Vista Auto Accident Law Blog

Driver error and poor upkeep are leading causes of truck crashes

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center posted in truck accidents on Friday, June 22, 2018.

When you hear about a truck striking a passenger vehicle, motorcyclists or bike rider, often in the same sentence, you'll hear about that person losing his or her life. Given that tractor-trailers often weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and passenger cars only about 4,000, the trucker, "Goliath" nearly always beats out the motorist, "David" when a crash crash occurs as well.

Oftentimes, reasons truck accidents occur are much the same as the reasons drivers crash into other cars, motorcyclists, passengers or bike riders. It boils down to driver error.

What increases a pedestrian's risk of being hit on an interstate?

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center posted in pedestrian accidents on Saturday, June 16, 2018.

Pedestrians crossing roadways have an obligation to exercise a certain degree of care to protect themselves from harm. So long as they do, they may be eligible to file a lawsuit against a negligent party whose actions cause them to suffer injuries.

It may even be possible for a victim to sue the state or federal agency who designed the roadway, highway or is responsible for maintaining or repairing it.

The risk of taking a lump sum after an accident

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center on Thursday, June 14, 2018.

You got into a car accident one rare rainy night in California. You never saw the other car coming around the bend and wound up in a head-on collision. One minute you were just thinking about work the next day and what you wanted to do that evening. The next thing you know, you're in a hospital listening to the doctor explain your injuries.

After the crash, you got offered a lump-sum payment. Should you take it?

How pedestrians' fatality rates vary depending on drivers' speeds

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center posted in pedestrian accidents on Friday, June 8, 2018.

When we hear news stories about pedestrians being struck, we often hear that they either suffered permanent injuries or were killed in the crash. Only a lucky few are able to walk away from such an incident with minor injuries.

A study conducted by researchers with the United Kingdom's Department of Transportation some years back focused on how a driver's rate of speed impacts a pedestrian's injury risk. They determined that a pedestrian struck by a driver traveling 20 mph has a 95 percent chance of surviving that crash.

More car crashes are being caused by drugged drivers

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center posted in car accidents on Saturday, June 2, 2018.

The Governor's Highway Safety Association (GHSA), a national nonprofit organization, recently released a report that captures just how serious of an issue drugged driving has become across the United States.

A spokesperson for the organization notes that the fatality rate associated with drugged driving crashes has been on a steady increase in the past few years. They note the rates have increased so significantly during this time that the number of them now surpasses the annual amount of crashes caused by drunk driving.

Higher speeds increase the risk of injury and death in a crash

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

People are always in such a rush to get where they're going, they don't mind breaking the law to speed things up. Despite clearly marked speed limits on all public roads in California, many drivers choose to break those limits. The maximum safe speed for an area is often a factor in setting a speed limit. Speeding won't make much of an impact on when you get where you're going, but it can impact the likelihood of not arriving at your destination.

A significant number of collisions and crashes each year relate to exceeding the posted speed limit. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that speeding killed at least 10,111 people in 2016. Many more people ended up injured. Driving too fast could result in rear-ending or even T-boning another vehicle when you can't stop in time. Clearly, obeying the speed limit is a choice that protects you and everyone else on the road.

What are the top 3 causes of truck accidents?

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center posted in truck accidents on Friday, May 25, 2018.

The average passenger vehicle weighs right around 4,000 pounds whereas a tractor-trailer hovers around 80,000. It's perhaps because of this that we often hear about motorists suffering either serious injuries or dying if they're involved in crashes with semitrucks.

There are three common reasons these types of crashes occur.

How do T-bone accidents occur?

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center posted in car accidents on Saturday, May 19, 2018.

Those of us who've been driving long enough are bound to have seen our fair share of car crashes at intersections. While many of them occur at a slow rate of speed and cause relatively minor motorist injuries or car damage, some of these types of collisions can severely debilitate a driver or even cause their death.

Among the many different types of car crashes that occur at intersections, one motorist's vehicle being T-boned by another one's can prove to be most catastrophic. The speed at which the motorist who ultimately struck your vehicle was traveling at will greatly impact the damage your car sustains or the injuries you suffer.

Biking safety: Avoiding a crash in the summer months

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center on Friday, May 18, 2018.

Biking is a great source of entertainment and exercise, but it does come with potential risks. Since you have little protection against other vehicles, the ground or any impact whatsoever, there's a high likelihood of injury if an accident occurs.

Like most people, you don't want to see yourself get hurt, so it's imperative that you take steps to reduce the likelihood of injury. Here are four things you can to do stay safe this summer.

3 things not to do after you're in a serious crash

On behalf of Traffic Accident Law Center on Wednesday, May 16, 2018.

You never thought that you'd be in a serious crash. You've seen one from time to time, but on the whole, your area is safe. You knew it was a possibility, but you were shocked when you found your vehicle being struck by a large truck entering your lane.

You don't remember much of what happened next, but now that you're awake at the scene, there are some things you should remember. As someone injured in a serious crash, there are some things you need to do immediately and some things you should not do. Here's what you should know.