California Truck
Accident Lawyer

A truck collision may look like a larger version of a car accident, but the investigation can be substantially different.

Commercial trucking operations may involve:

• Truck driver
• Motor carrier or trucking company
• Driver’s employer
• Tractor owner
• Trailer owner
• Cargo or loading company
• Maintenance provider
• Leasing company
• Contractor
• Commercial insurer
• Other motorists or businesses

Truck cases can also involve records that typically do not exist after an ordinary passenger-vehicle accident.

Depending on the circumstances, those records may include electronic driver logs, vehicle data, maintenance and inspection records, driver qualification information, dispatch communications, GPS information, cargo documents, and company safety records.

Commercial trucks and motor carriers may also be subject to federal safety requirements in addition to California traffic laws.

Those additional parties, regulations, insurance issues, and sources of evidence can make a serious truck accident investigation more complicated than a typical two-car collision.

Learn more about how truck accident cases differ from car accident cases in California.

Serious commercial truck crashes can result from driver conduct, company practices, mechanical problems, cargo issues, roadway conditions, or several contributing factors.

Potential causes may include:

• Driver fatigue
• Distracted driving
• Unsafe speed
• Following too closely
• Improper lane changes
• Unsafe turns
• Failure to yield
• Inadequate driver training
• Brake problems
• Tire failures
• Steering or suspension problems
• Improper maintenance
• Overloaded cargo
• Shifting cargo
• Improperly secured cargo
• Unsafe scheduling
• Other motorists
• Roadway or weather conditions

The fact that a commercial truck was involved does not automatically establish why a collision occurred.

A complete investigation may require evaluating the driver’s actions, truck condition, motor-carrier records, electronic information, cargo, surrounding vehicles, and roadway conditions.

Commercial truck drivers may spend long periods traveling between distribution centers, ports, warehouses, businesses, and destinations throughout California and other states.

Fatigue can affect attention, reaction time, judgment, lane control, and braking.

Federal hours-of-service rules restrict how long many covered commercial drivers may drive and remain within their driving window.

For many property-carrying drivers covered by the federal rules, the general framework allows up to 11 hours of driving following 10 consecutive hours off duty and prohibits driving beyond the applicable 14-hour driving window. Additional break, weekly-hour, sleeper-berth, short-haul, adverse-condition, and other rules or exceptions may apply.

A truck accident should not automatically be assumed to involve driver fatigue simply because a driver had been working for several hours.

When fatigue genuinely appears relevant, potential evidence may include:

• Electronic Logging Device records
• Driver logs
• Dispatch communications
• Delivery schedules
• GPS information
• Fuel records
• Toll information
• Trip records
• Driver statements
• Other time-related documentation

Learn more about California truck driver hours-of-service rules.

Many commercial trucking operations use Electronic Logging Devices, commonly called ELDs, to record driving time and driver duty status.

These records can become important when questions arise about how long a driver had been operating before a collision.

Depending on the trucking operation, an investigation may also involve:

• Driver qualification records
• Employment information
• Driving history
• Training documentation
• Dispatch records
• Trip assignments
• Safety records
• Drug and alcohol testing information when legally relevant
• Other motor-carrier records

The existence of a particular record does not automatically establish wrongdoing.

The key issue is whether the information helps explain what happened and whether any company or driver conduct was connected to the collision.

The truck driver is not necessarily the only person or business whose conduct may need to be investigated.

A trucking company’s own practices may become relevant when questions involve:

• Driver qualifications
• Hiring
• Training
• Supervision
• Scheduling
• Hours-of-service compliance
• Vehicle inspection
• Maintenance
• Safety procedures
• Company policies
• Prior reports concerning the vehicle

A trucking company is not automatically responsible simply because its truck was involved in an accident.

Likewise, finding a safety or paperwork issue does not necessarily establish that the issue caused the collision.

The company’s conduct should be evaluated together with the driver’s actions, truck data, vehicle condition, video, witness statements, and other evidence.

Learn more about California trucking company negligence claims.

Commercial trucks travel substantial distances and rely on complex braking, steering, suspension, tire, coupling, lighting, and other mechanical systems.

Motor carriers subject to federal regulations generally have responsibilities involving systematic inspection, repair, and maintenance of commercial vehicles under their control.

Depending on the type of accident, an investigation may examine:

• Brakes
• Tires
• Wheels
• Steering components
• Suspension
• Lights
• Trailer connections
• Coupling equipment
• Other safety-related systems

Maintenance and repair records may help establish whether a problem had previously been identified and what work was performed.

A mechanical problem discovered after a collision does not automatically mean that it caused the accident.

The issue should be connected to the actual events leading to the crash.

Commercial trucks transport many different types of cargo throughout California.

Cargo may include consumer goods, construction materials, food products, agricultural products, machinery, vehicles, liquids, industrial materials, and other freight.

Improper loading or securement can potentially affect vehicle stability and handling.

Issues may involve:

• Excessive weight
• Uneven weight distribution
• Shifting cargo
• Improper securement
• Loading procedures
• Trailer balance
• Cargo falling from a vehicle

Not every cargo issue is controlled by the truck driver or trucking company.

Depending on the operation, shippers, warehouses, loading companies, distribution centers, or other businesses may have participated in loading or securing the freight.

When cargo appears relevant, records such as loading documents, bills of lading, weight information, photographs, inspection records, and other shipping information may help determine which businesses were involved.

A jackknife accident occurs when a tractor and trailer move into an angled position rather than remaining aligned.

These collisions can become especially dangerous when the trailer moves across surrounding lanes of traffic.

A jackknife may lead to:

• Multi-vehicle collisions
• Side impacts
• Rear-end crashes
• Vehicle rollovers
• Secondary collisions
• Highway closures

Potential contributing factors may include braking, roadway conditions, speed, vehicle condition, cargo movement, driver actions, or other circumstances.

The fact that a truck jackknifed does not by itself establish why it occurred.

Electronic information, vehicle inspections, maintenance records, photographs, video, cargo information, and surrounding traffic may help explain what happened.

Learn more about California jackknife truck accidents.

An underride accident occurs when part of a smaller vehicle moves beneath a larger commercial truck or trailer.

These crashes can cause catastrophic injuries because the side or rear of the truck may make contact higher on the passenger vehicle than in a typical car-to-car collision.

Underride accidents may occur at the rear or side of a commercial vehicle depending on how the collision develops.

Potential questions may involve:

• Truck and trailer position
• Lighting and visibility
• Braking
• Traffic conditions
• Vehicle movements
• Trailer condition
• Impact location
• Roadway conditions

These cases may require careful examination of vehicle damage, photographs, electronic data, video, and other physical evidence.

Learn more about California underride truck accidents.

A serious truck collision may involve several potentially responsible people or companies.

Depending on the circumstances, those parties may include:

• Truck driver
• Trucking company
• Driver’s employer
• Tractor owner
• Trailer owner
• Maintenance provider
• Cargo-loading company
• Shipper
• Contractor
• Leasing company
• Another motorist
• Another business connected to the commercial operation

Some accidents may involve shared responsibility among several parties.

For example, a driver may make an unsafe decision while a vehicle-maintenance problem also contributes to the crash.

Another collision may involve a passenger-vehicle driver who unexpectedly enters the truck’s lane.

The presence of several companies connected to a truck does not mean every company is responsible.

The investigation should determine what role each person or business actually had and whether its conduct contributed to the collision.

Learn more about who may be liable after a truck accident in California.

One of the major differences between truck and ordinary passenger-vehicle accident investigations is the potential amount of electronic information.

Commercial vehicles may contain electronic systems capable of recording information relevant to vehicle operation.

Depending on the truck and circumstances, information may involve:

• Vehicle speed
• Engine information
• Braking
• Vehicle movement
• Other operational data

The term “black box” is often used broadly, but different trucks and systems record different information.

The existence, type, availability, and usefulness of electronic data therefore depend on the specific vehicle.

ELD information is also different from other vehicle electronic data. ELDs primarily relate to driver duty status and driving time rather than serving as a universal crash recorder.

Electronic evidence should therefore be identified according to the actual truck and system involved rather than assumed.

Learn more about California truck accident black box evidence.

Truck accidents may involve far more documentary evidence than an ordinary vehicle collision.

Potential evidence may include:

• Truck electronic data
• ELD records
• Driver qualification records
• Dispatch communications
• GPS information
• Maintenance records
• Inspection records
• Repair records
• Cargo documents
• Bills of lading
• Dash-camera footage
• Surveillance video
• Traffic-camera footage when available
• Accident-scene photographs
• Vehicle damage
• Witness statements
• Collision reports
• Driver and carrier information
• Insurance documentation
• Medical records
• Employment records

The evidence needed depends on what appears to have caused the collision.

A fatigue-related accident may require different information from a brake failure, cargo shift, jackknife, underride collision, or unsafe lane change.

Some evidence may be controlled by trucking companies, contractors, insurers, or other businesses rather than the injured person.

Identifying relevant evidence early can therefore be especially important.

The vehicles themselves can contain important evidence after a serious commercial collision.

Damage patterns may help explain:

• Impact location
• Direction of force
• Vehicle position
• Underride involvement
• Trailer contact
• Other aspects of the crash

Commercial trucks and trailers may also be repaired, returned to service, transferred, or otherwise changed after an accident.

The same can happen to damaged passenger vehicles.

When vehicle condition may be important to unresolved accident questions, preservation of available physical evidence can matter.

The appropriate steps depend on the circumstances of the individual collision.

Health and immediate safety should come first after a serious commercial truck collision.

Depending on the circumstances, useful information may include:

• Truck driver’s name
• Trucking or motor-carrier name
• Tractor information
• Trailer information
• License plates
• USDOT or other identifying numbers when visible
• Insurance information
• Photographs
• Video
• Witness information
• Collision-report information

Photographs of identifying information on the tractor or trailer may help determine which companies were connected to the commercial operation.

Medical records, bills, employment documentation, repair information, insurance correspondence, and other accident-related records may also become relevant.

A seriously injured person should focus on appropriate medical treatment rather than attempting to personally investigate a complex trucking operation.

Read our complete guide on what to do after a truck accident in California.

Truck accident insurance can be more complicated than insurance after an ordinary car collision.

Potential coverage may be connected to:

• Truck driver
• Motor carrier
• Tractor owner
• Trailer owner
• Employer
• Another commercial entity
• Another vehicle

Which policy or policies apply depends on the structure of the trucking operation and the circumstances of the crash.

The existence of commercial insurance does not automatically establish responsibility or determine the value of a claim.

Likewise, identifying who caused the collision does not by itself establish the amount of insurance available.

The actual policies, insured parties, commercial relationships, and accident circumstances should be reviewed.

Learn more about California truck accident insurance claims.

Commercial truck accidents can cause severe injuries because occupants of smaller vehicles may be exposed to substantial forces during impact.

Potential injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Spinal injuries
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Broken bones
• Crush injuries
• Internal injuries
• Organ damage
• Facial injuries
• Burns
• Nerve damage
• Amputations
• Permanent disabilities
• Other serious trauma

Some people require emergency transportation, hospitalization, multiple surgeries, physical therapy, rehabilitation, or long-term medical care.

A serious injury may affect mobility, independence, employment, family responsibilities, and the ability to perform ordinary daily activities.

Learn more about common injuries after a California truck accident.

When significant head trauma is involved, additional information is available through our California Brain Injury Lawyer page.

Serious commercial truck collisions may create substantial medical and financial losses.

Treatment can involve:

• Ambulance transportation
• Emergency care
• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Diagnostic testing
• Specialist care
• Physical therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Medications
• Future treatment

Injured people may also miss work while recovering.

More severe injuries can result in permanent work restrictions, reduced earning ability, or an inability to return to the same occupation.

Medical documentation, employment records, wage information, work restrictions, and future treatment recommendations may help show the broader consequences of the accident.

There is no standard or reliable average settlement amount for a California truck accident case.

The potential value of an individual claim depends on its particular circumstances.

Factors may include:

• Severity of the injuries
• Medical treatment
• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Rehabilitation
• Future medical needs
• Lost income
• Reduced earning ability
• Permanent limitations
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Responsibility for the collision
• Strength of the available evidence
• Number of potentially responsible parties
• Available insurance coverage
• Long-term effects on everyday life

A person who recovers after relatively limited treatment presents a very different damages picture from someone who suffers a traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, multiple fractures, crush injuries, amputation, or permanent disability.

The fact that commercial insurance may be involved does not determine what a particular claim is worth.

Every truck accident should be evaluated based on its own injuries, evidence, responsible parties, and available coverage.

Responsibility can be disputed after a truck accident.

A trucking company or insurer may argue that another driver:

• Entered the truck’s lane
• Stopped unexpectedly
• Traveled in a blind spot
• Cut in front of the truck
• Failed to yield
• Otherwise contributed to the crash

Those allegations should be compared with the available evidence.

California allows responsibility to be divided when more than one person contributed to an accident.

A serious truck crash can therefore involve shared responsibility among drivers or other parties depending on what occurred.

Photographs, video, truck data, witness statements, vehicle damage, lane positions, and other evidence may help determine what each person was doing before the collision.

Some commercial truck collisions unfortunately result in fatal injuries.

Fatal accidents may involve tractor-trailers, jackknife crashes, underride collisions, multi-vehicle crashes, pedestrians, cyclists, or other roadway users.

When a truck accident results in death, qualifying family members may need to evaluate potential wrongful death issues in addition to determining how the collision occurred and which companies were involved.

Evidence preservation can be particularly important because the person who died may not be available to provide their own description of the accident.

Truck data, driver logs, company records, photographs, witnesses, vehicle damage, video, and collision reports may help reconstruct what occurred.

Families affected by a fatal commercial truck collision can learn more about California wrongful death claims.

California truck accident claims are subject to filing deadlines.

Personal injury lawsuits in California are generally subject to a two-year filing deadline from the date of injury, although exceptions and different rules can apply depending on the circumstances.

Much shorter requirements can apply when a government entity may be responsible.

Government involvement may arise, for example, when a public vehicle, dangerous public roadway condition, construction area, or another government-related issue potentially contributed to the collision.

In some California personal injury matters involving a government entity, an administrative claim generally must be presented within six months.

Different deadlines may also apply to property damage, minors, wrongful death, insurance issues, and other circumstances.

These are general timeframes and should not be relied upon to calculate the deadline for a particular truck accident case.

Evidence can also disappear or become more difficult to obtain long before a legal deadline arrives.

Electronic records may change, trucks can be repaired, witnesses may become difficult to locate, and commercial records may need to be identified and preserved.

DAG Law Firm, APC represents people injured in serious commercial truck accidents throughout California.

Our statewide truck accident practice is supported by local resources addressing issues that may arise in individual communities.

Learn more about truck accident claims in Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ontario, Anaheim, Irvine, Bakersfield, Santa Clarita, and Oxnard.

These local resources provide additional information concerning freeways, freight corridors, commercial traffic, accident issues, and evidence that may be relevant to truck collisions in those communities.

This California Truck Accident Lawyer page serves as DAG Law Firm’s primary statewide resource for broader questions involving commercial trucks, trucking companies, driver fatigue, electronic evidence, liability, insurance, injuries, damages, and filing deadlines.

Truck accident cases may involve additional companies, federal safety requirements, commercial insurance, electronic data, driver logs, company records, maintenance information, and cargo-related evidence.

Those issues frequently require a broader investigation than an ordinary passenger-vehicle collision.

Learn more about how California truck accident cases differ from car accident cases.

Potentially.

A trucking company’s conduct may become relevant when issues involve hiring, qualifications, training, scheduling, hours of service, maintenance, inspections, or other company practices.

The company is not automatically responsible simply because one of its trucks was involved.

The company’s actual role and connection to the collision must be evaluated.

When fatigue appears relevant, electronic logs, driver duty records, dispatch information, trip schedules, GPS records, and other documentation may help determine how long the driver had been working or driving.

The investigation should establish fatigue from evidence rather than assume it.

The phrase “black box” is commonly used to describe electronic vehicle systems that may contain information about truck operation.

The exact information available depends on the particular truck and system.

Black-box information is different from ELD data, which primarily tracks driver duty status and driving time.

Learn more about California truck accident black box evidence.

An Electronic Logging Device is a system used by many covered commercial drivers to electronically record driving time and records of duty status.

ELD records can be particularly relevant when hours-of-service or fatigue issues arise.

Maintenance records, inspection documents, repair information, physical examination of the truck, and other evidence may help determine whether a mechanical problem existed and whether it contributed to the collision.

The existence of an unrelated maintenance issue does not automatically establish responsibility.

Potentially, depending on the circumstances.

Commercial freight may be loaded or handled by companies separate from the truck driver or motor carrier.

When improperly loaded or secured cargo contributes to a crash, the investigation may consider who actually performed or controlled the loading work.

Potentially.

California permits responsibility to be divided when more than one person contributed to an accident.

The effect depends on the evidence and the responsibility attributed to each person or company.

Potential evidence may include truck data, electronic logs, maintenance records, driver files, dispatch communications, cargo information, photographs, video, witnesses, collision reports, vehicle damage, insurance information, and medical documentation.

The evidence that matters most depends on how the collision occurred.

Many California personal injury lawsuits generally have a two-year filing deadline, but exceptions and different rules can apply.

Claims involving a government entity can have much shorter initial requirements.

The correct deadline should be determined from the specific parties and circumstances involved.

For more detailed information about issues that frequently arise after serious commercial vehicle collisions, explore DAG Law Firm’s California truck accident resources:

California Truck Accident Laws: What Every Driver Should Know

Who Is Liable After a Truck Accident in California?

What to Do After a Truck Accident in California

California Truck Driver Hours-of-Service Rules Explained

California Trucking Company Negligence Claims

California Jackknife Truck Accidents

California Underride Truck Accidents

California Truck Accident Black Box Evidence

California Truck Accident Insurance Claims

Common Injuries After a California Truck Accident

How Truck Accident Cases Differ From Car Accidents in California

Truck accident cases can involve commercial drivers, trucking companies, electronic records, maintenance histories, cargo operations, multiple insurance policies, and evidence that may not exist in an ordinary car accident.

DAG Law Firm, APC represents people seriously injured in qualifying truck accidents throughout California.

Depending on the circumstances, our attorneys may review how the collision occurred, identify the truck driver and motor carrier, investigate other potentially responsible companies, examine available electronic data and logs, review photographs and video, obtain witness information, evaluate maintenance and cargo records, investigate insurance coverage, and document the medical and financial effects of the injuries.

Whether the collision involved driver fatigue, distracted driving, unsafe company practices, a mechanical problem, jackknife, underride, cargo issue, commercial insurance dispute, or several potentially responsible parties, the specific facts and available evidence matter.

Every truck accident should be evaluated individually.

You do not pay attorney fees unless we win your case. There are no upfront attorney fees for qualifying truck accident matters handled on a contingency fee basis.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a California commercial truck accident, call (323) 930-2020 or contact DAG Law Firm today to discuss your situation.