Truck Accidents

Injured in a Truck Accident in California

A collision with a fully loaded semi can cause catastrophic harm. A big rig can weigh 20 to 30 times what a passenger car weighs, so even a low-speed crash often leaves the people in the smaller vehicle with life-changing injuries. Truck accident claims are also different from ordinary car accident claims: they involve federal trucking regulations, multiple companies that may share the blame, and insurers who move fast to protect the carrier. If a truck driver or trucking company caused your crash, California law gives you the right to pursue compensation, and Abramson Labor Group is here to help you do it.

After a Truck Crash

What you do after a truck crash affects both your health and your claim. If you are able:

  • Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel fine. Serious injuries are not always obvious at first.
  • Report the crash and get a copy of the police report.
  • Document the scene: photos of the vehicles, the truck’s company markings and license plate, the road, and your injuries.
  • Get the driver’s information, the trucking company’s name, and the names of any witnesses.
  • Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer before speaking with an attorney.

Trucking companies often begin investigating within hours, and important evidence such as the truck’s electronic logs can be lost if it is not preserved quickly. Acting early protects your claim.

Why Truck Cases Are Different

Commercial trucks are governed by federal rules from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in addition to California law. When a driver or company breaks those rules, the violation can be strong evidence of negligence. Common issues include:

  • Hours-of-service violations. Federal rules limit how long a driver can be on the road before resting. Drivers who exceed those limits, and companies that pressure them to, create fatigue-related crashes. Electronic logging devices record driving hours, and those records can become key evidence.
  • Poor maintenance. Skipped inspections or ignored repairs, such as worn brakes, can point to direct company liability.
  • Improper hiring and supervision. Companies are required to vet their drivers. A poor driving history or missing qualification records can support a claim against the company itself.
  • Unsafe cargo loading. Cargo that is overloaded or poorly secured can shift, causing rollovers or jackknife crashes, and may make a separate loading company responsible.

Who Can Be Held Responsible

Unlike a typical two-car crash, a truck accident can involve several responsible parties: the driver, the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, a cargo-loading company, or the maker of a defective part. Trucking companies sometimes try to avoid responsibility by classifying drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, which is one of the most contested issues in these cases.

Identifying every responsible party matters, because each may carry separate insurance, and commercial trucking cases often involve multiple large policies. Sorting out who is liable, and reaching the full coverage available, is a central part of building a strong claim.

How Fault Works in California

California follows a pure comparative negligence rule. You can recover compensation even if you were partly at fault, with your recovery reduced by your share of fault rather than eliminated. In truck cases, insurers for several defendants often point fingers at each other and at you, which is exactly the kind of dispute an attorney is there to handle.

Deadlines That Can End Your Claim

California law puts strict time limits on truck accident claims:

  • For personal injuries, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit.
  • For property damage filed separately, the deadline is generally three years.
  • If a government entity may be responsible, for example a crash caused by a dangerous road condition or a government-owned vehicle, a formal claim must usually be filed with that agency within six months. This is a mandatory step before any lawsuit, and courts enforce it strictly.

Because trucking cases take time to investigate and evidence can disappear early, waiting is risky. The safest course is to speak with an attorney promptly.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

Because of the size and weight involved, truck crashes tend to cause severe injuries, including:

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
  • Broken bones and crush injuries
  • Internal injuries
  • Severe lacerations and burns

These injuries often mean long recoveries, significant medical bills, and time away from work, all of which can be part of a compensation claim.

How Abramson Labor Group Helps

Trucking companies and their insurers are prepared to defend these claims from the moment a crash happens. We investigate the crash, work to preserve the truck’s logs and records, identify every responsible party and insurance policy, deal with the insurers so you can focus on recovering, and pursue the full value of your claim, including medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering.

We work on a contingency basis. There are no fees unless we win your case.

Injured in a Truck Accident?

Talk to Abramson Labor Group about your case. There are no fees unless we win. Get a free case evaluation.

 

"Truck Accidents?" Give us a call today.







    AGREEMENT FOR FUTURE CONTACT: By clicking here, you provide Abramson Labor Group with your electronic signature and express written consent for us to email, call and text you at the numbers and addresses you provided us above (or provide to us later) with marketing offers and other information, including possibly using ATDS/autodialer technology, prerecorded and artificial/AI messages/voices. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Calls may be recorded and monitored and normal rates apply. We will also use your information in accordance with our privacy policy.