Long Beach Truck Accident Lawyers

Personal Injury Law Firm with a Proven Track Record Helping Truck Accident Victims Seek Justice and Recover Compensation

If you or someone you love has been injured or even killed due to someone else’s negligence in a commercial vehicle accident, you require professional legal representation from an experienced attorney to help you hold the at-fault parties accountable. A truck accident case is often more legally complicated than most car accident cases because of the medical costs of the severe injuries and the number of multiple liable parties or insurance companies that may be involved. Our firm’s Long Beach truck accident lawyer can assist you throughout the legal process as you seek justice and maximum compensation for your injuries and other losses.

Because of the difference in size and weight between tractor-trailers and most passenger vehicles, big rigs and other commercial trucks can deliver absolute devastation to smaller vehicles and life-altering injuries to their occupants. While truck drivers and trucking companies are held to specific standards by state and federal laws, accidents frequently happen due to driver negligence, a trucking company pushing their workers too hard, mechanical defects and failures, and other preventable causes.

If you’ve suffered serious injuries because of someone else’s negligence, you should not be the party responsible for costly medical expenses, property damage, or other out-of-pocket expenses related to the traffic accident. As your legal representative, personal injury attorney Preston Easley will seek to prove negligence on the part of liable parties so that you can recover the economic and non-economic damages you require to get back to your life again. To learn more about our legal services and how we may assist you and your family during this complex legal matter, please contact our Long Beach law firm to schedule your free initial consultation today.

What Should You Do in the Aftermath of a Trucking Accident in Long Beach, California?

All traffic accidents, whether car accidents, motorcycle accidents, or commercial trucking accidents, can inflict devastating injuries on motorists, pedestrians, and anyone else involved. Following a motor vehicle accident, survivors must take specific steps to ensure the safety and well-being of themselves and others while also defending their personal injury claims for future legal action.

Seek immediate medical attention and assistance from law enforcement personnel as soon as possible. Even if you believe your injuries to be relatively minor, it’s still vital that you get professional medical treatment. Failure to get checked out by doctors and nurses could worsen your personal injuries and your insurance claim being devalued or dismissed. When police arrive at the scene, provide them with an accurate depiction of the auto accident. A detailed police report will be valuable evidence for your truck accident lawyers.

Attempt to preserve all evidence relevant to your trucking accident. So long as your injuries are not too serious, survey the accident scene and take photos of any property damage, debris, physical injuries, and anything else that could be valuable to your case. If there were any eyewitnesses to the collision, attempts to get their contact information, as their testimonies will be beneficial later.

Soon after accidents with commercial trucks occur, trucking companies send out representatives and insurance adjusters to review the accident. Be careful what you say to an insurance adjuster or a truck company. While these individuals may seem sympathetic to your pain and suffering, they’re only there to look for ways to limit liability and save their employers money.

If you have not done so already, now would be the time to reach out to a trucking accident lawyer to discuss the particulars of your case. Your attorneys will represent your legal rights, speak with insurance companies and lawyers for the defense, negotiate for more favorable settlement terms, and take on the trucking industry both in and out of court in pursuit of the compensation you deserve.

What Are Common Causes of Southern California Truck Accidents?

There are several different types of accidents involving large trucks. Our California law firm has extensive experience representing injured clients who’ve been through rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, blind spot accidents, drunk driving accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, and hit-and-run incidents. Commercial trucks can get into the same sort of auto accidents as other motor vehicles, but because of the size, design, and load of many 18-wheelers, there are other causes for trucking accidents that may also occur.

Common causes of a tractor-trailer accident include the following:

• Adverse weather conditions
• Defective parts or equipment failures
• Distracted driving, including texting or talking on a cell phone while driving
• Driver fatigue or drowsy driving, often the result of hours-of-service violations
• Failure to yield to the right of way
• Faulty brakes
• Impaired driving, including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Improperly loaded cargo or overloaded cargo
• Negligent supervision
• Other vehicles involved in the accident
• Poorly designed or maintained roadways
• Reckless or aggressive driving, especially in situations or elements where caution would be advised
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Speeding
• Truck driver inexperience
• Truck manufacturing defects
• Unfamiliarity with local roads
• Vehicle maintenance errors
• Violations of regulations for inspections and maintenance

Whether you were injured by a tractor-trailer, semi, 18-wheeler, delivery truck, moving van, dump truck, bus, garbage truck, or fuel tanker, if someone else’s negligence caused the accident, you should not be on the hook for medical expenses or other out-of-pocket costs. As your attorney, we will attempt to prove negligence on the truck driver, the driver’s employer, or other parties and try to recover full compensation for your injuries and other losses.

What Are Common Truck Accident Injuries?

Large truck accidents can sometimes result in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. The occupants of smaller passenger vehicles are those most directly and negatively affected by collisions with semi-trucks. By comparison, the occupants of the commercial truck are rarely fatally wounded in an accident.

Common devastating injuries suffered by truck accident victims include the following:

• Amputations and loss of limbs
• Back and neck injuries
• Broken bones and fractures
• Burns
• Chronic pain
• Coma
• Concussions and other forms of head trauma
• Crushing injuries
• Dislocated joints
• Heart contusions, collapsed lungs, and other forms of organ damage
• Internal bleeding
• Permanent disability
• Soft tissue injuries
• Spinal cord injuries, which can sometimes result in paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Whiplash or pinched nerves
• Wrongful death

Our law firm is not deterred by truck accident cases involving catastrophic injuries or death. We believe in representing clients whom others have wronged. Contact our law firm to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation with our legal team today.

Are Commercial Truck Drivers Held to Higher Standards Under Federal and State Regulations?

Commercial truck drivers and trucking companies must obey federal and state laws of operation. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has several rules and regulations that establish the permissible operation of truck drivers, trucking companies, carriers, and others involved in the trucking industry.

Federal trucking laws include, but are not exclusive to, the following:

• Cargo loading: the truck company must obey specific rules about cargo loading, weight limitations, and height limitations. Special considerations may apply when transporting hazardous materials and dangerous chemicals. Cargo loaders must also obey certain rules to prevent lost loads during transport
• Drug and alcohol testing: commercial truck drivers must comply with pre-hiring drug and alcohol tests, spontaneous tests, and tests performed after traffic accidents. In California, the legal limit for blood alcohol content for drivers over age 21 is usually 0.08%. Those with a commercial driver’s license are held to a higher standard, and the legal limit for them is 0.04%
• Hours of service regulations: Truck drivers must abide by strict rules on how many hours of consecutive work duty they are allowed to undertake. These rules also dictate when they must take breaks and how many consecutive days they are allowed to work. Sometimes, a trucking company or the truck drivers themselves will violate these regulations to hit quotas and meet demand
• Vehicle maintenance: Strict maintenance minimums apply to commercial trucks and those who own them. Daily vehicle inspections by the truck driver must be done, and timely repairs must be made for any detected issues. Any failure to properly inspect or maintain a truck can cause serious accidents

 Why Are Truck Accident Cases Typically More Complicated Than Most Personal Injury Cases?

Commercial trucking accidents usually involve different rules and regulations than most car accident cases. The trucking industry is regulated by both federal and state laws, including those established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. You want an attorney who is well versed in the applicable laws for your personal injury claim.

Unlike most other auto accidents, which typically involve two parties, truck accidents can involve multiple liable parties that extend beyond the truck driver and the other motorist. With so many potential at-fault parties, determining liability can be more complicated.

Truck collisions more frequently result in catastrophic injuries than other car accidents. The more serious the injury, the more costly the medical care. With more money on the line, the truck driver’s insurance company is more likely to fight hard to avoid liability, which may make professional legal counsel necessary for truck accident victims.

Besides the Truck Driver, What Other Parties May Be Held Liable for Damages?

Determining who is responsible for your accident and any injuries depends on many factors unique to your case, such as who was driving at the time of the crash, mechanical issues, and the negligence of the trucking companies. Several parties may share legal responsibility for the collision in some truck accident cases.

Liable parties that could be part of your trucking accident case may include the following:

• A negligent truck driver
• Cargo loading companies
• Commercial trucking company
• Government agencies or public entities
• Maintenance and repair shops
• The shipping company
• Third parties, such as other drivers
• Truck manufacturers
• And, in some cases, the truck accident victim

If you are held partially responsible for the truck crash, you may see your maximum compensation being negatively impacted. For example, if the investigation determines that you were 20% responsible for the cause of the trucking crash, you will see your settlement reduced by 20%. So long as you are not 100% at fault, you have the chance to recover something in terms of financial compensation with the help of a truck accident attorney.

 What Sort of Financial Recovery is Possible with a Successful Truck Accident Claim?

Using valuable evidence such as police reports, medical records, and surveillance footage, your attorney will fight to maximize the total compensation for your financial losses, injuries, and pain and suffering. If successful, you will receive compensation in the form of economic and potentially noneconomic damages to help compensate you for your painful experience.

Potential economic and non-economic damages may include the following:

• Disfigurement, dismemberment, or disability
• Emotional distress and mental anguish damages
• Lost quality of life
• Lost wages and lost income earning capacity if the injured victims are unable to return to work or cannot resume work at their former place of employment
• Past and future medical bills, including expenses for emergency medical treatment, surgical procedures, rehabilitation therapy, and prescription medication
• Physical pain and suffering compensation
• Property damage, vehicle repairs, or vehicle replacements
• Wrongful death damages, which can include compensation for medical expenses incurred before death, lost benefits, loss of companionship or consortium, funeral expenses, and emotional distress compensation for surviving family members

The value of your personal injury claim will be determined based on several factors, including the severity of your injuries, how long you are likely to suffer from chronic pain, your level of negligence, your ability to return to work, and the number of parties held liable for the accident.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Compassionate Long Beach Truck Accident Attorney Today

Injured victims must act quickly if they hope to file a personal injury claim in pursuit of justice and fair financial recovery. California has a strict statute of limitations for personal injury cases and wrongful death claims. In most personal injury cases, you must file your truck accident claim within two years from the accident date. For surviving family members hoping to file a wrongful death lawsuit, the statute of limitations begins two years from the date of death. Failure to file a lawsuit within the statute of limitations will likely result in the courts dismissing your case, thus barring you from recovering compensation. Speak with an experienced truck accident lawyer about your case without delay.

The Law Offices of Preston Easley have extensive experience representing injured clients in various personal injury cases, including complex and violent truck accident cases. The Long Beach attorney and his legal staff will do everything possible to help you get the justice you seek and the financial recovery you require.

Schedule a free case evaluation with the attorney and his legal team by calling us at 310-773-5207.