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2221 Camino Del Rio S, STE. 207
San Diego, CA

619-444-2244 

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Category: Truck Accidents

Deadly Truck Accidents on the Rise

San Diego truck accident attorney Steven Elia has been closely following a new report by the NHTSA that shows deadly truck accidents are on the rise.

According to the agency, fatal accidents involving large trucks across the nation increased 3.7 percent in 2012. This marks the third consecutive year of an increase in truck accident fatalities.

Accidents involving trucks can be especially dangerous.

“When a truck hits a smaller car, the result can be catastrophic.”

Death or permanent injuries can happen. Severe property damage takes place. Furthermore, officials say “truck accidents are more more likely than car-on-car accidents to kill at least one person involved“.

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As wrongful death lawyers we are often touched by the cases we handle and the stories the read in the news. And this one about the Asam wrongful death case is no exception.

In a case that has made national headlines, a 13-year old girl was awarded $150 million after she watched her family burn to death in a fiery accident on a Los Angeles freeway. The jury found a California trucking company and one of its drivers liable in the deaths of three members of the Asam family nearly four years ago.

Kylie Asam was 9 when she and her 11-year-old brother, Blaine, managed to escape from their family’s mangled SUV after it struck and got caught under a big rig parked on the shoulder of Interstate 210 nearly four years ago. They saw their parents and older brother get burned alive after the vehicle they were trapped in caught fire.

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Preventing San Diego Truck Accidents

Strict state and federal rules and regulations for commercial truck drivers and trucking companies are in place to keep highways and streets as safe as possible. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is constantly developing new ways to help prevent large truck accidents. A recent FMCSA report addresses its naturalistic driving program, which focuses on conducting research and developing tactics to help maintain safety on our nation’s roadways. The FMCSA Deputy Administrator claims that naturalistic driving data has highlighted the most significant findings so far in terms of driver behavior and information to further implement effective safety measures.

The FMCSA naturalistic driving program was initiated after results from the Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) showed that the majority of accidents are not caused by defective vehicles or road conditions, but instead are brought on by poor driver performance and human error. The study demonstrated that driver factors were up to 10 times more common than vehicle or environmental factors in events that contributed to accidents involving one truck and one passenger vehicle. The FMCSA has used naturalistic driving data to create new driver fatigue safety monitoring systems; develop new safety practices like onboard monitoring; expand driver training and outreach materials; support the advancement of federal motor carrier safety regulations; and establish a stronger understanding of accidents to help create more effective crash prevention measures.

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