Distracted Driving Truck Accidents in Banning
When you live in a town like Banning located on the long stretch of Interstate 10 between San Bernardino and Phoenix, you get used to seeing plenty of commercial truck traffic pass through on a daily basis. Fortunately, most people driving these trucks are responsible and trustworthy behind the wheel—but unfortunately, the ones who are not can and all too often do cause wrecks resulting in catastrophic injuries for everyone involved.
If you were injured in a wreck recently because a truck driver was not paying attention to the road around them, you should strongly consider reaching out to a seasoned truck accident attorney to discuss the possibility of civil litigation. Distracted driving truck accidents in Banning can be difficult to successfully file suit over, but with a qualified and dedicated legal professional by your side, you will be able to navigate around legal and procedural obstacles efficiently.
Is It Illegal to Be Distracted While Driving a Tractor-Trailer?
Under both federal and state law, it is illegal for commercial truck drivers in California to use any electronic communication device—including not just cell phones and smart phones, but also things like tablets and laptop computers—outside of “hands-free” mode while in control of a motor vehicle. Any truck driver who violates this law, or who allows themselves to be distracted by anything else inside or outside their cab while driving, has violated the “duty of care” they owe to everyone else on the road around them.
Someone who causes a traffic accident resulting in injuries due to a “breach of duty” is legally “negligent” and, based on that negligence, may be financially responsible for ensuing damages. Rather than specifically proving that a truck driver broke the law before a crash, proving that they were negligent is the foundation of virtually every successful lawsuit built around a distracted driving truck wreck in Banning.
Recovering Fairly Within Filing Deadlines
Given how much larger and heavier tractor-trailers are compared to just about every other street-legal vehicle, traffic collisions caused by distracted truck drivers tend to have uniquely devastating consequences. This makes it especially important when filing suit over a Banning distracted driving truck crash to account for economic and non-economic forms of harm stemming from the incident, including:
- Lost overall quality of life
- Physical discomfort and pain
- Emotional anguish and psychological trauma
- Lost working capacity or work earnings and benefits
- Personal property damage, including vehicle replacement/repair costs
- Medical expenses, including expected costs of future rehabilitative and maintenance care
- Disability-related costs of things like assistive equipment, home/vehicle modifications, and in-home care
It is also important to take action quickly after the accident since California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 generally gives people just two years to file suit over any personal injury caused by another person’s negligence.
A Banning Attorney Could Help With a Distracted Driving Truck Accident Lawsuit
Distracted driving has become far more common in recent years thanks to the proliferation of cell phones and other mobile electronic devices, and commercial truck drivers carrying tens of thousands of pounds of cargo are unfortunately not exempt from this trend. Truckers who cause distracted driving truck accidents in Banning and throughout California rarely suffer injuries as serious as the ones they inflict on other people through their negligence.
You deserve to be fairly compensated for the harm you have suffered. A skilled attorney could help you pursue the justice you deserve. Call today to learn more.
