MOTORCYCLIST KILLED IN CRASH WITH BIG RIG ON 15 FREEWAY IN RANCHO CUCAMONGA

On Monday night, a fatal crash claimed the life of a motorcyclist traveling on the 15 freeway. The accident resulted in a partial closure of the southbound 15 freeway through Rancho Cucamonga – the closure was in effect until the early morning hours of Tuesday.

The accident occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. north of Fourth Street, according to the California Highway Patrol. Although the cause of the initial collision is unclear, the incident concluding with the commercial truck slamming into the freeway’s center median and erupting into flames, blocking the southbound side of the 15 freeway.

The driver of the commercial truck was able to exit the truck’s cab and appeared to be unharmed after the crash. The motorcyclist, however, did not have the same fate. Video from the scene of the accident showed that the motorcycle had become trapped under the truck and had been possibly dragged during the crash. The motorcyclist, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

This fatal incident has reminded the entire community of the dangers that motorcyclists and truck drivers face every day while on the road. By far, truck accidents as well as motorcycle accidents are among the most concerning accidents – which often have the most devastating outcomes.

Depending on the details surrounding the incident, a lawsuit might be brought forth. If the deceased victim was a member of your family, you might have grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim. If you would like to learn more about the possibility of filing a wrongful death after a member of your family was harmed in a fatal accident, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance immediately. You can trust the experts at Downtown L.A. Law Group to provide you with all the information that you might need to take legal action.

Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims, including those arising from truck accidents and motorcycle accidents, for example. Our experts have successfully handled wrongful death claims, always helping affected family members recover the monetary compensation that they deserve. If you would like to learn more about whether you could pursue a claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our experts at your earliest convenience.

The Dangers of Truck Accidents and Motorcycle Accidents

Truck accidents and motorcycle accidents are among the most dangerous vehicular accidents for different reasons. Both commercial trucks and motorcycles are common on the road, and all parties on the road must exercise caution at all times to avoid incidents.

Truck accidents are far too common. In general, the recklessness of passenger vehicles contributes to these accidents, specifically during attempts to cut trucks off or pass them. However, the recklessness of truck drivers can also contribute to incidents. In regard to truck accidents, the following points are important:

• Trucks are heavier than other vehicles
• Trucks are often loaded with heavy cargo
• Trucks take longer to come to a full stop (need more distance)
• Trucks have blind spots
• Trucks can be affected by the wind
• Trucks are more difficult to maneuver in the case of an accident

Likewise, motorcycle accidents occur very often. In most cases, larger vehicles cause motorcycle accidents; however, motorcyclists can disregard their safety and recklessly cause accidents as well. The following points are important and relevant to motorcycle accidents:

• Motorcycles are smaller than all other vehicles
• Motorcycles are harder to see than other vehicles
• Motorcyclists often travel between lanes
• Motorcycles generally travel faster than other vehicles
• Motorcycles do not offer any protection at the time of crashes (in comparison to vehicles with crash zones as well as frames)
• Motorcyclists are often launched or struck after collisions

Why are these points regarding truck accidents and motorcycle accidents so important? In general, accidents involving trucks and normal passenger vehicles will always be worse for the other vehicle – simply because trucks are so large. Likewise, accidents involving motorcycles and other vehicles will always be worse for the motorcyclist – simply because motorcycles are so small in comparison and motorcyclists are generally unprotected (by vehicle frames).

When there is an accident involving a motorcycle and a truck, the outcome is likely to be devastating due to the nature of each vehicle. If you would like to learn more about accidents involving both motorcycles and commercial trucks, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.

Grounds to Pursue a Wrongful Death Claim

Depending on the details surrounding the incident and victims’ death, family members might have grounds to file wrongful death claims. In general, the right to pursue a wrongful death claim is based on negligence. Negligence consists of four elements, which include duty of care, breach of duty, cause, and harm.

All drivers on the road owe others on the road a duty of care. They must drive safely and cautiously to prevent any incidents. Unfortunately, drivers can breach their duty of care by failing to drive safely; speeding, tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, cutting others off, and switching lanes without signaling/looking all represent a breach of duty. A breach of duty could cause an incident which could result in the harm innocent parties suffer.

If the death of a member of your family was a direct result of a negligent breach of duty (i.e. the reckless actions of a party on the road), you will have grounds to pursue a claim. If you would like to learn more about your right to sue for the death of a loved one after a traumatic accident, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance at your earliest convenience.

Recovering Compensation

If you decide to pursue a wrongful death claim after a member of your family was harmed in a vehicular accident, whether a motorcycle accident or a truck accident, you might have grounds to recover monetary compensation. Without a doubt, monetary compensation will not fill the void left by the sudden death of a member of your family; however, receiving compensation can help you and the rest of your family move forward after such a traumatic incident.

Depending on the details surrounding the claim, you could be compensated for all or some of the following:

• Medical expenses (after the incident but before the victim’s death)
• Loss of wages (that the victim would’ve earned if he or she was alive)
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of financial support
• Loss of consortium

If you would like to learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you might be eligible to recover, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience. Our wrongful death lawyers are ready to help you and your family recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim.

The Statute of Limitations

If the reckless and negligent actions of a party contributed to the death of a member of your family, you – undeniably – could sue the liable party. However, if you fail to file a claim on time, you could lose your right to take any legal action.

In California, wrongful death claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. A statute of limitations simply establishes the length of time that claimants have to pursue their claims. Because of the two-year statue of limitations, claimants only have two years to file their claims. As mentioned above, if claimants do not file on time, they could lose their right to sue.

If you would like to learn more about the statute of limitations that applies to your claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers are ready to provide you with all the information that you need to sue the party or entity liable for the wrongful death of a member of your family.

Contact Downtown L.A. Law Group Today

If you are interested in learning more about pursuing a wrongful death claim after a member of your family died in a tragic accident, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience. At Downtown L.A. Law Group, our experts know how difficult this experience is and will continue to be for you and your family. Let us handle your claim and guide you every step of the way.

Our lawyers have many years of experience handling wrongful death claims and helping claimants recover the compensation that they are owed. We are committed to remining accessible to all; therefore, we offer free legal services. Our free legal services include free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations as well as our free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns; our lawyers will provide you with all the information that you need to either start or continue your claim against the party or entity liable for the death of your loved one. To benefit from our free legal services, do not hesitate to contact our firm today.

At Downtown L.A. Law Group, we offer a Zero-Fee guarantee, which ensures that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. In addition, our firm is also based on a contingency structure, meaning that our clients will never be required to cover legal costs until after reaching a positive claim outcome.

To learn more about how our wrongful death experts can help you, do not hesitate to contact our law firm today.