Early in the morning on Thursday, February 28, 2019, two separate Pacoima big rig truck freeway crashes occurred, caused by the heavy rain that soaked the freeway. According to ABC 7 News one driver was reported to have minor injuries, but no other freeway drivers were harmed.
The first collision occurred in Newhall Pass, when the big rig driver crashed into the center divider. The crash closed all truck lanes in both directions on the freeway. A second big rig jack-knifed on the connecting road from the northbound 5 to the westbound 118 Freeway in Pacoima. This closed the 5 Freeway for several hours.
As of right now, the rainy conditions are being blamed for causing both accidents, though officials will still conduct a thorough investigation. It is not uncommon for these types of large truck accidents to occur due to the rain, especially if the big rig truck driver does not appropriately adjust his or her speed for road conditions, including curves in the road and transitions between different freeways.
It is important to be alert when driving on freeways trafficked by large big rigs, especially during rainy weather. Southern California has been hit particularly hard with rain this year—according to the Weather Nation, by mid February Los Angeles had already receive more rain (11.5 inches) than it did the entire year of 2018 (only 8 inches the whole year!) Though the rain can be helpful for drought conditions in the state, it certainly makes for slick and dangerous roads. This can be very problematic for large big rig trucks that already take longer to slow down. In the slippery conditions, accidents can happen.
Luckily in both of these Southern California truck accidents, no one was harmed. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in these types of accidents. Typically, big rig truck collisions often involve injuries that are more serious regular car accidents. Because of the size difference between trucks and cars, occupants of cars often sustain much greater injuries due to the large force of being struck by a truck. Additionally, because of the trucks size, cars are can be crushed by trucks, causing critical injuries to the occupants inside.
If you have been injured in an accident cause by a big rig truck, it is important to know that you likely can receive financial compensation to cover the cost of your injuries. This is achieved by bring a personal injury claim against the driver and trucking company. Truck companies typically have greater liability coverage to help cover the costs of these types of accidents. An experienced truck accident personal injury attorney can help you through the process of your claim so you can get the recovery you deserve.
In these wet conditions, that are likely to continue, we encourage all drivers to be cautious. Use defensive driving techniques and be aware of large trucks on the freeway. Allow yourself more time to stop, avoid following other vehicles too closely, and make sure you have adequate space before changing lanes in front of a big rig—this can help prevent sudden stops or swerving for the large trucks that can be problematic in wet conditions. If you are injured in an accident caused by another truck or car driver, reach out to Walch Law. Our experienced attorneys offer a free case consultation to help you determine how to proceed with your personal injury claim. Call us at 866-465-8792 to set up your consultation!