can offer insight into the most common frequently asked questions.

What Types of Trucks are Generally Involved in Collisions?

There are a variety of trucks on the road in California, and each pose their own type of danger on the road. Some of the types of trucks that are generally more likely to be involved in a serious accident include:

• 18 Wheelers and Tractor Trailers: Often some of the largest trucks you see on the road, 18-wheeler trucks are designed to carry heavy cargo, and as a result can often be far more deadly should an accident occur. A crash involving an 18-wheeler has complex legal ramifications.
• Delivery Trucks: While UPS, FedEx, and the USPS may ring as the most familiar delivery trucks, today’s evolving logistics landscape has put far more delivery drivers on the road. Tech startups like Amazon, PostMates and the like are commissioning third-party drivers to deliver their goods, which increases the likelihood of accidents because there are more delivery trucks on the road.
• Waste Disposal Vehicles: Typically considered ‘dump’ trucks, residential garbage trucks and other waste disposal vehicles often carry uneven loads that make a tip or spill more plausible.  
• Tanker Trucks: Carrying liquid cargo, these trucks are especially dangerous because the contents contained within are often flammable. When involved in an accident, there’s a very high probability that the truck will cause a fire and leave a mountain of destruction in its wake. Getting far away from this type of accident is the only way to ensure your safety.
• Fire Trucks and Emergency Vehicles: Fire trucks and ambulances often barrel down the road recklessly in an effort to save someone’s life. However, their focus in saving one person’s life may often put others in peril. Their size and shape, of course, only adds to the gravity of the situation when an accident occurs. 
• Flatbed Trucks: These trucks, while often smaller than the largest trucks on the road, do carry many different kinds of equipment and cargo. If these loads aren’t properly secured, the consequences can be catastrophic. The debris can often crash through windshields, spill onto the road, and cause immense damage to both your vehicle and your person. 
• Farm Trucks and Equipment: As California is a major agricultural state, there is a ton of farming equipment on its roads. Harvesters, livestock haulers, and other large, bulky vehicles haul heavy animals and goods across the state. Accidents with these vehicles often carry dire consequences. 
• Passenger Movers: Buses, coach cars and the like carry an additional duty of care, and drivers behind the wheel of these types of vehicles are also held to a higher standard on the road. In fact, Section 2100 of the California Civil Code requires common carriers – vehicles such as buses, for example –  to use the utmost care and diligence for passengers’ safe carriage. 

No Matter the Truck Involved, Let a Los Angeles Truck Accident Attorney Manage Your Claim

Determining liability in a truck accident is complex and requires a dearth of insight into how an accident occurred. In addition, it will be important to determine whether the truck driver was operating in the normal course of business. Furthermore, insurance companies will typically be involved in determining liability. If you’ve been involved in an accident with this type of vehicle, it’s wise to consider calling a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer at Banafshe Law. We’ll come to you if you’re suffering from serious injuries and your first visit is free and no-obligation.