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- Richard D. McCune
- David C. Wright
- Kristy M. Arevalo
- Eddie Jae K. Kim
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- Elaine S. Kusel
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The Inland Empire is the commercial trucking gateway to Los Angeles from the rest of the United States. Because our streets and freeways are so crowded, accidents involving commercial trucks are a greater danger to Inland Empire motorists than almost any other place in the country. Predictably, accidents involving commercial trucks are much more likely to result in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death than other types of accidents.
Legal representation for a catastrophic accident involving a commercial truck requires in-depth experience and expertise in commercial trucking accidents that most general personal injury firms do not have. The McCuneWright attorneys, along with its affiliated law firm of Panish, Shea & Boyle, are uniquely qualified to handle the complex and unique issues of commercial trucking accidents in the Inland Empire.
Drivers of commercial trucks are required to have special training and licenses. These drivers are also subject to strict regulations about how many hours they can drive and how they drive their trucks. When drivers ignore the rules, they can quickly become a hazard on the road. To know if the truck driver who caused the accident was violating the rules, the law firm handling the case has to have the experience and knowledge to know the right questions to ask. Some of those questions are detailed in the following:
Did the driver have proper training and the proper licenses?
California has strict requirements for the issuance of a commercial license, including: driving skill training, medical testing, drug testing, health, age, driving record, legal residence, and vision. These requirements must be met before the driver is issued a California commercial driver's license. Because of this, some drivers have found short-cuts around the requirements or come from states with less-stringent requirements. Therefore, some commercial truck drivers operating trucks in California do not meet all these requirements and pose a danger to other motorists. [ + ]
In representing clients involved in catastrophic car accidents, it is necessary to explore other sources of insurance besides the insurance carried by the driver. The victim's uninsured motorist coverage will provide coverage if the responsible driver is either uninsured or underinsured. There will sometimes be insurance policies that will cover the actions of the driver carried by the owner of the car or the employer of the driver of the car that is responsible for the accident.
It takes a law firm with experience in catastrophic car accidents to know how to identify the other insurance policies, know how to obtain the insurance policies, and then what to look for in the insurance policies. A law firm inexperienced in catastrophic car accidents will often overlook these potential insurance policies that are vital to fully compensate the client. McCuneWright and our affiliated firm of Panish, Shea & Boyle are experienced in the nuances and complexities of catastrophic car accidents.
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Commercial truck driver fatigue accounts for a large number of trucking accidents. A U.S. Department of Transportation study found that driver fatigue caused 31% of the accidents it studied. Fatigue causes drivers to have slower reaction time, make poor decisions, or even fall asleep. It also causes some truck drivers to use illicit drugs to try and stay alert. [ + ]
In representing a client in a commercial truck case, it is important to obtain and review the driver's log as soon as possible. Not only is it important to see if the truck driver complied with federal laws by reviewing the log book, but it is necessary to investigate whether the driver falsified his log book. [ - ]
Because the size and weight of a commercial truck, there are special laws that apply to how they are operated including size (9 feet wide), weight (34,000 pounds per axle), speed (55 mph), lanes of travel (slow lane), parking (using emergency warning devices) and stopping distance (300 feet at 55 mph). [ + ]
Was the driver tested for alcohol or drugs after the accident?
A commercial truck driver is required to submit to a drug and alcohol test in accidents where the driver's performance could have contributed to the accident and in all fatality accidents.
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Insurance Issues
When there is an accident involving a commercial truck, it often results in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. However, a commercial truck driver is only required to carry $750,000 in insurance limits, and... [ + ]
In representing clients in accidents involving commercial trucks, it is necessary to explore other sources of insurance besides the insurance carried by the driver. There will often by additional insurance policies that will cover the actions of the driver through the owner of the truck, the employer of the driver, the owner of the trailer, and the owner of the cargo in the trailer. It takes a law firm with experience in commercial truck accidents to know how to identify the other insurance policies, know how to obtain the insurance policies and then what to look for in the insurance policies. A law firm inexperienced in commercial truck accidents will often overlook these potential insurance policies that are vital to explore to fully compensate the client. ... [ - ]
The experienced law firm in catastrophic car accident cases knows that to obtain this information they must act quickly. Insurance companies are usually in a hurry to either repair or scrap the car so they do not have to pay storage. They also may be in a hurry to cover up evidence incriminating to the insurance company or driver. Once the car is repaired or scrapped, valuable information can and is usually lost.
Even when the law firm moves quickly by notifying the insurance company that they are not to alter the evidence, sometimes the insurance company will not agree to put off repairing or destroying the automobile. It is important in these situations that the law firm immediately moves for a Court order preventing the destruction of evidence. Without this Court order, the insurance company can repair the car, destroying evidence even over the law firm's objection. Most general law firms do not know this and think by putting the insurance company on notice that the vehicle is not to be repaired or destroyed, that they have protected the evidence. Thus, another reason why it is important to hire a law firm experienced in catastrophic car accident cases.
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The Experts to Use the Information
In auto product defect cases, the selection of the experts to investigate and testify about the product defects often is the difference between winning and losing cases. If the wrong expert is selected, a good ... [ + ]
...case can be lost. A lot of self identified "experts" in auto product defect cases are really general accident experts without the expertise to identify and investigate the unique issues in the failure of a car in an accident.
Law firms with experience in catastrophic car accident cases already have existing relationships with the most qualified car product defect experts. They will know who to call, how the expert works, and the confidence of knowing the expert has the ability to effectively communicate the defect to a jury.
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Proving a Product Defect Case
Obtaining the right evidence and hiring the right experts is only the start of proving and winning an auto defect case. There are a number of traps in car ... [ + ]
First, proving an auto product defect case is very expensive. If the law firm is not willing or able to spend the hundreds of thousands of dollars involved in properly trying the case, a good case can be lost. Second, product defect law is different than general accident negligence law, and the experienced law firm knows how to apply product defect law in their favor. Third, experienced and successful catastrophic car accident law firms are successful for a reason; they know how to prove a case and persuade juries.
A proven track record of success in catastrophic car accident cases is usually the best predictor of success in the future. The experienced law firm in these types of cases should be able to provide you with their history of success. Click here to see our history of successes.
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Understanding the Clients Losses
It requires the knowledge to understand the medical issues in the case and to work to make sure in the difficult environment of insurance and medical providers that the client does not become just a number in the medical system and receives the medical treatment that is required. It requires the compassion to understand the client's loss.
Understanding what the Client Seeks in the Case
It requires the ability to listen to the client and understand what the client's seeks in the lawsuit. Lawsuits of these types of cases are not just about money, they are always about justice and usually about change.
The Ability to Effect Change
It is not enough to know what changes are needed, the law firm must have the ability to make the changes happen. Lawyers of McCuneWright have changed laws in California and Federal regulations after learning in a case those laws which should have protected people such as our clients did not.
The Ability to Obtain Full Monetary Compensation
The principal responsibility of the law firm is to obtain full monetary compensation for the clients' losses. That happens when the law firm takes cases to trial and is successful in trial. Without success in trial, insurance companies do not settle for full monetary compensation.
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