Major freeways lace around and through Sacramento. Our injury lawyers at Sette law want to draw attention to trucking accidents that are a tragic byproduct of being part of a major interstate highway system. Our Sacramento accident attorneys know that in a big rig verses car collision, it’s the car and driver that usually sustains the greatest damage and injury. But injury lawyers are very aware that motorists often contribute to Sacramento truck accidents. Our attorneys have been involved in many cases in which motorists simply don’t respect the power of big rigs or the challenges faced by truck drivers passing through Sacramento.
Injury lawyers report that CHP data, from 2008 – 2012, shows approximately 200 people have been injured or killed in truck accidents each year. Add this to the statewide figure of 7,500 to 8,700 injured or killed and it’s clear that we should all pay more attention to public safety and trucking accidents. Injury lawyers also add that the figures for injuries reported by the CHP are probably lower than reality because many smaller accidents remain unreported statewide and in Sacramento. Our accident lawyers are gratified that local figures are much lower than those reported for the County of Los Angeles, but we think our region can do more to prevent truck accidents.

Our attorneys point out that Sacramento County is a thoroughfare for transportation with several highway routes – including eight state highways and Interstates 5, 80, US 50 and 99.  This means that truck traffic is significant and with heavy commuter traffic, everyone must drive defensively to avoid Sacramento accidents. Our attorneys urge motorists and professional truckers to respect each other’s presence on roadways in Sacramento.

Injury attorneys look at driver behavior that contributes to Sacramento truck accidents. Our lawyers believe both truckers as well as motorists can create safer conditions for each other. Professional drivers of big rigs receive training and special licensing. Our injury lawyers think motorists should also be better educated about driving safely in high speeds on freeway environments throughout the County of Sacramento. Accident attorneys know that big rig drivers face many challenges due to the nature of their vehicles.

Nationwide, approximately 600 truckers are killed every year. Our Sacramento accident attorneys say the trucking industry educates and trains drivers, but the very nature of big rigs contributes to very serious accidents. Our injury lawyers know that driving a big rig is strenuous and demanding, requiring specific skills and strength. Professional truckers are trained to use turn signals far in advance of lane changes and turns. They know that sudden changes can lead to deadly accidents. Our injury lawyers suggest that vehicle drivers pay attention to trucker’s signals and to trucker’s rear view mirrors.  Motorists should be aware a trucker’s ‘blind spot’ is significantly bigger than that of a family car driving a freeway in Sacramento. Our injury attorneys also say drivers should recognize that the weight of big rigs makes it impossible for them to ‘stop on a dime.’ If a vehicle driver cuts sharply on front of a trucker, causing him to apply his brakes suddenly, there is the risk of an accident. Injury lawyers say too few motorists realize what it takes to safely drive a big rig in Sacramento.

Personal injury attorneys also recognize that not all truckers adhere to the industry’s safety rules. Long distance trucking sometimes leaves drivers rushing to meet deadlines with too little sleep. Pressure to deliver products can be powerful motivation, leading to serious or deadly freeway accidents in Sacramento. Our injury attorneys urge long haul drivers to make safety paramount over deadlines to prevent trucking accidents.

Injury attorneys believe that safety on our freeways is a shared responsibility. Automobile drivers should understand how difficult it is to maneuver a massive big rig, and give truck drivers the space they need. Our Sacramento personal injury lawyers also point out that professional big rig drivers have a responsibility to consistently adhere to all rules of the road, and to respect public safety. Trucking accidents happen on freeways of Sacramento, our injury lawyers say, when a driver of a car or a truck stops paying attention to their responsibility on the road.

When an accident does happen, our Sacramento injury lawyers advise drivers to keep some basic points in mind. We know that emotions often run high in the aftermath of a crash, but our personal injury attorneys suggest that parties involved keep cool heads and don’t engage in arguments or discussion about the Sacramento accident. Lawyers know from experience that words exchanged in such circumstances can come back to haunt accident victims in the courtroom. Simply share contact and insurance information, resist debating over fault and make no apologies. Our Sacramento injury lawyers also suggest that, if it is safe to do so, parties can capture images of the accident scene with a smart phone or camera. However, since trucking accidents are often serious, Sacramento injury attorneys remind people that medical attention is the most immediate concern.

As Sacramento personal injury attorneys we know that liability in collisions is often complicated. Sometimes fault belongs clearly to an individual driver in a trucking accident. But injury attorneys know that liability can also be shared. People involved in an accident can help accident injury attorneys by keeping clear heads, recording information, names and conditions.

But, most important is for all drivers to respect the power they have behind the wheel to either prevent or cause a Sacramento accident. Our lawyers work and live in this community too, and we have a stake in the safety of our family and our community. Although our Sacramento personal injury attorneys focus on accident law, our greatest desire is to enjoy a secure and safe environment. Given that our region is home to so many major freeways and highways, it’s inevitable that Sacramento truck accidents occur. Injury accident lawyers at Sette Law stand ready to help and support accident victims but prefer, instead, to focus on prevention that builds safer communities. Our injury lawyers look to trucking industry and Sacramento drivers to share our roadways and our desire for safety.

All too often, we feel our eyes becoming heavy and we lose focus on the road for just a moment. In that split second of time, a tragic accident causing life altering injuries can occur.

As stated in a recent Washington Post article, “Fatigue cannot be measured likely the level of alcohol in a person’s system, but it is frequently cited by investigators as a factor in accidents in the air, on the water and on railways and highways.”

In fact, 320 fatigue-related incidents have taken nearly 750 lives in airplane accidents over the last several years. Countless more lives have been lost in car, trucking, boatingand other types of transportation accidents. In fact, in trucking accidents, fatigue is a bigger contributor to accidents than drug and alcohol use. Similarly boating, rail and car accidents have all been linked to exhaustion

When people are tired, they react more slowly, struggle with attention lapses and take more unnecessary risks. Despite the universal recognition that fatigue and transportation is an issue that needs to be addressed, few National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations and proposals have been adopted.

As NTSB regulators explain, “The problem is compounded by a culture ‘that places a lot of value on burning the midnight oil.”

Safety advocates hope that in the near future, operating under the influence of fatigue will become just as unacceptable as operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol is now.

For more information, or if you have been in any type of transportation accident, contact The Law Office of Frederick J. Sette, dedicated to helping the injured in California for more than 15 years.

Nearly a year after the deadly off-road accident in California’s Mojave Desert, questions concerning fault and just what went wrong that fatal evening remain. Brett Sloppy – a driver of a truck that ran into the crowd of spectators killing eight – believes that the incident was an accident.

According to KCBS, Sloppy notes that the steering wheel of his truck was “ripped out of his hands” after it jumped a stretch of the track known as the “rockpile.” He attributes this to an accident. Eight people died and dozens of others were injured after the truck slammed into the crowd and landed on its roof.

Questions have been raised concerning numerous different factors such as were the spectators allowed to get too close to the race? Did spectators disregard warnings? Did the U.S. Bureau of Land Management take the necessary precautions? Did race promoters follow proper protocol?

Here, several avenues of fault may exist. First, an internal investigation has shown that the Bureau of Land Management did not adequately monitor the race and failed to follow all the necessary procedures. Further, only one ranger was on patrol. Spectators crowded the course.

As Sloppy notes, “That was… the worst sight in my life and I never want to see that again.” Whenever any tragedy occurs, it is important to uncover the reasons behind an accident and do what is possible to prevent a similar incident from recurring.

Hopefully with all the attention garnered from this event, safety measures will be put in place to avoid future accidents.

Sloppy notes, “I didn’t want to hide, I wanted to get out and say my apologies.”

If you or a loved one has been harmed in a serious accident, please contact the dedicated Stockton personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Frederick J. Sette, to protect your rights and your future.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Metro Blue Line has earned a dubious distinction. It is reportedly on pace to have more deaths this year than any other in its two-decade history, as well as ranking as one of California’s deadliest rail transit routes. The Metro Blue line extends from Long Beach to the 7th Street Metro Center in downtown Los Angeles. In its first few years of existence, it averaged a little over 50 accidents per year, and in 1999, it had the most fatalities of any other route in California with 10 deaths and 50 accidents involved collisions with other motor vehicles at railroad crossings.

If you or a loved on has been injured in a railroad accident, seek the advice of a top Stockton accident attorney right away in order to explore your options and ensure you obtain the compensation you deserve. So far this year the blue line has seen six fatalities and twenty-two accidents.

As a result of the number of collisions, officials implemented several different safety measures including photo enforcement at crossing to discourage drivers from racing through intersections in an effort to beat oncoming trains. However, this year the number of accidents has spiked with a high number of suicides, which create additional concerns.

Additionally, families of those killed and injured victims point to safety concerns involving maintenance of the light rail system and dangers along its tracks. Safety advocates are calling for immediate action to decrease the likelihood of accidents.

As stated by the father of a boy killed along the tracks “This is what I call negligence,” ..”How many more deaths have to occur in order for somebody to do something about it?”

Any time a railway accident occurs, a number of factors may be at play. In some instances, a motor vehicle or individual ignores safety alerts such as the gates lowering, flashing lights and sounds. However, other times these warning signals are absent either as the result of a defect, failure to maintain the railway properly or other error such as train engineers failing to slow down to avoid accidents or sounding their horn to warn any vehicles or pedestrians in their path.

From a legal standpoint, the blue line or any other rail system may be found negligent if they breach their “duty of reasonable care” to their passengers or others and this breach causes a foreseeable harm. For example, while trains generally have right of way, railroads must exercise care when their lines cross roads. Railroads meet this requirement by erecting crossing barriers, posting signs or guards, and maintaining any protective or warning devices. Persons killed or injured by a train at a crossing may claim that the railroad was negligent in exercising this care.

Where the blue line or any other rail way has been found negligent, they may be required to pay compensation for injuries caused or other damages in a wrongful death case.

For more information about railroad negligence or if you or a loved one has been injured in a railroad accident, please contact a top Stockton personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Frederick J. Sette for an immediate consultation.

According to California news, a black Lincoln Town Car collided with a Dodge Charger on Divisadero Street in California. Following the collision, the Charger flew through the intersection, knocking into a fire hydrant. The fire hydrant was then dislodged, flying into the air and striking a pedestrian.

The injured pedestrian has filed a personal injury lawsuit – alleging negligence against not only the drivers of the vehicles but also against the transportation tech company Uber. Uber works by connecting passengers with drivers of luxury vehicles for hire. Despite Uber’s claims that it is not a “transportation provider” – this accident raises questions concerning

Just what does happen if you’re an Uber passenger in the middle of an accident? If you have been injured in any type of automobile accident, it is a good idea to speak to a top Stockton accident lawyer right away.

Here the “car-sharing” arrangement set up by Uber creates many questions concerning liability. For example, is Uber covered by private car insurance or by commercial policies that insure a car for commercial purposes? Commercial policies are in effect in those situations where a car is specifically used for a business – such as a car for pizza delivery company. However where Uber is involved, the company doesn’t actually own any of the cars. Uber contends that they have created primarily technology platforms, modern-day phone books that connect people who already have cars (or car services) to people who want to ride in them and, as a result, are not responsible when injuries occur.

However, representatives for the woman disagree noting “for somebody who uses Uber when you log into that app, it doesn’t say ‘We’re going to help you find an independent transportation company.’ It’s saying ‘Here’s an Uber driver. ..Nothing about that relationship makes you think it’s a mere phone book.”

Uber and other “newfangled cab companies,” create risk – by putting passengers into moving cars in busy urban traffic – in precisely the same way that taxi companies create risk. But they’re not taking any responsibility for it.

For more information about Uber car accident or if you or a loved one has been injured in a personal injury accident please contact the top Stockton accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Frederick J. Settle for an immediate consultation.