Trucks and backing can be a fatal combination. Although backing can be a dangerous maneuver even when performed by a driver of a passenger car, when truck drivers perform a backing maneuver, the consequences can be deadly to many.
Truckers who have actually read the Commercial Driver’s License manual prior to operating the truck know that a truck driver is always required to GOAL (short for “Get Out And Look”) before performing a backing maneuver.
“Trucks performing a backing maneuver is dangerous for many reasons,” says our Los Angeles truck accident lawyer at JML Law. “In fact, truckers are often required to ask spotters to help them complete this maneuver safely without crashing into someone or something.”
If you are walking past a truck and you see that the trucker put on the four-way flashers, get away from that truck as soon as possible because it means that the truck driver is about to perform a backing maneuver. If the truck driver did not signal to indicate that he or she would be backing up (a trucker is required to signal by either honking or putting on the four-way flashers), but performed the maneuver anyway and left you injured, you will most likely be able to sue that truck driver for negligence and failure to warn.
Being injured by a truck is no joke. After all, trucks can weigh up to 80,000, which is why trucks require extra stopping distance compared to passenger vehicles. Unfortunately, many truck drivers in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California do not know the right way to move in reverse safely without hurting anyone.
Luckily, we brought our experienced truck accident lawyer in Los Angeles to explain the do’s and don’ts of truck drivers moving in reverse and what constitutes negligence on the part of the truck driver when you get hit by a truck in the middle of a backing maneuver:
If you have been injured in a truck backing up an accident, talk to our Los Angeles trucking accident lawyers at JML Law. Schedule a free consultation by calling at 818-610-8800.