New Information Released Regarding Deadly San Diego Tractor Trailer Accident

October 12, 2017

Sources have reported that the name of the truck driver involved in the deadly accident that happened this August has now been released. News outlets revealed the name, contained in an amended complaint filed on behalf of the mother of a young girl who was seriously injured as a result of the incident. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) released additional information about the driver, including her employer, one of the largest common carriers in the United States.

The Route 125 accident happened on August 2, when the semi-truck jack-knifed another vehicle, resulting in two fatalities and causing injuries to six others. The mother of the child who was seriously injured reportedly stated in the amended complaint that her daughter may be “permanently paralyzed” as a result of the big rig crossing traffic lanes in both directions prior to coming to rest in a jack-knife position. CHP stated that it is reviewing dash cam video footage in order to determine what caused the driver to veer into oncoming traffic. Criminal charges could be forthcoming.

Even though Interstate 5, Interstate 805, Interstate 15, and Interstate 8 may be the more commonly used routes for tractor trailers, as San Diego truck accident lawyers, we know that truck drivers in the San Diego area have to navigate their rigs throughout the entire web of roads in our area. The news report stated that the driver in this case was from Georgia. It could be that she was attempting to reference directions or believed that she had gotten lost just prior to the accident.

Other possible explanations for a truck accident of this nature–when the rig crosses lanes of traffic–could be driver fatigue, distracted driving (such as cell phone usage), lack of proper training, an unrealistic delivery schedule, or reckless driving, as alleged by the plaintiff in the case.

While truck accidents share many of the same aspects of car accidents in that they occur on roadways and typically involve more than one vehicle, the main contrast is that trucks are so much larger than most of the other passenger vehicles on the road. Because of this, the damage that trucks can leave in their wake is often very serious, and in some cases deadly.

In some cases, truck accidents occur as a result of unsafe practices on behalf of trucking companies, such as attempts to circumvent state or local restrictions on driver schedules. The news story above mentioned the dash cam contained within the truck that was involved in the accident. In addition to potential video footage, a large proportion of trucks made in the United States within the past 20 or so years are manufactured with an Electronic Control Module (ECM). These modules record operational data over a period of time, typically about a month or so. The type of data collected can include the highest speed reached, the overall average speed, seat belt usage, etc. This is typically known as the “black box.” Although it can provide highly valuable evidence in truck accident cases, when the ECM’s recording capacity is reached, it often begins to record over prior data. Thus, preserving the data contained within the module is a high priority in truck accident cases.

Truck accident cases are much more complicated than claims involving car accidents or motorcycle accidents. There are a multitude of state and federal laws that govern the trucking industry. Your San Marcos truck accident lawyer must be familiar with these laws and understand how they will affect your case. Contact the truck accident attorneys at the Rubinstein Law Group today in order to discuss your case. We serve clients throughout San Diego County, including San Marcos, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, La Jolla, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside, San Diego, and Vista; Imperial County, including Calexico and El Centro; and Riverside County, including Riverside and Moreno Valley.