Fighting for people injured in semi-truck, 18-wheeler, and big rig crashes across California. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.
Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer
A fully loaded commercial truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When a large truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the consequences can be severe. Truck accident claims are often more complex than ordinary car accident claims because they may involve multiple companies, commercial insurance policies, electronic vehicle data, and federal and state safety requirements.
Evidence can become unavailable quickly after a truck crash. Driver logs, electronic data, maintenance records, and available video footage may be important to understanding what happened and who may be responsible.
Berglund & Johnson represents people injured in commercial truck crashes in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and throughout California. If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident, call 1-800-4-IF-HURT for a free consultation.
Fighting for people injured in semi-truck, 18-wheeler, and big rig crashes across California. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.
A fully loaded commercial truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When a large truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the consequences can be severe. Truck accident claims are often more complex than ordinary car accident claims because they may involve multiple companies, commercial insurance policies, electronic vehicle data, and federal and state safety requirements.
Evidence can become unavailable quickly after a truck crash. Driver logs, electronic data, maintenance records, and available video footage may be important to understanding what happened and who may be responsible.
Berglund & Johnson represents people injured in commercial truck crashes in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and throughout California. If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident, call 1-800-4-IF-HURT for a free consultation.
Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different From Car Accidents
Most car accident claims are pretty straightforward because they only involve two drivers and one insurance company. Truck accident claims can involve more parties, more records, and more technical issues than a typical passenger-vehicle collision. A commercial truck crash may require investigation of the driver’s conduct, the motor carrier’s safety practices, vehicle maintenance, cargo loading, electronic data, and the insurance coverage available to the responsible parties.
More Parties Can Share the Blame
Depending on the facts, a truck crash may involve the driver, motor carrier, vehicle owner, cargo shipper or loader, maintenance provider, leasing company, freight broker, or a truck or parts manufacturer. More than one party may have contributed to the collision, and each may have separate insurance coverage.
Identifying the potentially responsible parties early can be important because the available evidence may be held by different companies.
Federal Trucking Rules Are in Play
Commercial drivers and motor carriers may be subject to federal and state safety requirements that do not apply to ordinary passenger vehicles. Those requirements can address driving hours, rest periods, driver qualification, cargo securement, inspections, and maintenance.
When a safety-rule violation contributes to a collision, it may be relevant evidence in evaluating whether a driver or company acted negligently. California recognizes that a violation of an applicable safety statute or regulation can support a negligence claim when the legal requirements are met.
The Injuries and the Stakes Are Higher
Large commercial trucks can weigh many times more than passenger vehicles. The difference in size and force can result in serious injuries, extensive property damage, and significant medical or financial losses.
Because commercial truck cases may involve multiple parties and evidence sources, prompt investigation can help preserve available records, including electronic vehicle data, driver logs, inspection reports, maintenance materials, and video footage.
Types of Truck Accidents We Handle
There are many different classifications of trucking accidents. These can affect how the rules apply and who may be responsible for the collision.
.png)
Semi-Truck and 18-Wheeler Accidents
Semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, and 18-wheelers are large commercial vehicles that may be operated by a motor carrier, owner-operator, or other business. Claims involving these vehicles can require review of the driver’s conduct, carrier safety records, electronic vehicle data, maintenance history, cargo practices, and available insurance coverage.
.png)
Jackknife Accidents
A jackknife truck accident happens when a trailer swings out at an angle to the cab, usually after hard braking, brake failure, or slick roads. The trailer can sweep across several lanes and strike anything traveling alongside it. These cases often look at braking, speed, and whether the truck was properly maintained.
.png)
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents happen due to improperly loaded cargo, too much speed on a curve or freeway ramp, or a sudden swerve by a large truck. Steep grades and high-speed interchange ramps are especially dangerous for top-heavy loads, and everyone in the surrounding lanes is put at risk.
.png)
Underride Accidents
Underride crashes occur when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the body of a truck trailer. These are very dangerous collisions because the car's bumper, airbags, and crumple zones can pass under the trailer without ever engaging. Federal rules require rear underride guards on most trailers, and whether a guard was present and intact can matter a great deal in these cases.
.png)
Rear-End and Override Accidents
Rear end truck crashes can occur because a fully loaded truck at freeway speed needs several hundred feet to stop. When a truck follows too closely, speeds, or the driver is fatigued or distracted, it can strike the vehicle ahead or ride up over it. These accidents are common on Southern California freeways due to stop-and-go traffic.
.png)
Tire Blowout and Cargo Spill Accidents
When a commercial truck tire blows out at high speed, it throws heavy debris across multiple lanes and can cause the driver to lose control. Unsecured or unevenly loaded cargo can do the same, spilling into traffic or shifting enough to overturn the rig. Investigation into these crashes typically focuses on maintenance records, tire age and wear, and proper loading practices.
.png)
Wide-Turn and Blind-Spot Accidents
Large trucks carry significant blind spots and need extra room to turn. Drivers sometimes swing wide before turning right, sweeping through the adjacent lane, or move without seeing a vehicle sitting beside them. Motorcyclists and cyclists are especially vulnerable here.
Federal Trucking Rules and Your Case
Whether in a car, truck, or motorcycle, all occupants are entitled to legal protections if they are injured due to someone else’s negligence.
Limits on Driving Hours
Federal rules cap driving hours and mandate rest breaks to combat driver fatigue. If a driver exceeds these limits or a company pushes them to meet an unrealistic deadline, logbook entries often provide key evidence for a claim.
Electronic Logs and the Truck's Data
Modern trucks store driving time, speed, and braking data electronically. This information is hard to alter and can be cross-checked against fuel and toll receipts. However, black box data is routinely overwritten within days unless immediate steps are taken to preserve it.
Driver Qualification and Hiring
Trucking companies are legally required to vet their drivers. Hiring or retaining someone with a history of dangerous driving can make the carrier directly responsible for putting an unfit driver on the road.
Cargo Loading and Securement
Cargo must be properly balanced and tied down under federal safety standards. Unsecured freight can shift and cause a rollover, or fall directly into traffic. When improper loading leads to a crash, the shipping facility can be held liable alongside the trucking company.
Truck Maintenance and Safety Records
Carriers must keep their fleets in safe operating condition. A paper trail showing skipped repairs, failed inspections, or systemic safety violations helps prove a pattern of neglect if mechanical failure causes an accident.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident?
More than one person or company may be responsible for a commercial truck crash. Liability depends on how the collision occurred, who owned and operated the truck, who controlled the work, and whether vehicle maintenance, cargo loading, hiring practices, or a defective part contributed to the incident.
Depending on the facts, responsibility may extend to:
-
The truck driver
-
The trucking company
-
The cargo shipper or loading company
-
The truck or parts manufacturer
-
The maintenance company
-
A freight broker or leasing company
What Damages Can You Recover in a Truck Accident Case?
People injured in a California truck crash may be able to recover for losses already incurred and for those still ahead.
Economic damages cover measurable financial losses: emergency and ongoing medical care, future medical needs, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and property damage.
Non-economic damages cover the human cost of a serious injury, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium for a spouse.
Wrongful death damages may be available when a truck accident results in a death, eligible surviving family members may be able to bring a wrongful death claim. Available damages depend on the relationship to the person who died and the specific losses recognized under California law.
Punitive damages are not available in every truck accident case. They may be available only where the evidence meets California’s heightened standard for oppression, fraud, or malice, such as conscious disregard of the safety of others. Additional rules apply when punitive damages are sought against a company based on the conduct of its employees or management.
Talk to a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer for Free
If you or someone you love was injured in a truck crash in Los Angeles County, Orange County, or anywhere in California, call us or stop by our office in Woodland Hills or Irvine.
We investigate quickly, because truck data, driver logs, and surveillance footage do not stay available forever.
Call our LA truck accident lawyers at 1-800-4-IF-HURT for a free consultation or use the form below.
Truck accident claims can be more complex than ordinary car accident claims. A commercial truck crash may involve the driver, motor carrier, truck owner, cargo loader, maintenance provider, broker, or manufacturer. More than one company may possess relevant records or insurance coverage.
Commercial drivers and motor carriers may also be subject to federal and state safety requirements addressing issues such as driver hours, vehicle maintenance, cargo securement, and driver qualification. When a safety-rule violation contributed to a crash, it may be relevant evidence in evaluating a negligence claim
Depending on the facts, liability may extend to the truck driver, the trucking company, the company that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor, the truck or parts manufacturer, and in some cases a freight broker or leasing company. Identifying every responsible party matters, because each may carry insurance coverage that can contribute to your recovery.
Many commercial trucks contain electronic systems that may record information such as speed, braking activity, engine operation, driving time, location, or diagnostic events. The information available depends on the truck, its equipment, and the carrier’s systems.
This data may help investigators understand the vehicle’s operation before and during a collision. Some electronic records may be overwritten, deleted, or become unavailable over time, so prompt preservation of potentially relevant data can be important.
In California, the deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is generally two years from the date the claim accrues. Wrongful death claims also generally have a two-year filing deadline, although exceptions may apply.
If a public entity may be responsible for the crash, a written government claim may be required much sooner, often within six months. Because legal deadlines and exceptions depend on the facts, it is important to seek legal advice promptly.
Trucking companies sometimes classify drivers as independent contractors to limit their own responsibility. California courts look at the real working relationship, not the label on a contract. If the company controlled how, when, and where the driver worked, it may still be held responsible for the driver's conduct. This is a common and heavily contested issue in trucking cases.
Truck accident cases are often handled on a contingency-fee basis. That generally means attorney fees are paid from a recovery if there is one, rather than paid in advance. Whether a client may be responsible for case costs or expenses depends on the terms of the representation agreement. Berglund & Johnson offers a free consultation so you can ask about the fee arrangement and discuss your options before deciding whether to hire the firm.
The value of a truck accident claim depends on the specific facts of the case. Relevant considerations may include the nature and severity of the injuries, medical treatment and future care needs, lost income, effect on earning capacity, property damage, available insurance coverage, the parties responsible, and the available evidence.
No lawyer can guarantee a result or accurately predict the value of a claim without first reviewing the facts.
Your immediate safety and medical care come first. If possible, call 911, report the collision, and obtain medical evaluation for any symptoms or injuries.
If you can do so safely, take photographs of the vehicles, roadway, visible damage, and surrounding conditions. Obtain the names and contact information of witnesses, and keep copies of medical records, repair estimates, and communications relating to the crash.
Consider speaking with an attorney before providing a recorded statement or signing documents requested by an insurance company. A lawyer can explain your options and help assess what evidence may need to be preserved.
Truck accident claims can involve commercial insurance, electronic vehicle data, driver records, maintenance materials, cargo issues, and federal and state safety requirements. Those issues can differ from the issues involved in an ordinary passenger-vehicle collision.
When choosing a lawyer, consider asking about the firm’s experience with commercial vehicle cases, its approach to preserving evidence, who will handle your case, and how the firm communicates with clients.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ'S
Schedule a Free Consultation
If you need guidance, we’re here. Your consultation is free and your story matters.