It's no secret that motor vehicle accidents can wreak havoc on victims' lives, leaving them with serious injuries, buried under a mountain of unexpected medical debt, facing long and painful recovery periods, and wondering how they'll get to and from their place of employment or complete everyday errands—such as run to the grocery store or pick up a prescription from their local pharmacy—without a working vehicle.
Many trucking accident victims may also experience emotional or psychological trauma after a serious motor vehicle accident, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress syndrome. Fortunately, the victims of motor vehicle accidents do not have to shoulder these financial burdens on their own. California law allows truck accident victims, both passengers and the driver, to seek compensation for these and other damages from trucking accidents.
The knowledgeable and experienced legal team at Steinberg Injury Lawyers has helped numerous clients in truck accident lawsuits and other personal injury cases receive the compensation they need and deserve since 1982, by providing exceptional representation that combines both compassion and integrity. When you need someone you can trust, our California truck accident lawyers are there to fight for you and your family to ensure that you receive a financial settlement that's fair and meets your needs. We'll work to get you the largest financial award possible—as quickly as possible—so that you can get the medical treatment needed to address your injuries, as well as the funds to repair or replace your damaged vehicle.
Our Los Angeles truck accident lawyers have provided clients just like you with the caring and respectful service that they deserve—from five conveniently located law offices in the Los Angeles area (Riverside, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Ventura, and San Bernardino). We can also arrange to meet you for a consultation at your home or at the hospital. You can expect skilled representation from an experienced Los Angeles truck accident attorney centered on the “Golden Rule,” where we treat you the way we would like to be treated if we were in your shoes. We won't leave you in the dark; we're always happy to answer your questions, address your concerns, and keep you up to date with all aspects of your truck accident case so you can feel confident in our abilities and your decision to retain us as your legal counsel. Best of all, we don't charge you for our services until your case is resolved.
Commercial Truck Accident Can Be Devastating for Drivers
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While any motor vehicle wreck has the potential to be devastating, commercial truck accidents tend to be particularly catastrophic due to the size and weight of commercial big rig vehicles. When a large truck collides with a lighter-weight passenger vehicle, there may be fatalities, or the driver and passengers in the smaller vehicle can sustain serious and long-lasting injuries.
The Dangers of Semi Trucks on California Highways
As experienced truck accident attorneys in California, the legal team at Steinberg Injury Lawyers sees the devastation these crashes cause firsthand.
Commercial semi-trucks pose major risks to passenger vehicle occupants due to their massive size and weight. Understanding key truck accident statistics for the state can highlight the need for better safety regulations and accountability when truckers or trucking companies cause wrecks.
- Over a recent 5-year period, an average of 367 people died annually in California large truck crashes - the highest of any state.
- In 2020, there were 3,351 people killed in large truck crashes in the United States. 12% of those fatalities occurred in California (404 deaths).
- Large trucks are involved in just 7.7% of fatal accidents but account for 10.8% of all traffic deaths in CA. This shows their disproportionate danger.
- 59% of those killed in truck crashes here are occupants of other vehicles. The attorneys at Steinberg Injury Lawyers frequently see clients severely harmed or killed when tractor-trailers collide with their much smaller cars or SUVs.
- Failure to yield the right of way causes 23% of truck wrecks, pointing to poor training or reckless behaviors among commercial drivers.
- 55% of deadly truck crashes occur in urban areas, threatening motorists on crowded city roads and highways.
Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties experience high fatal truck collisions each year. This reveals the risks of sharing busy Southern California roads with negligently operated 18-wheelers and dump trucks.
The legal team at Steinberg Injury Lawyers handles truck accident claims and fights to get maximum compensation for victims from truck drivers, trucking companies, and any other responsible parties. Please call them for a free consultation if you or a loved one have been harmed by a commercial truck on California highways. With their dedicated legal representation, you can get the financial recovery and justice you deserve.
Personal Injuries and Issues from Truck Accidents
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Abdominal injuries
- Neck injuries
- Head injuries
Filing an insurance claim in commercial truck accident cases also tends to be different, as victims of truck accidents will be dealing with the commercial carrier insurance adjusters for the driver. Working with a seasoned Los Angeles truck accident attorney can help ensure that you're treated fairly.
Our California Truck Accident Attorneys Handle Accident Cases of All Types
An accomplished Los Angeles truck accident lawyer handles cases involving all types of truck accidents, including:
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Rear-end collisions
- T-bone and side-impact accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Rollover accidents
- No Zone or blind spot accidents
- Uber, Lyft and other rideshare accidents
- Amazon truck accidents
- Self-driving vehicles and truck collisions
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Los Angeles
For survivors of truck accidents, it can be hard to imagine how something so devastating could happen to them. At Steinberg Injury Lawyers, our personal injury attorneys have seen it all and have handled cases involving many of the most common causes of catastrophic truck accidents, including:
- Trucking Company Negligence – Such as failing to ensure that semi-truck drivers are properly qualified for the job, failing to conduct pre-employment background checks on commercial drivers, failing to ensure that drivers comply with federal hours-of-service requirements, or failing to screen drivers for drug and alcohol abuse. Trucking company negligence may also include failure to provide adequate training for its semi-truck drivers or to suitably service its vehicles by skipping regular inspections, putting off needed maintenance, and ensuring that vehicles meet minimum federal safety standards. Heavy-load truck accidents can be caused when large trucks are too heavy or improperly loaded.
- Commercial Trucking Driver Negligence – Such as loading the vehicle improperly, skipping vehicle inspections or performing the inspections improperly. Truck drivers may also engage in dangerous behaviors, including distracted driving behaviors, such as texting, talking, eating, or using on-board equipment while driving; drowsy driving truck accidents caused by hours-of-service violations, highway hypnosis, or general fatigue; speeding, or driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Mechanical Defects and Malfunctions – Such as defective brakes or tires, or an underride accident. Underride accidents occur when a smaller vehicle hits the truck’s side or back, sliding itself under its trailer. Underride accidents have an extremely high potential for danger due to the nature of the crashes. Each year, more than 300 people die in fatal underride accidents.
Truck accidents can happen on any highway or even any road, but sometimes, there are roads that are more dangerous than others. Some of California’s most dangerous highways include State Route 99, U.S. Route 199, Interstate 5 California, State Route 138, and Interstate 15 California.
State Route 99 is not only the most dangerous in California but also in the entire U.S. Highway 99 had the most fatal accidents for every 100 miles of another roadway in all of the U.S. While some of these interstates and highways stretch through other states and even to Mexico, some of the most dangerous parts of them are in California. Be safe in general when driving on these roads, but especially if there are 18-wheelers driving adjacent to you.
Statute of Limitations for Los Angeles Truck Accident Cases and Injuries
When deciding whether to file a lawsuit in a California truck accident case, injury victims are encouraged to move quickly, as California's statute of limitations limits the amount of time a plaintiff has to file a personal injury lawsuit. In trucking accident cases, the statute of limitations is two years, so victims who want to pursue compensation and have their day in court must file their lawsuit within two years of the date the accident occurred. However, if victims intend to seek compensation only for property damage, the statute of limitations extends to three years. Truck accident victims who wait too long to file a lawsuit may forfeit their right to pursue a legal remedy for their damages. At Steinberg Injury Lawyers, every member of our legal team has the knowledge and experience necessary to provide you with the representation you need and deserve. Call any of our five Los Angeles, California area law offices today, or contact our truck accident attorneys online for no-cost, no-obligation, and confidential consultation to discuss your truck accident case. Our truck wreck attorneys and lawyers are here to help you get the compensation you need to move on.
What Damages Can Be Claimed in a Trucking Accident?
When filing a truck accident claim, what compensation can you get? The injured victims who were left with more serious injuries and hefty financial damages can file a claim against the truck company that employed the negligent driver. Since the lawsuit would be under personal injury, the victim can ask for compensation for
- Wages that were lost from the accident
- Medical bills relating to the accident
- Pain and suffering due to the accident
Since the claim is a personal injury lawsuit, compensation damages are what is able to be claimed. Compensatory damages are there to compensate the plaintiff (victim) for their losses in an accident. These are classified as economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages Claims From Trucking Company in a Semi Truck Accident
To have economic damages, you must be able to assess a dollar value from those damages. These are items that the victim or plaintiff will have to pay for or have already paid for. These damages may include ER treatment, medical bills, prescriptions, vehicle repairs, medical supplies, lost earning capability, lost wages, loss of consortium for a spouse, court costs, future medical treatment, and more.
Non-Economic Claims From a Truck Accident
These are more often harder to determine since they don’t have a set dollar amount. These pertain to emotional distress, pain and suffering, physical disability, disfigurement, and even loss of enjoyment in life.
Punitive Damages From an Accident
In some cases, the victim may be able to pursue punitive damages. This is when we can prove that the defendant acted with malice, caused the injury through intentional harm, or even extreme recklessness. Some of these may include road rage incidents with California truck drivers. Punitive damages may be awarded to the victim if the defendant is guilty of any of the above accusations.
If the plaintiff is filing a claim on behalf of a loved one whose life was taken after a truck accident, the family may recover the damages through a wrongful death lawsuit.
Contact Steinberg's Los Angeles Truck Accident Attorneys After Your Truck Accident
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When it comes to hiring personal injury attorneys to represent you in a truck accident case, not just any truck accident attorney will do. You'll be pursuing financial compensation for damages—such as physical injuries or property damage sustained from truck accidents —and when doing so, it literally pays to be choosy in regard to who you obtain as your legal counsel. A hasty decision can cost you valuable funds that you need to help get your life back on track. Because the Los Angeles truck accident injury law firm you choose can significantly affect the outcome of your truck accident case, you need an adept attorney office that you can trust.
