Bakersfield Personal Injury Lawyers

A young Santa Barbara family had their lives tragically cut short on Tuesday when a large truck carrying two payloads of gravel apparently lost control due to brake failure and careened off the highway, down an embankment and into their home.

A neighbor had reported hearing a huge crash and ran outside to see the family’s home collapsing in rubble. This California trucking accident left the young couple and their child dead at the scene and initial reports are that there may have been a second child in the home at the time.

The driver of the truck survived and was treated for minor facial injuries.

California Trucking Accidents

The historical trends for trucking accidents in California indicate that, on average, large trucks account for 9 about percent of the vehicles in fatal crashes. About 4 percent of the trucking vehicles are involved in injury and property damage only crashes. In 2003 there were nearly 5,000 large trucks involved in fatal crashes with  76 percent of those being these large combination trucks.

The truck that was carrying the gravel down Highway 154 had the capability of hauling up to 26 tons of material.

The immediate search effort included heavy equipment to vacuum up gravel and dig out rubble under the truck to reach the victims. The deceased’s home was sitting well below the embankment of the highway and could not be seen from the roadway. The house was completely demolished by the impact.

California Injury Lawyers

We want to express our deepest condolences to the friends and family members of this young family that was taken from us at far too young an age and in such a violent manner. The grief and shock of family members is hard whenever something like that this that is so sudden and it is hard to understand how something so tragic could happen. Please join us in sending thoughts and prayers to those who are mourning this loss.

Bakersfield Wrongful Death Attorneys

Depending on the actual details of this tragic trucking accident, the family of the deceased victims may be able to file a California wrongful death lawsuit. The truck driver or, more likely, the transportation company the trucker was driving for, can be held liable and charges can be brought against them for pain and suffering, burial costs, lost wages and more.

It is critical that anyone involved in a potential wrongful death lawsuit contact a California personal injury attorney that has a strong track record of handling cases such as this. The law firm of Chain | Cohn | Stiles has nearly 80 years of experience in California handling serious injury and wrongful death cases. Contact our Bakersfield law offices today at 800-322-4529 for a free consultation.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer

The Chain | Cohn | Stiles personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best California personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Chain | Cohn Stiles will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.