Truck Accidents

Christopher Barton Tatro, 40, of Corona, was killed in a Riverside car accident, which police report, involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a news article in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal hit-and-run accident occurred on the 91 Freeway, near Monroe Street, during the early morning hours of December 17, 2011.

Officials say Tatro was operating the controls of the hydraulic lift on a tow truck when a tan sedan, possibly a beige late-1990s Saturn, struck the left side of the tow truck. The driver of the vehicle did not stop, and was last seen exiting the freeway at Adams Street. Tatro suffered massive injuries to his legs and torso and succumbed to his injuries a couple of hours later. The authorities are searching for the car, which they believe sustained damage to its right side, including damage to the right mirror, wheels and headlight. Witnesses with information about the incident or the suspect may contact the California Highway Patrol Inland Division at 909-806-2400.

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A 58-year-old worker was fatally injured on the job after an aerial boom he was operating fell off a flatbed truck at a construction lot in Palm City. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the fatal accident occurred the morning of December 6, 2011 on Hollister Street near Palm Avenue in Palm City. Officials say the worker was driving the piece of heavy equipment off a flatbed truck when one of the wheels came off the side of the truck. The man, who was in the basket part of the equipment, which is used to hoist construction workers into the air, hit his head after he was hurled to the ground. The man died at the scene. An investigation is ongoing.

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Sean Patrick Flynn, 49, was killed in a motorcycle accident in Malibu after his cycle hit a large truck, the morning of December 5, 2011. According to a City News Service report, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred on Pacific Coast Highway at Rambla Vista. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials say that Flynn attempted to pass a fully loaded dump truck. As he did so, Flynn hit the truck's side and was then run over by its rear wheels. He died at the scene. Officials are still investigating the cause of this fatal crash.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Sean Patrick Flynn for their devastating loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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A truck driver was injured in a Costa Mesa car accident, which officials say involved a man who was driving under the influence, the morning of November 16, 2011. According to a news article in the Daily Pilot, the truck accident occurred in the southbound lanes of Newport Boulevard at Del Mar Avenue. A Toyota 4Runner SUV driven by 29-year-old Michael Conzelman of Santa Ana hit the Coca-Cola delivery truck. The truck driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Police report Conzelman was under the influence of an unknown substance, was hallucinating, and was confrontational with officers. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

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After putting profits over people for decades, the truck industry has shown little regard for human life while encouraging unsafe driving practices, which have led to terrible statistics. Every 16 minutes, someone is injured or killed in a truck accident in the United States.

Last month, a jury ordered YRC incorporated to pay a driver 12.2 Million dollars after he was hit by wheel off the rear of the tractor-trailer in 2008. The victim endured severe spinal injuries and traumatic brain injury. The driver hit his head on the roof of his car despite wearing a seat belt. His personality, memory, concentration, and ability to pay attention have all been dramatically affected by the truck accident.

YRC admitted responsibility for their negligence, which caused this horrible California truck accident, but say the driver is lying about his brain injury and argued his neck injury was unrelated to the accident. The jury took the side of the plaintiff in this case and the trucking industry lost this case.

This may be a huge victory that will pressure truck companies to better take care of truck maintenance and product defects. For too many years trucking companies have provided their drivers with sub-par equipment in order to save costs. These defective or poorly maintained brakes, tires, and other truck parts have caused thousands of injuries and accidents over the years. Every year over 5,000 truck accidents result in fatalities, and the driver and passengers of the smaller cars are usually the ones that end up killed due to the huge mass and size of commercial trucks.

Truck accidents are on the rise and this is due not only to product defects but to the pressure of unrealistic deadlines trucking companies place on their employees which pressure them to lose sleep and drive for illegal and extended amounts of hours in order to reach their destination on time. Placing too much or too large of a load on their trailers is also a way trucking companies try to save money but which cause even further truck accidents along California.

Contact a California truck accident attorney today if you have been involved in a truck accident around Orange County, Los Angeles, or anywhere else in California.

A Victorville car accident involving several vehicles resulted in injuries for at least seven people, the afternoon of November 7, 2011. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the chain-reaction crash occurred on the southbound 15 Freeway, when Cherie Hallack, 55, who was driving a Caltrans truck tried to enter traffic from the right shoulder and entered into the path of a big rig. The large truck driven by 57-year-old Vazgen Vartani swerved to avoid hitting the Caltrans truck and sideswiped a Honda Civic driven by 56-year-old Fadel G. Noumeh.

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Two people were injured, one of them seriously, in a Los Angeles car accident after a semi-truck barreled out of control and crashed into the backyard of a home. According to a news report in The Long Beach Press-Telegram, the injury crash occurred the evening of October 1, 2011 in the 11700 block of Centralia Street near Pioneer Boulevard. Officials say the truck that was pulling an empty trailer was traveling at a high rate of speed on Centralia when it lost control and crashed through cement wall lining the home's backyard. Two people who were in the yard at the time were injured. One of the victims is said to have suffered serious injuries, but is expected to survive. Officials are investigating the cause of this accident.

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Kathleen Blair, 41, of San Pedro was killed in a Long Beach car accident after the motorcycle on which she was a passenger, was struck by a vehicle. According to a City News Service report, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred in the southbound lanes of the 710 Freeway at Willow Street, the afternoon of September 26, 2011. Blair was a passenger on a 2004 Harley Davidson driven by 46-year-old Darrin E. Metzger. Officials say Metzger was riding the motorcycle at a high rate of speed and making unsafe lane changes. The collision apparently occurred as Metzger straddled the number one and two lanes in an attempt to pass a Nissan Murano and a big rig. The motorcycle struck the Murano. Both Metzger and Blair were ejected on impact. Blair was run over by the big rig. An investigation is ongoing.

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An estimated 5,000 are fatally injured in truck accidents nation-wide each year. With a population of close to 400,000, Anaheim has its fair share. With Disneyland, the Angel’s Stadium, and the Duck’s Pond in Anaheim, the amount of trucks needed to transport fuel and goods have become overly concentrated in this popular Orange County city. Unfortunately for an otherwise thriving town, the rate of truck collisions is unusually high compared with similar areas and could be prevented with safer trucking practices and laws.

Just recently on July 17th, 2011, a male passenger died off the 5 freeway in Anaheim due to a truck collision and the driver sustained serious injuries. Truck accident law in Anaheim is complex depending on California law, and various factors. The family of the victim may obtain wrongful death damages and see if any of the parties was negligent or engaging in unsafe driving such as being intoxication or overworked fatigue. Read the rest »

A woman sustained major injuries in a Long Beach car accident after her vehicle was struck by a semi-trailer. According to a news report in The Press-Telegram, the major injury collision occurred the night of August 24, 2011 near the 405 Freeway transition to the southbound 710 Freeway. California Highway Patrol officials say that the truck that was transitioning from the 405 to the 710 overturned on to the top of a Honda car. The woman, who was the driver of the Honda, suffered major injuries while the truck driver escaped with minor injuries. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of this accident. The driver of the Honda was extricated from her vehicle and transported to an area hospital. An investigation is ongoing.

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