A jackknifing truck can be impossible to avoid. The crashes that result can cause devastating and even fatal injuries.
At Dunnion Law, our semi-truck wreck attorneys provide aggressive, effective representation to people who suffer injuries in jackknife truck accidents in Fresno. We have pursued claims against transportation companies and their insurers since 1975, and we advocate for fair compensation for your injuries.
Jackknife accidents happen when a truck’s trailer moves out of alignment with the cab. It can veer to the side toward the perpendicular, colliding with vehicles in adjacent lanes and often causing the truck to overturn. Human error is the most common cause of such incidents.
Truckers can cause jackknifing by speeding, driving too fast in wet or icy conditions, or taking curves and corners too quickly. Excessive speed can cause sudden braking, which can lock the brakes and initiate a trailer swerve. Trucker distraction can also cause jackknife accidents.
Sometimes a mechanical problem causes a jackknife. Improperly loading or securing cargo can cause a weight shift that causes a trailer to swerve. Whatever the cause, our attorneys will investigate truck accidents in Fresno involving a jackknife to identify potentially responsible parties and collect evidence of their negligence.
California’s system for managing vehicle wreck claims requires you to prove that another party’s negligence caused your injuries. In an accident involving a truck, demonstrating a deviation from best practices can establish negligence. Although negligence usually means a failure to use reasonable care to avoid harming others, the trucking industry must meet a higher standard and use the utmost care.
When our attorneys investigate Fresno wrecks involving a tractor-trailer jackknifing, they will scrutinize the trucker’s log, review the information from the truck’s electronic data recorder, and watch any available video that shows the crash. We can subpoena the truck’s maintenance records and the driver’s personnel and training file. If the police cited the truck driver after the crash, the ticket is evidence of negligence.
When another party’s negligence hurts you in an accident, the negligent party must pay your damages. These include your actual costs, such as medical care, lost income, and incidental expenses. Damages also include compensation for intangible losses such as:
California Civil Code § 3294 allows exemplary damages, which the statute also labels punitive damages, when clear proof shows that a defendant’s intentional or grossly negligent act caused your injuries. Punitive damages can apply in Fresno tractor-trailer crashes if the trucker drove drunk or under the influence of drugs when the jackknife occurred, if the trucking company knowingly deferred maintenance that could have prevented the incident, or if the company that loaded the trailer intentionally failed to use safe loading practices to increase its profit.
Courts award exemplary damages only in rare cases, but our attorneys will evaluate the evidence in a specific jackknife crash to determine whether it supports a claim for these damages.
Most truck accident claims eventually settle, but negotiations are often difficult. We do not hesitate to take a case to trial if settlement negotiations do not result in a reasonable offer. A trial can be especially advantageous when evidence supports a claim for punitive damages. Throughout the process, your goals and priorities always guide our strategy.
Jackknife truck accidents in Fresno can cause severe injuries, so having capable legal representation is essential. If a truck’s trailer swerved and caused a crash that hurt you, contact us at Dunnion Law for a free initial consultation, and know that you pay nothing upfront because our fees come from the settlement or verdict.
