San Diego Truck Accident Lawyers

Experienced Legal Representation for Commercial Truck Accident Victims Seeking Full and Fair Compensation for Serious Injuries and Wrongful Death

If you or a family member have recently been hurt in a semi-truck accident or an incident involving other types of commercial vehicles, you must seek professional legal counsel from an experienced truck accident lawyer. Truck accident claims can be far more legally complicated than personal injury cases involving other vehicles, not only because of the powerful truck companies involved but also because of the higher financial compensation accompanying more serious injuries.

If you do not take the proper steps after commercial vehicle accidents, you could be on the hook for costly medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and more. A truck accident victim who suffered injuries and other losses through no fault of their own should not be the party responsible for accident expenses. With the help of a San Diego truck accident attorney, you can work to gather evidence, prove negligence, and hold responsible parties accountable for their actions.

The commercial trucking industry is wealthy and powerful, one of the cornerstones of the United States economy. When you file a truck accident claim, you are likely to find yourself contending with teams of lawyers and insurance company representatives interested in devaluing or dismissing your personal injury suit in hopes of saving money and avoiding liability. It’s important to remember that accident victims and their families do not need to go through the legal process alone. Our personal injury law firm has extensive experience taking on negligent trucking companies and other parties responsible for catastrophic accidents that result in severe injuries or even wrongful deaths.

To learn more about the benefits of retaining the legal services of an experienced personal injury lawyer, schedule your free initial consultation with our San Diego law office today.

Are Truck Accidents Common in Southern California?

Commercial trucking accidents are tragically common across the United States of America. San Diego and Southern California also see our fair share of accidents involving large trucks.

According to truck accident statistics, there were 406 truck accidents in San Diego County in 2023 alone. Over 40% of these 18-wheeler accidents occurred within San Diego’s city limits. Over 200 people were injured, and seven others lost their lives in these truck crashes. Most of San Diego’s truck accidents occurred on the city’s highways and interstates, including state Route 94, Interstate 8, and I-5.

In truck accidents involving passenger vehicles, the vast majority of fatal injuries are suffered by the occupants of the smaller passenger cars. By comparison, truck drivers and the occupants of large trucks rarely suffer fatal injuries.

According to studies, over 80% of commercial truck accidents were caused by a driver, whether because of distracted driving, inadequate training, driver fatigue, or action or inaction.

What to Do in the Aftermath of Commercial Truck Accidents?

After a collision with a commercial truck, it’s important to take certain steps to safeguard your well-being and the safety of others in your passenger vehicle while strengthening the viability of your personal injury lawsuit.

Immediately following the tractor-trailer crash, call 911 to summon emergency services to the scene. If anyone has suffered serious injuries, they must be taken to the hospital for medical treatment immediately. It’s also crucial that law enforcement personnel arrive at the scene of the crash to create an accident report. The police report will contain valuable details about the trucking accident and establish the police officer’s opinion on the cause of the crash, which can carry much weight when it comes time for the insurance company to determine fault.

Take photos and videos of any injuries, property damage, debris, hazardous conditions, weather conditions, and anything else related to the cause of the trucking accident or results. Additionally, preserve all evidence relevant to the truck crash, including the condition of your motor vehicle, clothing you wore during the accident, and any out-of-pocket expenses.

If you can, approach the truck driver or anyone involved in the auto accident and obtain their contact information and insurance provider information. Be mindful not to admit fault during any conversation with other motorists at the accident scene, and never diminish the severity of any injuries sustained. Anything you say to the other parties or an insurance adjuster who arrives at the crash scene could be used against your case.

Report the motor vehicle accident to your insurer, but do not provide a recorded statement until you speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer. Contact our San Diego law firm to schedule a free case review with our legal team today. In your free consultation, we will go over the specifics of your case and help advise you of your legal options as you seek compensation from the at-fault parties.

What Unique Laws and Regulations Apply to California’s Commercial Truck Drivers?

Commercial truck drivers, such as the drivers of semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, big rigs, 18-wheelers, and similar vehicles, are held to higher standards and have additional levels of responsibility and liability. All truck drivers must adhere to the rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

All California commercial truck drivers are required to abide by the following federal trucking regulations:

• Truck drivers must abide by rules of service regulations that dictate the number of hours they are allowed to work each day, how often they must take breaks, and more. If the truck driver or the trucking company does not abide by these laws, there could be penalties
• Commercial truck drivers must be 21 years old or older and demonstrate an inability to operate their vehicles safely
• Drivers of large commercial trucks are held to a higher standard when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol. While most motorists in California are over the legal limit if their blood alcohol content is anything above 0.08%, commercial truck drivers may not drive if they have a BAC level of 0.04%. Additionally, commercial drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol four hours prior to truck driving
• In situations of dangerous weather conditions, large truck drivers are expected to exercise extreme caution or stop driving altogether
• Truckloads must be regularly inspected at specific intervals. Improperly loaded cargo or cargo that goes uninspected could result in penalties because of the inherent dangers

If you’ve been in a large truck accident, you require the legal services of attorneys well-versed in state and federal laws that pertain to truck drivers, truck owners, and trucking companies. Our legal team, led by personal injury attorney Preston Easley, has years of experience helping injured clients and their families recover compensation from negligent parties. Please schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation with our legal staff today to learn more about how we may assist you during this difficult time.

What Types of Truck Accident Cases Does Our Personal Injury Law Firm Represent?

While no two truck accidents are precisely the same, the trucking company and their insurance providers will undoubtedly have extensive experience handling personal injury claims involving various types of truck wrecks. Injured parties and their representatives hoping to recover the maximum compensation for injuries and other losses must seek the legal counsel of truck accident attorneys with similar experience representing various types of truck accident cases.

Preston Easley and his legal team represent clients in truck accident cases involving the following:

• Blind spot accidents
• Commercial truck rollovers
• Drunk driving accidents
• Fatal truck accidents
• Hit-and-run incidents
• Head-on collisions
• Jackknife accidents
• Lost load accidents
• Rear-end accidents
• Squeeze play accidents
• T-bone accidents
• Tire blowouts
• Truck overturns
• Underride and override accidents

Large trucks and other commercial vehicles can be involved in these types of truck accident cases. We can represent your legal interests in all types of cases involving commercial vehicles, including 18-wheelers, buses, delivery trucks, tractor-trailers, construction vehicles, tanker trucks, garbage trucks, Box trucks, bucket or boom trucks, cement mixers, flatbed trucks, and more.

What Are Common Causes of San Diego Truck Accidents?

Several factors can contribute to serious truck crashes in California. While some factors are more likely to lead to certain types of accidents than others, the results are often catastrophic for other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists regardless. In many cases, it’s also common for more than one factor to contribute to commercial vehicle accidents.

Common causes of large truck accidents include the following:

• Aggressive driving or reckless driving
• Brake failures
• Distracted driving, such as texting while driving or talking on a cell phone while driving
• Driver error or negligence
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including over-the-counter medication
• Drowsy driving or driver fatigue from excessive hours of service
• Improper cargo loading or overloading
• Inadequate training or supervision
• Negligent hiring practices on the part of the trucking company
• Road hazards, including potholes
• Roadway unfamiliarity
• Speeding
• Tailgating, unsafe lane changes, and other moving violations
• Tire blowouts
• Traffic congestion
• Truck defects
• Unsafe operation under adverse weather conditions, limited visibility, or grade

If a truck driver’s inattention or negligence is the cause of your accident, you should not be the party responsible for medical bills or non-economic damages. As your legal representative, we will seek compensation from the at-fault party or their insurance company provider. To learn more about our legal services, please contact our San Diego law office to schedule your free initial consultation today.

What Severe Injuries Are Commonly Suffered by Truck Accident Victims?

While any motor vehicle accident can cause injuries to survivors or potentially result in wrongful death, incidents involving large commercial trucks are often even more violent and associated with even more catastrophic injuries. The results can be disastrous when semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles collide with small cars, motorcyclists, cyclists, or pedestrians. A truck crash could also result in emotional or psychological damage that lasts for the rest of the survivor’s life.

Common semi-truck accident injuries include, but are not exclusive to, the following:

• Amputations and loss of limbs
• Back and neck injuries
• Broken bones and fractures
• Burns and extensive scarring
• Chest injuries
• Crushing injuries
• Deep cuts and lacerations
• Disfigurement
• Eye injuries, which can sometimes result in vision loss
• Head trauma and concussions
• Heavy bruising
• Nerve damage
• Organ damage and internal bleeding
• Post-traumatic stress and other types of mental illness, including depression and anxiety
• Quadriplegia
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Whiplash
• Wrongful death

Whatever the severity of your injuries, you deserve an opportunity to seek compensation from negligent parties. As your lawyer, Preston Easley will gather useful evidence, speak with accident witnesses, review medical records and police reports, and negotiate more favorable terms to pursue maximum compensation.

Besides a Negligent Truck Driver, Who Else May Be Held Liable for Damages in a Truck Accident Lawsuit?

Commercial truck accident cases are typically more complicated than most motor vehicle accident legal matters. Part of this is because the severity of the injuries often results in more costly medical treatment, which means that more money is on the line for insurance companies and other parties to negotiate over. Another reason for the added legal complexity is that, with a truck accident case, several parties may be held liable for directly or indirectly contributing to the truck wreck.

Depending on the unique circumstances of your personal injury case, the following may be held liable for injuries and other losses in a lawsuit:

• A negligent truck driver
• A truck owner
• Cargo owners
• Commercial truck company
• Drivers of other passenger vehicles involved in the crash
• Freight brokers
• Government agencies and public entities
• Motor vehicle manufacturers
• Property owners
• Shipping companies
• The employer of the negligent party

In some cases, many truck drivers in California are owner-operators who own and maintain their own trucks. Many trucking companies may hire drivers, but they may also employ independent drivers who own or lease their own trucks. There can be some confusion about whether some contract workers qualify as employees under California law. You must retain professional legal representation from attorneys well-versed in the applicable laws for your personal injury cases.

How Can Our San Diego Truck Accident Lawyer Prove Fault?

Following a violent truck accident, things can get complicated very fast. Evidence deteriorates or disappears, accident scenes are cleaned up, and witnesses’ memories grow fuzzy. Because of this, you must reach out to an experienced truck accident attorney immediately following your accident so that the law firm can act quickly to speak to witnesses, collect evidence, and deal with the insurance companies.

Personal injury lawyer Preston Easley will gather useful evidence to help prove negligence in your truck accident claim. Evidence that may be able to prove fault could include truck maintenance logs, driver logs, dashcam footage, results of a police investigation, eyewitness statements, expert testimonies, post-accident drug and alcohol testing, and the black box recorder.

In many truck accident claims, the starting point for the attorney’s investigation will be establishing the truck driver’s negligence. In some cases, the only negligent party may be the truck driver, but we will explore all possible legal options for pursuing the maximum recovery for your injuries and other losses.

What Sort of Compensation Is Possible with Successful Truck Accident Lawsuits?

With a successful truck accident lawsuit, financial compensation can be recovered from the liable party or their insurance company providers. Compensation is split into two distinct categories: economic and non-economic damages. While no financial recovery can truly undo the damage done, the hope is to make injured victims whole again, at least from a financial perspective.

Potential economic and non-economic damages recoverable in a trucking accident claim may include the following:

• Costs of funeral, memorial, and burial services in the event of fatal accidents
• Chronic physical pain and suffering compensation
• Disfigurement, dismemberment, or disability
• Emotional distress and mental anguish damages
• Long-term care costs, including home care and nursing care, may be sought in cases involving new disabilities
• Lost wages if the injured party cannot return to work for a certain time. Reduced earning capacity compensation may also be sought if the injured worker is unable to return to their former place of employment due to new disability or debilitating injuries
• Past medical bills and future medical expenses, including reimbursement for emergency medical care, surgical procedures, rehabilitation, and prescription medications
• Property damage, which can include vehicle repairs or replacements
• Reduced enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death damages, which can include loss of consortium, companionship, benefits, and more

Non-economic damages can be especially difficult to calculate and value. It may be necessary to seek the testimony of medical experts to prove the full extent of the truck accident injuries on an individual’s quality of life

How Much is Your San Diego Truck Accident Case Worth?

It’s next to impossible to provide some estimate of the value of your truck accident claim on a website without first examining your case’s particulars and considering several factors. Your trucking accident case’s unique details will determine how much compensation you stand to recover from a lawsuit or insurance claim.

Factors that may influence your total recovery for your truck accident claim may include the following:

• Age of the truck accident victims
• Aggravated preexisting conditions
• Insurance policy coverage
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of income or income-earning capacity
• Out-of-pocket expenses, including rental cars, repairs, and medical travel
• Partial or total disability because of the accident
• Severity of physical injuries suffered in the truck accident
• The level of negligence of the at-fault party
• The victim’s level of responsibility for causing the truck crash
• Whether the truck accident victim can return to work

Injured victims have the right to pursue legal action without representation. However, many find that they cannot recover the level of financial compensation that is otherwise recoverable with the help of experienced lawyers. Our law firm will work tirelessly to help maximize the total settlement you stand to recover for your injuries and other losses.

What if You Are Blamed for the Cause of the San Diego Trucking Accident?

California follows a pure comparative fault system for motor vehicle accident cases. Parties who are partially to blame for accidents and injuries can recover compensation. However, the full settlement that is possible will be directly and adversely impacted by the amount of fault that the injured party has. The more responsibility you share for causing the auto accident, the less financial recovery you can hope to achieve.

If you are 30% responsible for causing the accident, your truck accident settlement will be reduced by 30%.

In many cases, trucking and insurance companies will do everything they can to shift the blame onto the shoulders of injured victims to avoid liability. Because these tactics can result in reduced financial compensation for you and your family, you must seek professional legal representation to defend your interests and fight for what your case is worth.

Is There a Time Limit for Filing Personal Injury Claims in San Diego, CA?

There is a limited time to file a truck accident lawsuit in California. The statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death cases in California is 2 years from the date of the accident or the discovery of any injuries.

There are certain exceptions to the rule, however. Children who are injured in truck accidents will not need to worry about the statute of limitations until their 18th birthday. Accidents involving government entities have a more limited time window for filing claims, and they must be filed within six months of the truck accident. If you were involved in a work-related truck accident, you have one year from the date of the accident to file a workers’ compensation claim.

Injured victims who miss their filing deadlines will likely be barred from recovering damages from the insurance company, truck industry, or any other liable party. To ensure that you recover the financial compensation you deserve, please contact our San Diego law firm today.

Contact Our Law Firm to Schedule a Free Consultation with a San Diego Truck Accident Lawyer Today

If a commercial vehicle collision has negatively impacted you or a loved one, you must seek professional legal counsel from experienced attorneys. With dedicated legal representation, it is possible to hold the at-fault parties accountable for their actions and recover the compensation you deserve and require.

The Law Offices of Easley have proudly served the Southern California community for years. We represent the interests of injured parties seeking justice and financial recovery after being the victims of accidents caused by other people’s negligence or recklessness. We are well-versed in the applicable laws and will fight tirelessly on your behalf in pursuit of fair and full compensation for your injuries, financial losses, and non-economic damages.

To learn more about the benefits of retaining our legal services, please contact our San Diego law firm to schedule your free case evaluation with our legal team today. Call us at 310-773-5207.